The Most Challenging States for Black Americans, Ranked

"Life in the United States can look very different depending on where you live, and for Black Americans, those differences are often influenced by longstanding factors. These include social, economic, and political conditions. Access to quality education, affordable housing, healthcare, and employment opportunities varies widely from state to state, affecting everything from annual income to overall well-being. While racial progress has been made nationally over the decades, disparities tied to race continue to affect daily life in meaningful ways."

"Some states present bigger challenges for people of color than others due to a combination of economic inequality, poor medical treatment, criminal justice issues, and limited social support systems. Ranking the states helps show us where obstacles are most pronounced. Within certain states, systemic issues remain difficult to overcome. This article examines the states that pose the greatest challenges for Black Americans and explores the factors that contribute to those rankings."

"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."

Black Americans encounter widely varying living conditions across states driven by social, economic, and political factors. State-by-state differences in access to quality education, affordable housing, healthcare, and employment directly influence annual income and overall well-being. Racial progress has occurred nationally, but significant disparities tied to race persist and affect daily life. Some states intensify challenges through concentrated economic inequality, inadequate medical treatment, criminal justice disparities, and weak social support. An eight-measure index of race-based gaps in income, poverty, education, homeownership, unemployment, incarceration, and mortality highlights where gaps are most pronounced and which states pose the greatest obstacles.

Read at 24/7 Wall St.