The report, titled The State Of Black Residents: The Relevance Of Place To Racial Equity And Outcomes, shows substantial gaps between Black and White residents in nearly every county in America.
The McKinsey report states there is virtually nowhere in the United States where outcomes for Black residents are equal to those of their White counterparts, and most places that are close to racial parity are small rural counties where the outcomes are poor for all residents, regardless of race.
The community profiles range from megacities (New York, Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles) to trailing rural economies (Danville, VA, Coahoma, MS).
The study determined outcomes for Black Americans are generally better in suburban and high-growth areas (Austin, Texas; Charlotte, N.C.; Minneapolis, Minn.). In these areas, Black Americans lead in metrics including median household income, workers in management roles, and bachelor’s degree attainment. However, Black residents are also underrepresented in these areas.
On the other side of the spectrum, stable rural counties and trailing rural counties, which are home to about 15% of Black Americans, rank at the bottom for outcomes of Black Americans due to poverty, food insecurity, lack of health insurance, and. Although. they rank highly in housing due to a lower rent burden and higher homeownership rates.
The McKinsey report does show that outcomes for Black Americans have improved over the last decade in most counties across the country but adds that quality of life is improving for everyone and progress is taking significantly longer to reach Black Americans as the gains have not been fast or substantial enough to make up for disadvantaged starting points.The report was authored by McKinsey & Company partners JP Julien, Duwain Pinder and Shelley Stewart III, a senior partner who leads the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility.
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Source: Black Enterprise
