Which US Cities Have The Highest Income Inequality?

Zero Hedge ^ | 05/10/2014 | Tyler Durden

[SeekAndFind]

Atlanta, Georgia suffers the greate income inequality of any city in the US - closely followed by New Orleans. According to Bloomberg, which ranked 300 U.S. cities with populations of at least 100,000 based on their level of income inequality and identified the 50 with the greatest inequality. What is stunning is that while top-down many are focused on the widening gap overall, in these 2 cities alone, over one-quarter are in poverty (earn less than $4,020), while 60% are in the nation's top quintile for household income. Interestingly, the median income does not correlate well with the inequality.

Income Inequality of the worst 50 cities in the US...

 

And (in the same order) the median household income...

Methodology (via Bloomberg)

The Gini coefficient, which is calculated by the Census from household income share by quintiles, was used to measure distribution of wealth. It ranges from zero, which reflects absolute equality, to one, complete inequality.

The average score for the United States was 0.4757. In 2013, a person living alone making less than $11,490 was classified as in poverty. The threshold increased by $4,020 for each additional household member.

[MeshugeMikey]

not to worry! barrys working on another new campaign to cure this issue once and for all!!

[oh8eleven]

Atlanta, Georgia suffers the greate income inequality of any city in the US - closely followed by New Orleans.
Well, golly gee-whiz, I wonder what those two cities have in common? Hmm, Hmmm ...
Fifty years of ignoring all paths to success; 50 years of taking from society and now we're supposed to give a damn?
I don't think so.

[Slings and Arrows]

I’ll bet that there’s precious little “income inequality” in Camden, New Jersey.

[sten]

meanwhile, a stat not being hilighted..

when 0bama assumed office in jan 2009, the average household income was a bit over $55,000

this chart shows that number has dropped by more then 20% to less then $45,000 !!!

how’s that change working for ya?

are we in Detroit yet?

[Yaelle]

I like the comment at the site that says “income inequality equals freedom.”

We don’t want all incomes the same. Risks and hard work should give more incentive and more money. For a vibrant economy we do need freedom and chances to better oneself through work and even luck.

Life isn’t fair and probably shouldn’t be.

[snappahead]

No life isn’t. Fair is a weather report, and newsflash to all those enraged at income inequality.. it’s been this way for a loooooong time. We should be talking about OUTPUT INEQUALITY, but were not. I can only assume that income inequality is about GETTIN MONEY as opposed to EARNING IT

[Slings and Arrows]

Agreed on all counts.

[Always A Marine]

What is the annual income of Gibsmedat households after government benefits are added to the $0-4,500 (or more in unreported cash) that might be earned from work? The answer might reveal why so many of these rock-solid Democrats are content not to work. In a world devoid of any objective standard of right and wrong, why should they work?

[RedMDer]

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[faithhopecharity]

Far better if the mass media would ask “ which cities provide the greatest economic opportunities for people to improve their financial status?” At least it would be a question consistent with American values. Which is why the mass media doesn’t discuss it, of course.

[NonValueAdded]

I was going to color the bars of all the liberal controlled cities blue and the conservative ones red, but someone beat me to it :)

[Organic Panic]

I forgot where I heard it but “fair is what God gets”

All these top income inequality cities are plantation mindset cities. The wealthy few slumlords lookin’ out for the helpless minorities as long as they keep voting democrat. Of course the gated communities keep a safe distance from the cities they rule over.

And I am 100% aware this study is nothing more than propaganda to pass more progressive policies.

[Maceman]

Well said.

[pallis]

A city’s job is to create tax incentives and infrastructure that encourages new business and private sector jobs. Create the private sector jobs, and forget socialist nonsense like income equality.

[crazycatlady]

Without reading it, off the top of my head I would guess places where leftleaning politicians have been in charge for a long time.