The Most Challenging States for Black Americans, Based on Data

Life in the United States can vary significantly depending on location, and data shows that outcomes related to income, education, health, and employment are not evenly distributed across states. For Black Americans, these differences are often shaped by a combination of economic conditions, access to resources, and long-standing structural factors.

This article ranks the states where Black Americans face the greatest challenges, using a data-driven index based on multiple measures of socioeconomic outcomes. These include income levels, poverty rates, educational attainment, homeownership, unemployment, incarceration rates, and health outcomes, drawing from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By examining these disparities at the state level, the rankings provide a clearer picture of how geography can influence opportunity and quality of life across the country.

• Median household income: $80,207 (Black); $93,896 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 28.2% (Black); 57.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 12.2% (Black); 5.6% (white)
• Black population: 26,664 (1.8% of total)

• Median household income: $48,987 (Black); $63,910 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 37.8% (Black); 70.3% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 9.0% (Black); 6.0% (white)
• Black population: 37,996 (1.8% of total)

• Median household income: $55,459 (Black); $80,134 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 41.3% (Black); 67.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.4% (Black); 4.6% (white)
• Black population: 3,449,557 (11.8% of total)

• Median household income: $71,857 (Black); $94,315 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 40.9% (Black); 70.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 4.6% (Black); 5.1% (white)
• Black population: 22,400 (3.0% of total)

• Median household income: $58,184 (Black); $75,939 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 38.4% (Black); 70.3% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.3% (Black); 5.0% (white)
• Black population: 307,726 (4.3% of total)

• Median household income: $38,004 (Black); $55,826 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 44.5% (Black); 75.8% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 9.8% (Black); 6.2% (white)
• Black population: 60,237 (3.4% of total)

• Median household income: $44,196 (Black); $62,242 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 37.9% (Black); 72.1% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.6% (Black); 4.9% (white)
• Black population: 355,368 (7.9% of total)

• Median household income: $55,010 (Black); $81,445 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 49.0% (Black); 74.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.2% (Black); 4.1% (white)
• Black population: 3,334,095 (31.1% of total)

• Median household income: $54,727 (Black); $71,661 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 36.9% (Black); 73.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 6.7% (Black); 3.9% (white)
• Black population: 11,919 (0.6% of total)

• Median household income: $56,124 (Black); $77,627 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 33.9% (Black); 65.8% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 6.7% (Black); 5.5% (white)
• Black population: 75,790 (1.8% of total)

• Median household income: $79,161 (Black); $109,387 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 52.5% (Black); 76.9% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 7.8% (Black); 4.0% (white)
• Black population: 1,815,877 (29.5% of total)

• Median household income: $58,385 (Black); $86,094 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 51.5% (Black); 80.1% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.0% (Black); 4.9% (white)
• Black population: 213,516 (21.5% of total)

• Median household income: $56,046 (Black); $73,542 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 38.2% (Black); 73.0% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 11.0% (Black); 3.8% (white)
• Black population: 4,488 (0.8% of total)

• Median household income: $46,708 (Black); $68,515 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 43.6% (Black); 73.1% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 9.4% (Black); 4.4% (white)
• Black population: 1,116,871 (16.1% of total)

• Median household income: $51,249 (Black); $72,212 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 47.6% (Black); 72.9% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.1% (Black); 4.6% (white)
• Black population: 3,232,871 (14.9% of total)

• Median household income: $72,946 (Black); $91,394 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 36.2% (Black); 74.0% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 7.6% (Black); 3.7% (white)
• Black population: 18,477 (1.3% of total)

• Median household income: $65,817 (Black); $91,601 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 34.0% (Black); 67.6% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.1% (Black); 4.8% (white)
• Black population: 290,907 (3.8% of total)

• Median household income: $61,614 (Black); $86,467 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 35.1% (Black); 68.3% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.2% (Black); 5.3% (white)
• Black population: 58,304 (5.3% of total)

• Median household income: $42,145 (Black); $65,469 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 39.8% (Black); 70.1% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.9% (Black); 4.4% (white)
• Black population: 277,702 (7.0% of total)

• Median household income: $47,088 (Black); $73,675 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 46.3% (Black); 73.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.3% (Black); 4.3% (white)
• Black population: 2,161,841 (20.6% of total)

• Median household income: $60,201 (Black); $93,691 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 48.6% (Black); 73.1% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 7.2% (Black); 3.8% (white)
• Black population: 1,601,668 (18.6% of total)

• Median household income: $56,399 (Black); $72,498 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 25.6% (Black); 72.2% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 3.4% (Black); 2.3% (white)
• Black population: 19,172 (2.2% of total)

• Median household income: $40,661 (Black); $69,042 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 51.3% (Black); 77.4% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.9% (Black); 4.1% (white)
• Black population: 1,318,388 (26.2% of total)

• Median household income: $64,513 (Black); $97,859 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 35.6% (Black); 60.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 10.5% (Black); 6.0% (white)
• Black population: 2,102,510 (5.3% of total)

• Median household income: $37,395 (Black); $60,756 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 44.2% (Black); 71.9% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 9.4% (Black); 4.5% (white)
• Black population: 454,728 (15.1% of total)

• Median household income: $48,022 (Black); $77,786 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 31.6% (Black); 64.4% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 12.5% (Black); 6.2% (white)
• Black population: 278,689 (9.0% of total)

• Median household income: $52,736 (Black); $74,499 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 27.7% (Black); 74.0% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 6.4% (Black); 3.8% (white)
• Black population: 7,548 (1.2% of total)

• Median household income: $53,407 (Black); $68,783 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 25.9% (Black); 74.4% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 5.6% (Black); 4.2% (white)
• Black population: 21,093 (1.5% of total)

• Median household income: $61,343 (Black); $91,475 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 41.8% (Black); 69.1% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 7.8% (Black); 4.2% (white)
• Black population: 221,211 (3.8% of total)

• Median household income: $44,293 (Black); $69,547 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 39.3% (Black); 72.4% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.2% (Black); 3.9% (white)
• Black population: 688,219 (11.2% of total)

• Median household income: $36,263 (Black); $65,518 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 54.4% (Black); 78.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 10.0% (Black); 4.9% (white)
• Black population: 1,098,675 (37.1% of total)

• Median household income: $42,672 (Black); $73,204 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 53.5% (Black); 78.4% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 7.9% (Black); 4.3% (white)
• Black population: 1,316,074 (25.6% of total)

• Median household income: $67,044 (Black); $102,701 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 36.4% (Black); 68.5% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.4% (Black); 4.7% (white)
• Black population: 459,848 (6.6% of total)

• Median household income: $42,067 (Black); $70,740 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 38.0% (Black); 74.9% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 9.9% (Black); 4.1% (white)
• Black population: 631,919 (9.3% of total)

• Median household income: $50,676 (Black); $68,005 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 27.4% (Black); 70.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 11.7% (Black); 3.3% (white)
• Black population: 5,248 (0.5% of total)

• Median household income: $58,805 (Black); $90,866 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 32.7% (Black); 64.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 9.2% (Black); 5.0% (white)
• Black population: 2,767,223 (13.8% of total)

• Median household income: $37,015 (Black); $70,270 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 48.9% (Black); 76.9% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 10.4% (Black); 4.9% (white)
• Black population: 1,456,107 (31.4% of total)

• Median household income: $49,369 (Black); $77,950 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 11.7% (Black); 67.3% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 7.9% (Black); 2.6% (white)
• Black population: 24,882 (3.2% of total)

• Median household income: $57,433 (Black); $89,462 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 27.4% (Black); 73.2% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 5.8% (Black); 3.2% (white)
• Black population: 34,485 (1.1% of total)

• Median household income: $46,145 (Black); $72,357 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 36.5% (Black); 70.2% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 9.1% (Black); 3.6% (white)
• Black population: 157,768 (5.4% of total)

• Median household income: $59,728 (Black); $98,855 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 40.7% (Black); 73.5% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.8% (Black); 5.2% (white)
• Black population: 355,970 (9.9% of total)

• Median household income: $65,351 (Black); $105,392 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 39.7% (Black); 73.3% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 9.2% (Black); 5.3% (white)
• Black population: 1,147,770 (12.4% of total)

• Median household income: $40,499 (Black); $71,843 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 36.1% (Black); 72.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 10.6% (Black); 4.3% (white)
• Black population: 1,431,238 (12.2% of total)

• Median household income: $45,944 (Black); $77,962 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 43.4% (Black); 74.3% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 11.1% (Black); 4.6% (white)
• Black population: 1,347,784 (10.4% of total)

• Median household income: $42,171 (Black); $73,039 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 43.3% (Black); 78.4% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 13.1% (Black); 5.0% (white)
• Black population: 1,346,918 (13.4% of total)

• Median household income: $45,287 (Black); $74,157 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 29.8% (Black); 70.0% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.3% (Black); 2.8% (white)
• Black population: 91,357 (4.7% of total)

• Median household income: $46,717 (Black); $85,060 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 40.2% (Black); 73.7% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 13.7% (Black); 4.8% (white)
• Black population: 1,744,151 (13.7% of total)

• Median household income: $49,738 (Black); $87,692 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 28.4% (Black); 76.8% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.6% (Black); 3.4% (white)
• Black population: 377,173 (6.6% of total)

• Median household income: $40,592 (Black); $72,363 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 27.2% (Black); 74.3% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 11.0% (Black); 3.4% (white)
• Black population: 117,940 (3.7% of total)

• Median household income: $38,732 (Black); $75,803 (white)
• Homeownership rate: 26.5% (Black); 71.9% (white)
• Unemployment rate: 8.3% (Black); 3.0% (white)
• Black population: 356,150 (6.1% of total)