Abstract: Taking three residential areas of different income levels in Kaifeng City, Henan Province in 2009 as a case, this study analyzes the ecological footprint of Kaifeng City using the theory and methods of ecological footprint and questionnaire survey. Based on the survey in the three residential areas, Banqiao, Kangping and Longchengxiangxieli Garden, the ecological footprint of consumption of biological resources and energy are calculated. The results indicate that, firstly, in the three residential areas, from the viewpoint of per capita ecological footprint, energy consumption in the overall ecological footprint is at a higher level; secondly, from the viewpoint of biological consumption, per capita ecological footprint of pork is the largest, followed by dairy products, and the reason is that meat and dairy food production requires more land area; thirdly, from the viewpoint of different types of per capita ecological footprints, in Banqiao residential area the percentage of fossil fuel land and building land is the largest, followed by arable land and grassland. Based on the analysis above, we conclude that the higher the residential area's living standard is, the greater the ecological footprint is, and vice versa. This study demonstrates that Kaifeng city's polarization phenomenon is the main reason for the unfairness between the two residential areas in terms of ecological footprints and carbon emissions. Finally, we provide some advices to the urban households and policymakers, such as promoting economic development, actively creating more jobs, and leading the residents to rational consumptions.

Key words: different income, ecological footprint, Kaifeng City, living consumption