Immigrant Presence and Natives’ Perceptions: A Neighborhood-Level Analysis of Naples and Palermo

Abstract

Research on immigration's impact on natives' well-being has largely focused on objective factors like wages and public spending, with less attention to subjective well-being, especially in Southern Europe. This study examines how immigrant presence at the neighborhood level influences well-being, satisfaction, and community attachment in Naples and Palermo. Using a 2024 survey combined with 2021 Italian census data, we run OLS regressions exploring four dimensions of subjective well-being: neighborhood satisfaction, local services, community attachment, and civic engagement. Results show a positive effect of immigrant presence on all four domains, which remains robust after controlling for demographic characteristics, employment, and subjective income sufficiency. These findings contribute to understanding the role of neighborhood diversity in shaping native well-being in Southern Europe.