Stories

The state of racial inequality in 12 major U.S. cities

March Against Racism, Boston, 1974
The March Against Racism in Boston Common in 1974. Photo: Frank C. Curtin / AP

A deep-dive into racial inequities from the Boston Globe's Spotlight team reveals the cities where gaps between white and black residents are closing and the cities where little has changed since the 1970s.

The big picture: A survey commissioned by the Globe found that 54% of African-Americans feel Boston isn't welcoming to people of color, the highest of the cities surveyed. That percentage is 34% for Chicago and 28% for New York. Atlanta fares best, at 16%.

Boston

  • 7% of residents are black; 73% are white
  • 54% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
  • 4 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations meaning, per the Globe's analysis, "At least 15 percent of the residents are black; and among the black residents, at least 30 percent had a four-year college degree and their household income was at or above the median for their metro area."

New York

  • 16% of residents are black; 48% are white
  • 28% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
  • 150 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Washington, D.C.

  • 25% of residents are black; 47% are white
  • 119 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Philadelphia

  • 20% of residents are black; 63% are white
  • 34% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
  • 36 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Chicago

  • 17% of residents are black, 54% are white
  • 34% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
  • 33 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Atlanta

  • 33% of residents are black; 49% are white
  • 16% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
  • 110 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Dallas

  • 15% of residents are black; 49% are white
  • 50 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Houston

  • 17% of residents are black; 38% are white
  • 57 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Miami

  • 20% of residents are black, 33% are white
  • 24% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
  • 38 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Los Angeles

  • 6% of residents are black; 31% are white
  • 24 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Charlotte

  • 35% of residents are black, 45% are white
  • 38% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color

San Francisco

  • 6% of residents are black, 54% are white
  • 34% of African-Americans believe the city is unwelcoming to people of color
  • 9 neighborhoods have visible black middle class populations

Go Deeper: The full piece from the Globe is well worth the click.

Racism