Where are the Most Segregated Neighborhoods in Chicago?
Understanding the experiences of and wealth positions of Black American residents living in various neighborhoods was an important goal of this study. These neighborhoods include majority-Black, majority-Latino/a/e/x, and majority-White neighborhoods. For the purposes of this study, a neighborhood that has 50% or above Black households and/or respondents, applied at the Census tract level, is considered to be a majority Black neighborhood. The same applies to how White or Latino/a/e/x majority neighborhoods.
How Does Wealth Differ by Neighborhood?
How does overall median wealth or net worth differ by neighborhood? Overall median wealth or net worth is highest in majority White neighborhoods.
What about when disaggregated by race? Here are a few initial observations: White residents typically have much more wealth, in any neighborhood. Black, Mexican and Puerto Rican residents living in majority White neighborhoods do have higher wealth positions.
What do outcomes look like for Black, White, Mexican and Puerto Rican residents from an Assets perspective?
And how do Debts measure up against Assets for these residents?
Explore the interactive chart to gain more perspective on the outcomes for each racial and ethnic resident group’s net worth, assets, and debt.
Net Worth Across Neighborhood Types
White
neighborhoods
Black
neighborhoods
Latino/a/e/x
neighborhoods
majority
neighborhoods
Assets and Debts by Neighborhood
Assets
As mentioned in our wealth story, to better understand the drivers of wealth, one must examine the various asset classes of a particular group. Here we have broken out neighborhood-specific wealth data by specific asset classes. Use the dropdown and buttons to select a neighborhood type and demographic.
Median
value for all
Chicagoans
Median
Debts
And similarly, to better understand the drivers of wealth, one must examine the various debt classes of a particular group. Here we have broken out neighborhood-specific wealth data by specific debt classes. Use the dropdown and buttons to select a neighborhood type and demographic.
Median
value for all
Chicagoans
Median
Forthcoming Research and Data Stories
The Color of Wealth project builds on a compendium of past research projects and those forthcoming. The vision for this digital platform is to bring the stories to life through data, technology, and storytelling. Below are a few examples of areas where the COW project will be designing and building new data stories tied to the research and analytical work by the Institute on Race, Power, and Poltiical Economy.
More Cities
- The Color of Wealth in Tulsa, Oklahoma: The Destruction of Greenwood and the Legacy of Land Loss
- The Color of Wealth in Baltimore
- The Color of Wealth in Miami
- The Color of Wealth in Los Angeles
- The Color of Wealth in the Nation’s Capital
- The Color of Wealth in Boston
Gentrification
Is gentrification a political choice? Are “more integrated” neighborhoods equitable solutions and alternatives to racial segregation?
Neighborhood Amenities
How might neighborhood amenities (or lack of them) amplify racial wealth gaps and segregation? Which neighborhood amenities matter the most? How are neighborhood amenities tied to disinvestment or investment in communities?
Civic and Political Engagement and Financial Positions
What are the consequences of resources, either having them or not, on civic and political engagement?
Policy Solutions
How might Baby Bonds and Guaranteed Income initiatives begin to address the racial wealth gap and segregation? Where are these initiatives taking place?
