America is a land of opportunity… as long as you live in the right place.

In the years following World War II, a rising economic tide would lift all boats. Americans were richer or poorer but when the economy grew, everyone benefited roughly equivalently. That is no longer the case. Increasingly, the United States is a country divided geographically into have and have-nots. Those who have jobs and high incomes and expensive homes are clustered in some communities, while those who are struggling are concentrated in other communities. Those in the wealthier communities have seen their incomes rise and job prospects soar. Americans in distressed communities have seen jobs evaporate and incomes stagnate.

Here are five charts that illustrate America’s growing economic divide:





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