The wealth gap between white and Hispanic households also grew, though at a lesser rate. White households made 10 times the net worth of Hispanic ones in 2013, up from nine times in 2010.

The net worth of white Americans was 13 times that of African-Americans in 2013, the highest wealth disparity in 30 years, according to Pew Research Center’s analysis of the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. Just three years prior, white households’ wealth was only eight times that of African-American ones.

The Great Recession affected most Americans, but the experience of its recovery was less universal. Since the recession, an increasing gap in wealth can be seen along racial lines, a Pew Research Center study found.


The median net worth of American familes plunged from $135,700 in 2007 to $82,300 in 2010, the study found, as the recession wreaked havoc on income levels, stock prices, and the housing market. But in the years since, the median wealth of its families has held relatively steady.

The recovery has been experienced differently by whites, African-Americans, and Hispanic Americans. White households’ net worth actually increased 2.4 percent from 2010 to 2013, while that of African-American and Hispanic households fell 33.7 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively, according to the study.

The Pew Research Center attributed this growing wealth inequality to three factors: income disparities, differing investment habits, and decreases in ownership rates.

■According to the Federal Reserve, the median income of minority households fell 9 percent between its 2010 and 2013 surveys, while white households saw a 1 percent drop.

■In the years since the recession, stocks have rebounded at a quicker rate than the housing market. White households are more likely than minority households to own stocks or other financial assets, according to Federal Reserve data.


■Homeownership is also much higher among white households, the data shows. While ownership rates are down nationwide, minority households saw a greater decrease in homeownership between 2010 and 2013 (6.5 percent) than white ones (2 percent), the study found.

Catherine Cloutier can be reached at catherine.cloutier@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @cmcloutier.