Chicago continues to be the most segregated big city in America, despite sharp declines in the last 10 years.
A study released Monday by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research shows Chicago saw the second-largest decline in segregation of 10 largest cities between 2000 and 2010, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
A half-century ago, one-fifth of America's neighborhoods did not have any African American residents, but today, blacks reside in 199 out of every 200 neighborhoods, according to the Sun-Times.
The study credits the tearing down of housing projects for decreasing segregation, but one of the study's authors told the Sun-Times that once predominantly black neighborhoods are established, they very rarely change.
Experts say in recent years, economic disparity is more often to blame than overt racism in housing. And fair housing laws, immigration and gentrification have played a role in reducing segregation.
Researchers comprised data from the U.S. Census Bureau for this study.
