Evan Comen and Michael B. Sauter

24/7 Wall Street

Nationwide, the typical black household earns just 61 cents for every dollar the typical white household earns. Despite the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement more than five decades ago, there exist substantial inequalities along racial lines in America.

Lower incomes, educational attainment, and homeownership among black Americans, as well as higher poverty, unemployment, incarceration, and mortality all contribute to racial inequality in the United States. In some of America’s largest metro areas, discriminatory policy, racial bias, and a history of oppression have deepened such inequalities and widened the gap between black and white residents in a variety of socioeconomic measures.

To determine the worst cities for black Americans, 24/7 Wall St. created an index based on disparities in each city between black and white residents in various socioeconomic measures. Many of the cities with the worst racial inequalities are in the Midwest and Northeast.

Here are the worst 5 cities on the list:

5. Niles-Benton Harbor, Mich.

> Black population: 15.2%

> Black median income: 46.1% of white income

> White unemployment: 3.6%

> Black unemployment: 17.3%

4. Racine, Wisc.

> Black population: 11.1%

> Black median income: 34.6% of white income

> White unemployment: 4.8%

> Black unemployment: 10.7%

3. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisc.

> Black population: 16.6%

> Black median income: 42.2% of white income

> White unemployment: 3.3%

> Black unemployment: 12.4%

2. Peoria, Ill.

> Black population: 9.3%

> Black median income: 42.7% of white income

> White unemployment: 5.4%

> Black unemployment: 19.3%

1. Erie, Penn.

> Black population: 7.2%

> Black median income: 43.2% of white income

> White unemployment: 4.0%

> Black unemployment: 24.6%

For the full list of cities and more details, click here. For more on how 24/7 Wall Street compiled its list of worst cities for Black Americans, click here.

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