America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

White women were not only more likely than Black women to have a spouse or partner but their spouses and partners tended to earn more, making White women more likely to attain upward mobility through partnerships, according to new U.S. Census Bureau research.

White women who grew up in families in the bottom 20% income bracket were more likely than Black women from the same economic background to move out of the bottom bracket up to the top 20% income bracket.

But this wasn?t because of differences in personal income since Black and White women from similar economic backgrounds had similar personal incomes.

It was because White women had access to more income from spouses and unmarried partners, according to the study exploring how marriage and partnerships affect a woman?s chances of being better off economically than their parents.

Continue reading?to learn more about:

• Measuring family income in adulthood and childhood
• Partnering by race, ethnicity and childhood family income
• Income from partners boosting upward mobility
• Community inequality and segregation increasing gaps in upward mobility

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While the United States as a whole saw a 1.9 percentage-point decrease in married Black adults, four states experienced a significant increase.

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America Counts features stories on various topics including:?

• Families,?Housing,?Employment, Business,?Education,?Economy?
• Emergency Management, Health, Population, Income and Poverty

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