Poor Neighborhoods Are Only Getting Poorer
Diversity, Inclusion & EquitySummary
Recent studies show that poor neighbourhoods are getting poorer and the number of poor neighbourhoods in US metropolitan areas is increasing. Additionally, the neighbourhood income gap is also increasing. The gap between low income and high income neighbourhoods increased from $40,000 in 1980 to $50,000 in 2018 (all data is in 2018 dollars). The data also shows that the number of neighbourhoods that transitioned from high to low income since 1980 is higher in certain cities, including Detroit and Cleveland. The reverse is not a common occurrence; only 14 percent of all neighbourhoods in metropolitan areas have shifted from low income to high income neighbourhoods since 1980. These turnarounds are not organic and are often the result of gentrification. Those living in poverty are more prone to disease due to the crowded nature of lower income neighbourhoods, and residents also have less access to healthcare which lowers their chances of a healthy life.