Moving and the Neighborhood Glass Ceiling

Twenty-five years ago, William J. Wilson drew widespread attention to increases in the concentration of poverty in the United States and the diminished life chances of “the truly disadvantaged” ( 1 ). The hypothesis that growing up in a severely deprived neighborhood threatens well-being is rooted in a long scientific tradition. From Victorian London to present-day America, research has shown links between neighborhood poverty and outcomes such as crime, economic dependency, poor physical health, teenage pregnancy, and school dropout ( 2 ). But could the characteristics of individuals living in deprived neighborhoods explain these observed associations rather than the characteristics of the neighborhood itself ( 3 )? On page 1505 of this issue, Ludwig et al. ( 4 ) address this question by analyzing the results of a policy project that supported neighborhood relocation.