Life in the Bubble: D.C. Area Becomes "A Megalopolis of Eggheads"

Across the Unites States, the decline of middle-income neighborhoods is a worrying trend. But in the D.C. metro area, economic segregation is especially acute. "The growing number of people living in Super Zips here is redefining and reshaping the region, turning modest inner-suburb neighborhoods into upscale enclaves and outer-suburb farmland into sprawling housing developments, often gated," write Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik.

“'It’s a megalopolis of eggheads,' said William H. Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution. Frey said Washington is an example of how the country is compartmentalizing itself into clusters of people with different backgrounds and world views."

“It’s a magnet for people who grew up elsewhere and came here because they want to be in a place that has an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity. But it means we’re somewhat isolated. A lot of people here may study and advocate for what’s going on in the rest of the country, but they can’t feel what’s going on if it doesn’t touch them.”