Unlike the Black–White unemployment equality rankings, the Black–White Income Equality Index rankings were relatively stable between 2014 and 2015. Six of last year’s top 10 metros were again in the top 10 this year. On the other hand, the Hispanic–White rankings were less stable with only four of last year’s top 10 appearing at the top of this year’s list. Nationally, Hispanic households experienced the largest increase in median household income between 2012 and 2013. The extent to which this growth was concentrated in certain metros could help explain why there may have been more shuffling in the Hispanic–White ranking.

The tables herein highlight major cities, as well as the most and least equal metropolitan areas and those with highest and lowest median household income.

BLACK-WHITE

Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA remained at the top of the Black–White Income Equality ranking this year, with the median Black household having 71 cents for every dollar of median white household income. In Riverside, Black household income fell five percent year- over-year while whites saw an increase of four percent. Black and white incomes were least equal in San Francisco Oakland–Hayward, CA where the gap was 42 cents on the dollar. In San Francisco, the median household income for Blacks was $39,902 (down three percent from last year’s Index) compared to $95,285 for whites (up four percent from last year’s Index).

The highest median household income for both Blacks ($64,663) and whites ($108,254) was in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD– WV, #21 in the ranking. The lowest median Black household income ($21,699) was in Toledo, OH (#67 in the ranking). Even though Toledo had the second lowest median white household income, white household income in Toledo was still more than double Black household income. Toledo, OH also had the highest Black unemployment rate, which would at least partly account for the low income of Black households. The lowest median white household income for whites ($46,512) was in Lakeland–Winter Haven, FL.