Population decentralization within metropolitan areas: 1970–1980

Using a unique data set which maintains geographic and fiscal consistency over time and across a sample of major metropolitan areas, this paper identifies those factors of economic and population decentralization which affected central city areas between 1970 and 1980. While the analysis follows the structure and format of earlier works, it differs significantly from the existing literature in its treatment of the effects of annexation. In this paper population changes are estimated for central cities and suburban areas within constant 1980 boundaries for these jurisdictions. Additionally, fiscal variables from overlapping jurisdictions are calculated for the city area rather than using only the municipal city government as the basis for fiscal variables. The empirical investigation supports the view that demographic and housing stock variables seem to have had a greater impact on decentralization than central city-suburban fiscal differences.