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.

HISPANIC-WHITE

For Latinos, median household incomes were closest to those of whites in Deltona–Daytona Beach Ormond Beach, FL, which was up from #4 in last year’s ranking as a result of 7 percent income growth for Latinos and a 10 percent loss for whites. In Deltona, the median Hispanic household had 97 cents for every dollar of median white household income. Hispanic and white incomes were least equal in Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford, CT where the gap was 40 cents on the dollar. In Hartford, the median household income for Latinos was $30,453 (down 6 percent from the 2014 index), compared to $75,475 for whites (down 1 percent).

As was the case for Blacks and whites, the highest median Hispanic household income was in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV ($65,736), #47 in the equality ranking. The lowest median Hispanic household income was in Springfield, MA ($24,781), #71 in the equality ranking.