Residential clustering and spatial access to public services in Shanghai

•LISA measure community clustering and the association with public services.•Spatial accessibility is calculated to measure public service accessibility.•Communities are clustered in the central city(high-priced) and suburbs(low-priced).•High-priced clusters have better public service access than low-priced ones.•The urban districts might contribute to the uneven distribution of public services.

Commercialization of housing markets has significantly transformed the residential space in Chinese cities. However, few studies have examined social–spatial stratification of residential communities in relation to public services accessibility. This study explores how residential communities are stratified by housing prices and how such spatial clustering is associated with disparities in public service accessibility in Shanghai, China. The results demonstrate significant disparities between the central city and outer suburbs in housing prices and accessibility to public service infrastructure. The uneven process of urbanization and fragmented local government structure might have contributed to the concentration patterns and disparities in public service provision.