Black Americans Earn Over 50% Less Than White Americans in This State

Discover the disturbing reality of wage inequality in one US state, where black Americans earn over 50% less than their white counterparts.

• We used data from the US Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Report, Bureau of Justice statistics, and data from the Centers for Disease Control
• In 18 states, Black households earn even less than 63.6% of white households
• Also, Discover “The Next NVIDIA”

In 1968, the United States passed the Fair Housing Act, banning discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of houses. The resulting discrimination, despite legislation working against it, has produced inequality that still exists today. The US continues to face significant wealth gaps between upper-income households and the majority of Americans.

Racial inequality continues to affect Black Americans due to many years of unfair laws and policies, such as Jim Crow laws and housing discrimination. The problem of economic inequality is rooted in more than just differences in income and higher rates of poverty. Other contributing factors include disparities in employment, housing, education, rates of incarceration, and many more.

To determine the worst states for Black Americans, 24/7 Wall St. created an index consisting of eight measures to assess race-based gaps in socioeconomic outcomes. Six of the measures – median household income, poverty, adult high school and bachelor’s degree attainment, homeownership, and unemployment rates – are based on five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community. The seventh measure, prisoners under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities by race per 100,000 residents, is based on Bureau of Justice Statistics data for 2021. The eighth measure, age-adjusted mortality rate by race, is based on data from 2018 to 2020 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nationwide, Black households earn $50,901 annually, or just 63.6% of the $80,042 income white households earn a year. Similarly, Black Americans are more than twice as likely to live below the poverty line (21.5%  vs. 10.1%) or be unemployed (9.2% vs. 4.6%) as white Americans and are nearly five times as likely to be incarcerated (1,020.4 per 100,000 Black Americans vs 217.7 per 100,000 white Americans).

In 18 states, Black households earn even less than 63.6% of white households, including in all ten worst states for Black Americans. In Wisconsin, the Black median household income is just 51.1% of the white median household income — the largest income disparity of any state. And while the poverty rate for white Americans is lower than 10% in 23 states, this is true for Black Americans in only one state, Hawaii.

Many of the lowest-ranking states on the list are in the Midwest, where millions of Black Americans moved during the Great Migration of the early 20th century. But redlining — a discriminatory practice of designating neighborhoods as high risk because of race, thus denying residents loans — created segregated neighborhoods, enforcing racial disparity. To this day, the gap in homeownership rates in the worst states for Black Americans is significantly higher than the 28-point gap nationwide (71.7% white homeownership rate vs 43.1% for Blacks). In Minnesota, for example, the gap is 48.4 points.

Why This Matters

Hyejin Kang / Shutterstock.com

New policies continue to address the issues of racial inequality and disparity in the United States. However, years of unfair treatment have created pervasive problems that are difficult to undo. By increasing awareness of the issues by looking at facts and figures, individuals and decision-makers can understand the need for change.

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50. Hawaii

Pearl Harbor Naval Base – Honolulu – Hawaii (BY 2.0) by MasonArchitects

Median household income: $80,207 (Black); $93,896 (white)

Homeownership rate: 28.2% (Black); 57.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 12.2% (Black); 5.6% (white)

Black population: 26,664 (1.8% of total)

49. New Mexico

Church Rock in Gallup New Mexico – Shallow Depth of Field – Route 66 (Shutterstock.com) by Neil Lockhart

Median household income: $48,987 (Black); $63,910 (white)

Homeownership rate: 37.8% (Black); 70.3% (white)

Unemployment rate: 9.0% (Black); 6.0% (white)

Black population: 37,996 (1.8% of total)

48. Texas

Jonathan Ross / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $55,459 (Black); $80,134 (white)

Homeownership rate: 41.3% (Black); 67.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.4% (Black); 4.6% (white)

Black population: 3,449,557 (11.8% of total)

47. Alaska

Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $71,857 (Black); $94,315 (white)

Homeownership rate: 40.9% (Black); 70.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 4.6% (Black); 5.1% (white)

Black population: 22,400 (3.0% of total)

46. Arizona

Saguaros and Superstition Mountains, Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, Arizona, USA (Shutterstock.com) by Fotogro

Median household income: $58,184 (Black); $75,939 (white)

Homeownership rate: 38.4% (Black); 70.3% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.3% (Black); 5.0% (white)

Black population: 307,726 (4.3% of total)

45. West Virginia

The West Virginia State Capitol Building in Charleston, WV (BY 2.0) by o palsson

Median household income: $38,004 (Black); $55,826 (white)

Homeownership rate: 44.5% (Black); 75.8% (white)

Unemployment rate: 9.8% (Black); 6.2% (white)

Black population: 60,237 (3.4% of total)

44. Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky (BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

Median household income: $44,196 (Black); $62,242 (white)

Homeownership rate: 37.9% (Black); 72.1% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.6% (Black); 4.9% (white)

Black population: 355,368 (7.9% of total)

43. Georgia

SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $55,010 (Black); $81,445 (white)

Homeownership rate: 49.0% (Black); 74.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.2% (Black); 4.1% (white)

Black population: 3,334,095 (31.1% of total)

42. Idaho

Spirit Lake, Idaho, as viewed from Mt. Spokane, WA (CC0 1.0 DEED) by LibertyLakeAnne

Median household income: $54,727 (Black); $71,661 (white)

Homeownership rate: 36.9% (Black); 73.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 6.7% (Black); 3.9% (white)

Black population: 11,919 (0.6% of total)

41. Oregon

Siuslaw River Bridge, Oregon (PDM 1.0) by Bonnie Moreland (free images)

Median household income: $56,124 (Black); $77,627 (white)

Homeownership rate: 33.9% (Black); 65.8% (white)

Unemployment rate: 6.7% (Black); 5.5% (white)

Black population: 75,790 (1.8% of total)

40. Maryland

Powerhawk5k / Wikimedia Commons

Median household income: $79,161 (Black); $109,387 (white)

Homeownership rate: 52.5% (Black); 76.9% (white)

Unemployment rate: 7.8% (Black); 4.0% (white)

Black population: 1,815,877 (29.5% of total)

39. Delaware

Wilmington Delaware skyline (BY-SA 2.5) by Tim Kiser (User:Malepheasant)

Median household income: $58,385 (Black); $86,094 (white)

Homeownership rate: 51.5% (Black); 80.1% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.0% (Black); 4.9% (white)

Black population: 213,516 (21.5% of total)

38. Wyoming

A man fly fishing in the Wyoming wilderness (Shutterstock.com) by Amanda Allard-Korell

Median household income: $56,046 (Black); $73,542 (white)

Homeownership rate: 38.2% (Black); 73.0% (white)

Unemployment rate: 11.0% (Black); 3.8% (white)

Black population: 4,488 (0.8% of total)

37. Tennessee

Beale Street Memphis Morning (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Mobilus In Mobili

Median household income: $46,708 (Black); $68,515 (white)

Homeownership rate: 43.6% (Black); 73.1% (white)

Unemployment rate: 9.4% (Black); 4.4% (white)

Black population: 1,116,871 (16.1% of total)

36. Florida

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $51,249 (Black); $72,212 (white)

Homeownership rate: 47.6% (Black); 72.9% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.1% (Black); 4.6% (white)

Black population: 3,232,871 (14.9% of total)

35. New Hampshire

Concord – New Hampshire (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Josh Hallett

Median household income: $72,946 (Black); $91,394 (white)

Homeownership rate: 36.2% (Black); 74.0% (white)

Unemployment rate: 7.6% (Black); 3.7% (white)

Black population: 18,477 (1.3% of total)

34. Washington

aiisha5 / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $65,817 (Black); $91,601 (white)

Homeownership rate: 34.0% (Black); 67.6% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.1% (Black); 4.8% (white)

Black population: 290,907 (3.8% of total)

33. Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island (CC BY 2.0) by JJBers

Median household income: $61,614 (Black); $86,467 (white)

Homeownership rate: 35.1% (Black); 68.3% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.2% (Black); 5.3% (white)

Black population: 58,304 (5.3% of total)

32. Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Memorial (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Bucko, SJ

Median household income: $42,145 (Black); $65,469 (white)

Homeownership rate: 39.8% (Black); 70.1% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.9% (Black); 4.4% (white)

Black population: 277,702 (7.0% of total)

31. North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina (CC BY-SA 2.0) by James Willamor

Median household income: $47,088 (Black); $73,675 (white)

Homeownership rate: 46.3% (Black); 73.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.3% (Black); 4.3% (white)

Black population: 2,161,841 (20.6% of total)

30. Virginia

Richmond, Virginia (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Doug Kerr

Median household income: $60,201 (Black); $93,691 (white)

Homeownership rate: 48.6% (Black); 73.1% (white)

Unemployment rate: 7.2% (Black); 3.8% (white)

Black population: 1,601,668 (18.6% of total)

29. South Dakota

Panorama of Rapid City, South Dakota, USA (Shutterstock.com) by Sopotnicki

Median household income: $56,399 (Black); $72,498 (white)

Homeownership rate: 25.6% (Black); 72.2% (white)

Unemployment rate: 3.4% (Black); 2.3% (white)

Black population: 19,172 (2.2% of total)

28. Alabama

Morning in Birmingham – April … (CC BY-SA 2.0) by formulanone

Median household income: $40,661 (Black); $69,042 (white)

Homeownership rate: 51.3% (Black); 77.4% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.9% (Black); 4.1% (white)

Black population: 1,318,388 (26.2% of total)

27. California

Ventura, California (13) (BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

Median household income: $64,513 (Black); $97,859 (white)

Homeownership rate: 35.6% (Black); 60.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 10.5% (Black); 6.0% (white)

Black population: 2,102,510 (5.3% of total)

26. Arkansas

Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, as Seen from Hot Springs Mountain Tower, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas. (BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

Median household income: $37,395 (Black); $60,756 (white)

Homeownership rate: 44.2% (Black); 71.9% (white)

Unemployment rate: 9.4% (Black); 4.5% (white)

Black population: 454,728 (15.1% of total)

25. Nevada

MGM Grand Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada (BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

Median household income: $48,022 (Black); $77,786 (white)

Homeownership rate: 31.6% (Black); 64.4% (white)

Unemployment rate: 12.5% (Black); 6.2% (white)

Black population: 278,689 (9.0% of total)

24. Vermont

Fall Foliage Along Norton Pond Northeast Kingdom Vermont 2021 Season (BY 2.0) by Anthony Quintano

Median household income: $52,736 (Black); $74,499 (white)

Homeownership rate: 27.7% (Black); 74.0% (white)

Unemployment rate: 6.4% (Black); 3.8% (white)

Black population: 7,548 (1.2% of total)

23. Maine

Portland, Maine (BY 2.0) by Me in ME

Median household income: $53,407 (Black); $68,783 (white)

Homeownership rate: 25.9% (Black); 74.4% (white)

Unemployment rate: 5.6% (Black); 4.2% (white)

Black population: 21,093 (1.5% of total)

22. Colorado

Colorado State Capitol, Denver, Colorado (BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

Median household income: $61,343 (Black); $91,475 (white)

Homeownership rate: 41.8% (Black); 69.1% (white)

Unemployment rate: 7.8% (Black); 4.2% (white)

Black population: 221,211 (3.8% of total)

21. Missouri

Old St. Louis County Courthous… (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Warren LeMay

Median household income: $44,293 (Black); $69,547 (white)

Homeownership rate: 39.3% (Black); 72.4% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.2% (Black); 3.9% (white)

Black population: 688,219 (11.2% of total)

20. Mississippi

Mississippi State Capitol, Jackson, Mississippi (BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

Median household income: $36,263 (Black); $65,518 (white)

Homeownership rate: 54.4% (Black); 78.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 10.0% (Black); 4.9% (white)

Black population: 1,098,675 (37.1% of total)

19. South Carolina

MargaretW / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $42,672 (Black); $73,204 (white)

Homeownership rate: 53.5% (Black); 78.4% (white)

Unemployment rate: 7.9% (Black); 4.3% (white)

Black population: 1,316,074 (25.6% of total)

18. Massachusetts

stresstensor / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $67,044 (Black); $102,701 (white)

Homeownership rate: 36.4% (Black); 68.5% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.4% (Black); 4.7% (white)

Black population: 459,848 (6.6% of total)

17. Indiana

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $42,067 (Black); $70,740 (white)

Homeownership rate: 38.0% (Black); 74.9% (white)

Unemployment rate: 9.9% (Black); 4.1% (white)

Black population: 631,919 (9.3% of total)

16. Montana

Beautiful Landscape photography of Glacier National Park in Montana USA (Shutterstock.com) by Vaclav Sebek

Median household income: $50,676 (Black); $68,005 (white)

Homeownership rate: 27.4% (Black); 70.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 11.7% (Black); 3.3% (white)

Black population: 5,248 (0.5% of total)

15. New York

New York City (BY-SA 2.0) by Padmanaba01

Median household income: $58,805 (Black); $90,866 (white)

Homeownership rate: 32.7% (Black); 64.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 9.2% (Black); 5.0% (white)

Black population: 2,767,223 (13.8% of total)

14. Louisiana

artiste9999 / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $37,015 (Black); $70,270 (white)

Homeownership rate: 48.9% (Black); 76.9% (white)

Unemployment rate: 10.4% (Black); 4.9% (white)

Black population: 1,456,107 (31.4% of total)

13. North Dakota

Sunrise over Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota (Shutterstock.com) by ZakZeinert

Median household income: $49,369 (Black); $77,950 (white)

Homeownership rate: 11.7% (Black); 67.3% (white)

Unemployment rate: 7.9% (Black); 2.6% (white)

Black population: 24,882 (3.2% of total)

12. Utah

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $57,433 (Black); $89,462 (white)

Homeownership rate: 27.4% (Black); 73.2% (white)

Unemployment rate: 5.8% (Black); 3.2% (white)

Black population: 34,485 (1.1% of total)

11. Kansas

Kansas summer wheat field and storm (BY 2.0) by US Department of State

Median household income: $46,145 (Black); $72,357 (white)

Homeownership rate: 36.5% (Black); 70.2% (white)

Unemployment rate: 9.1% (Black); 3.6% (white)

Black population: 157,768 (5.4% of total)

10. Connecticut

Hartford, Connecticut (CC BY 2.0) by JJBers

Median household income: $59,728 (Black); $98,855 (white)

Homeownership rate: 40.7% (Black); 73.5% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.8% (Black); 5.2% (white)

Black population: 355,970 (9.9% of total)

9. New Jersey

File:Newark, New Jersey at night.jpg (BY-SA 3.0) by Jamaalcobbs at English Wikipedia

Median household income: $65,351 (Black); $105,392 (white)

Homeownership rate: 39.7% (Black); 73.3% (white)

Unemployment rate: 9.2% (Black); 5.3% (white)

Black population: 1,147,770 (12.4% of total)

8. Ohio

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $40,499 (Black); $71,843 (white)

Homeownership rate: 36.1% (Black); 72.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 10.6% (Black); 4.3% (white)

Black population: 1,431,238 (12.2% of total)

7. Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Capitol Building (BY 2.0) by kev72

Median household income: $45,944 (Black); $77,962 (white)

Homeownership rate: 43.4% (Black); 74.3% (white)

Unemployment rate: 11.1% (Black); 4.6% (white)

Black population: 1,347,784 (10.4% of total)

6. Michigan

SolomonCrowe / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $42,171 (Black); $73,039 (white)

Homeownership rate: 43.3% (Black); 78.4% (white)

Unemployment rate: 13.1% (Black); 5.0% (white)

Black population: 1,346,918 (13.4% of total)

5. Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska (BY 2.0) by kla4067

Median household income: $45,287 (Black); $74,157 (white)

Homeownership rate: 29.8% (Black); 70.0% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.3% (Black); 2.8% (white)

Black population: 91,357 (4.7% of total)

4. Illinois

Chicago, Illinois, USA (BY-SA 2.0) by pom'.

Median household income: $46,717 (Black); $85,060 (white)

Homeownership rate: 40.2% (Black); 73.7% (white)

Unemployment rate: 13.7% (Black); 4.8% (white)

Black population: 1,744,151 (13.7% of total)

3. Minnesota

Terrence Floyd, George Floyd's brother visits the location where his brother was killed, now a memorial, at Chicago Ave and E 38th St in Minneapolis, Minnesota (BY 2.0) by Lorie Shaull

Median household income: $49,738 (Black); $87,692 (white)

Homeownership rate: 28.4% (Black); 76.8% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.6% (Black); 3.4% (white)

Black population: 377,173 (6.6% of total)

2. Iowa

f11photo / iStock via Getty Images

Median household income: $40,592 (Black); $72,363 (white)

Homeownership rate: 27.2% (Black); 74.3% (white)

Unemployment rate: 11.0% (Black); 3.4% (white)

Black population: 117,940 (3.7% of total)

1. Wisconsin

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Median household income: $38,732 (Black); $75,803 (white)

Homeownership rate: 26.5% (Black); 71.9% (white)

Unemployment rate: 8.3% (Black); 3.0% (white)

• Black population: 356,150 (6.1% of total)
• #wagegap #inequality #racialjustice