Description of the Indicator
This indicator details poverty rates by race and ethnicity.
Why is it important?
Poverty can be seen as a gauge of the region’s overall economic health. Examining the poverty rates across different population groups is essential to measure inequity in the four-county region. Large and persistent disparities are often the result of policies and practices that disadvantage certain populations. Structural racism, which includes policies and practices, can perpetuate, create intersecting challenges and barriers for communities, such as inequitable education, low wages, job and wage discrimination, and lack of access to capital.
How is the region performing?
Poverty rates among people who are non-White have largely declined since 2010. Despite this progress, disparities persist; these individuals face considerably higher rates of poverty than people who are White. Furthermore, poverty has increased among the White population since 2010. According to the National Equity Atlas, Black and Latino individuals are more than twice as likely to live in a high-poverty neighborhood than White individuals.