chicago_skyline.jpgCHICAGO (AP) _ A published report says Chicago is the country's most segregated big city.

After analyzing 2008 population estimates, the Chicago Tribune found that blacks in Chicago – President-elect Barack Obama’s home town – are the most isolated racial group in the nation's 20 largest cities.

The figures show that more than 80 percent of the black or white population would need to change neighborhoods in Chicago to truly integrate the city.

The Tribune report points to racial patterns that took root more than 100 years ago in the city. It says discriminatory practices helped spawn segregation.

But income differences and personal tastes further perpetuate segregation.

The newspaper notes that people tend to select a place to live where their own color has a large presence.

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Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com