Data link roundup (week of May 24, 2013)

The week's top data analysis links...
This week's theme: American cities are growing again

(SUB)URBAN BLIGHT?

According to a recent report by Brookings, urban centers have shown strong post-recession job growth, while the suburbs have lagged behind.

Perhaps not surprisingly, then, this week's Brooking's report showed that poverty rates are rising fastest in the 'burbs.


THE RISE OF CITIES

New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that cities are growing. All of the nation's 25 largest cities (with the exception of Detroit) grew between 2010 and 2012. The largest cities, on average, outpaced population growth for the U.S. as a whole over the past two years. New York city added the most population and even Chicago reversed a years-long decline.


THE DOWNSIDE OF HOMEOWNERSHIP?

Being a homeowner has its downsides (and not just The Money Pit variety).

David G. Blanchflower of Dartmouth and Andrew J. Oswald (University of Warwick in England) argue that higher rates of homeownership are strongly correlated with higher rates of unemployment. While that sounds plausible, since (especially since the housing bubble burst) homeownership can be a barrier to economic mobility and migration, Peter Gordon isn't convinced (but he does agree that pro-ownership public policy needs a re-think).