This indicator is part of Positive cultural relations.

Indicator description:                                                           

This indicator compares the 2007 median incomes of households headed by African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans in peer cities in the Southwest to the respective overall community median incomes in each of those cities. This indicator quantifies the extent of income disparity among racial and ethnic groups to the whole community in these cities.

Why is this indicator relevant?

While many factors influence both the existence and perception of discrimination and unequal treatment and many factors influence income, research has shown that parity and integration can lead to better racial harmony. Income is an important element of parity, as is education, occupational status, life expectancy, etc. Many studies have documented that the income gap has been increasing among people of different races and cultures, especially among Hispanics. This lack of parity sustains feelings of inequity and inhibits an integrated, positive society.

Data Sources:

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, Poverty and Prosperity: Prospects for Reducing Racial/Ethnic Economic Disparities in the United States, 2001; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007.

What can we tell from the data?

• In Albuquerque in 2007, median incomes for Hispanics (89.9%), African Americans (72.3%), and Native Americans (84.2%) are lower than the community as a whole, although Hispanics are close to parity.
• When comparing Albuquerque directly to each Southwest peer city, Albuquerque racial and ethnic group income percentages are better for two of three groups except for Salt Lake City, where Hispanic and Native American income percentages exceed the same Albuquerque groups.
• Because Native American and African American populations make up small percentages of Albuquerque’s population and the American Community Survey samples these populations, their median incomes have varied significantly from year to year due to population size and sampling issues.

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