The colorof wealthproject
The Color of Wealth research series examines wealth by race, ethnicity and national origin in the context of specific locations and histories. The Color of Wealth studies have been conducted in seven metropolitan regions in the United States. Research in more locations is ongoing.
Why wealth matters
Many studies focus on income, but it is wealth that better positions families (and individuals) to finance elite educations, access capital to start a business, pay for expensive medical procedures, reside in higher amenity neighborhoods, exert political influence; purchase better counsel if confronted with an expensive legal system, leave a bequest, and withstand many financial hardships resulting from any number of emergencies or shocks, including a global pandemic. Investments into one’s economic future require more than a paycheck, or income – it necessitates drawing from a larger store of resources, which is wealth.
Wealth also generates more wealth: wealthier families have greater financial resources to pass on to their children and to purchase assets that produce more wealth. This intergenerational and compounding effect of wealth also perpetuates wealth inequities.
The color of wealth
The surveys used for the Color of Wealth studies were developed to supplement existing national data sets that collect data on household wealth in the United States. Whereas these national datasets often rely on broad racial and ethnic categories, the Color of Wealth studies collect detailed data on assets and debts for more specific racial, ethnic and ancestral groups.
These specific groups are chosen to reflect a particular location’s demographics and history. The Color of Wealth findings on racial wealth disparities are presented within the context of the history of residential migration, segregation, and racial/ethnic inequities for the particular location.
Baltimore
Black — experience with incarceration, Black — no experience with incarceration, White — experience with incarceration, White — no experience with incarceration
Boston
White, US Black, Caribbean Black, Cape Verdean, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Other Hispanic
Chicago
Black, Mexican — foreign born, Mexican — US born, Puerto Rican, White
Los Angeles
White, US Black, African Black, Mexican, Other Latino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Asian Indian
Miami
White, US Black, Caribbean Black, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South American, Other Hispanic
Tulsa
Black, Mexican, Native by Tribal Enrollment (Cherokee, Muscogee, Other Tribe, Not Enrolled), White
Washington, D.C.
White, US Black, African Black, Latino, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian Indian
Locations and themes
Experiences with mass incarceration, climate gentrification, state violence, predatory debt, housing insecurity, and geographic segregation intersect with wealth and race and ethnicity. The Color of Wealth series strategically selects locations that can serve as thematic case studies to understand the relationship between race, wealth, and interconnecting systems (such as incarceration and climate crisis) that are foundational to structural racism, for instance:
CHICAGO: A STORY OF RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION, RACE AND WEALTH
Read the Segregation storyBALTIMORE: A STORY OF INCARCERATION, RACE AND WEALTH
Coming soon
TULSA: A STORY OF RACE MASSACRES AND INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS
Coming soon
MIAMI: A STORY OF CLIMATE GENTRIFICATION, RACE AND WEALTH
Coming soon
About the research
Timing of studies:
Boston
Los Angeles
Miami
Tulsa
Washington, D.C.
Baltimore
Chicago
Since 2015, Color of Wealth studies have examined and measured racial disparities in wealth and economic well-being in seven American cities: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Tulsa, and Washington, D.C.
Color of Wealth studies use surveys to gather information about a respondent’s geographic location, racial, ethnic, ancestral background, demographic information like education, age, marital status, and information about assets, debts, and financial resources. More methodological information about the study for each study can be found on individual city pages.