Earnings and income gaps are only part of the story when it comes to economic inequalities in America—wealth inequality creates its own set of long-lasting harms and can limit economic mobility.
The Urban Institute's Nine Charts about Wealth Inequality has been a valuable resource since its original launch in 2015. Using the latest data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, Urban researchers have released an updated series of charts that describe persistent wealth disparities and offer evidence-based solutions to address them.
They find that while dollar-for-dollar wealth increased for Black, Hispanic, and white families between 2019 and 2022, wealth inequities across the life course remain large. White families had six times the average wealth of Black families and Hispanic families in 2022, and though 2022 estimates suggest homeownership rates among Black, Hispanic, and Asian families are increasing, Black Americans remain the only racial group with a homeownership rate below 50 percent.
Showcasing data from 1963-2022, these interactive charts demonstrate both how wealth disparities vary over time across race and age and how gaps in earnings, homeownership rates, retirement savings, emergency savings, benefits from tax subsidies, and intergenerational transfers contribute to wealth inequities. Urban’s researchers also identify evidence-based solutions that policymakers can implement to reduce systemic inequities and build wealth for all Americans.
Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization that believes in the power of evidence to improve people’s lives. Urban as an organization does not take policy positions but Urban’s independent experts are empowered to make recommendations based on their research.
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