Where African-American Incomes Are Rising -- And Where They're Not - Forbes

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The wealth and income of African-Americans has often been used as a barometer of changes in inequality and discrimination in America. African-American wealth and income that tick upward relative to overall figures, the thinking goes, are a sign of reduced inequality and discrimination; wealth and income that track downward relative to others are taken to be an indication that inequality and discrimination have worsened.


Nationally, the gap in median household incomes between African-Americans and whites has been remarkably persistent over the last 50 years. In 1967, black households earned just 55% of white household earnings; by 2016 that figure was 61%.

But at the metropolitan level, there are vast differences in black household earnings — an indicator of stronger versus weaker metro economies and job markets, and of preferable migratory locations. Where exactly are the successful and lagging metros when it comes to black household earnings?

I gathered median household income data from the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey from 2010 to 2016 to analyze potential changes. The data I gathered was for the 51 metro areas with populations exceeding a million in 2010, encompassing about 60% of the nation’s population. I looked at changes in the overall median household income and examined African-American household income data as well. The results are revealing.

First, let’s look at household incomes in the aggregate. Overall, for the 51 metros with more than a million residents, median household income increased from $54,500 in 2010 to $64,000 in 2016, a gain of 17.4%. African-American median household income rose from $35,900 in 2010 to $41,300 in 2016, a gain of 15.6%. That slight difference in percentage growth means that black household incomes haven’t quite kept pace with the overall metric in the largest metros; in 2010, black median household income equaled 65.8% of the overall figure, and in 2016, it was 64.5%.


Here are the top 10 metros by absolute median household income in 2016:
Click to expand...

Table-1-MHI-Graphic-12-7-17.jpg


Next, the bottom 10 metros by absolute median household income in 2016:

Table-2-MHI-Graphic-12-7-17.jpg


Looking at absolute figures for metros only tells part of the story. It’s just as important — perhaps more so — to find out which metros are showing the largest gains in median household incomes, both for blacks and overall, and which aren’t. Here they are:

Table-3-MHI-Graphic-12-7-17.jpg


Here’s the bottom 10 metros showing the lowest percentage change in median household incomes overall and for African-Americans in 2016:


Table-4-MHI-Graphic-12-7-17.jpg


I thought of grouping metros into four categories, based on the average of median household income for black households ($41,271 in 2016) and the ratio of change in black household income to overall household income (with 1.01 or more meaning gaining ground, and 0.99 and less meaning losing ground). Considered in that context, the 51 metros can be grouped this way:

Table-5-MHI-Graphic-12-7-17.jpg


Trends become apparent through this analysis. Top-tier New Economy destinations like the Bay Area, Boston, New York and Seattle have the highest absolute median household incomes for African-Americans, but incomes there aren’t quite keeping pace with overall figures in each metro. However, African-Americans are doing quite well in what might be considered next-tier tech centers like Washington, Atlanta, Denver and Austin, but also in otherwise booming cities like Dallas, Houston and Nashville. In this group, growth in black median household incomes is outpacing overall growth.

Metros with median incomes below the metro average tend to dominate the interior of the nation. As many as 24 of the 27 metros showing below-average black median household incomes are in the Midwestern Rust Belt, the Gulf Coast or the Southwest Sun Belt. Actual figures here may be lower in the nation’s interior, but the trajectories differ. More than half (15 of 27) aren’t keeping pace with overall median incomes.

This becomes ever clearer when plotted on a map:
Click to expand...



Black-MHI-Graphic-12-1-17.jpg


African-Americans appear to be doing well and gaining on the East Coast and in the larger Southern metros in Texas, as well as Atlanta and Nashville. African-Americans seem to be earning high incomes on the West Coast but are consistently losing ground relative to overall income figures. The Rust Belt and the largest metros in Florida and the Mississippi Valley are areas where African-American median incomes are consistently lower, with a mixed bag of metros gaining or losing ground.
Click to expand...

Where African-American Incomes Are Rising -- And Where They're Not


Link in the tweet.

The data don't lie. Brehs in Texas eating right now:francis:.
 
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UberEatsDriver

UberEatsDriver

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Brooklyn keeps on taking it.
Wait so let’s me get this straight. Providence, Rhode Island has the largest growth of AA income?

And I wasn’t aware Boston median income was slightly higher than Atlanta.

I could never find info on Boston black community online!
 
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