Differentials in characteristics between city and suburban admissions to a state clinic for retarded children.

Characteristics of city and suburban admissions to a state-operated outpatient clinic for mentally retarded children were reported. City admissions tended to be overrepresented among lower socioeconomic groups and minorities. Suburban admissions tended to approximate the characteristics of the population of suburbia as a whole. A stepwise discriminant-function analysis between city and suburban admissions showed race to be the best predictor. Employment and occupational status, type of family structure, and certain referral agents also discriminated city and suburban admissions to varying degrees.