Are gentrifying neighborhoods more stressful? A multilevel analysis of self-rated stress

Gentrification, the increase of affluent residents into low-income neighborhoods, is thought to heighten self-rated stress, especially for residents of color. However, the relationship between gentrification and stress has not been directly measured. This study took advantage of the 2008 and 2010 waves of the Public Health Management Corporation’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, the 2000 Census, and the 2006–2010 American Community Survey to investigate the relationship of gentrification to above-average self-rated stress. We paid attention to how racial/ethnic differences in gentrification may uniquely affect stress. We also measured factors associated with gentrification with implications for one’s stress including housing cost insecurity and community connection. Using multilevel modeling, we found that gentrifying tracts marked by increases in White residents and declines in non-Whites were more likely to report above-average stress. This study provides evidence that gentrification is related to stress, emphasizing the important role racial/ethnic change has in this process. These findings call for research to unpack the causal mechanisms through which gentrification affects stress.