American Inequality

American Inequality uses data visualization to explore and elucidate the multifaceted aspects of inequality in the United States, covering areas such as healthcare, housing, education, employment, and systemic disparities across demographics and regions, with a focus on offering data-driven insights and potential solutions.

Healthcare Disparities Housing and Homelessness Education Inequality Economic Inequality Social and Demographic Disparities Policy and Legislation Disability Rights Veterans' Affairs Environmental Inequality Mental Health Immigration

The hottest Substack posts of American Inequality

And their main takeaways

Why homelessness just hit a 15-year high, rising 12% from last year

550 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
  1. Homelessness in America hit a 15-year high, rising 12% from the previous year due to rising rents and low housing inventory.
  2. High rents and low housing availability push people into homelessness, creating an unprecedented housing crisis in the US.
  3. Improving the continuum of care, providing affordable housing, and gathering data to identify at-risk households are crucial steps for addressing homelessness in America.

Why poverty is rising in America

628 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Poverty Government Response Inequality
  1. US saw largest one-year increase in poverty rate in history, with child poverty doubling last year
  2. Inflation and increased cost of living contributed to the rise in poverty levels
  3. The White House and President Biden blamed congressional Republicans for the rise in child poverty, emphasizing the importance of support programs like EITC and CTC in reducing poverty
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Unraveling Alzheimer's Inequalities: From New Drugs to Healthcare Disparities

393 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Alzheimer's Healthcare Inequality Data Analysis Caregiving
  1. Alzheimer's is a major problem in the US, affecting millions and expected to double in the next 25 years.
  2. Inequality plays a significant role in Alzheimer's, with different communities and demographics being impacted differently.
  3. More focus is needed on training caregivers, analyzing data on minority communities, and educating about new drugs to address Alzheimer's inequalities.

Lost in Translation: Overcoming Language Barriers for Opportunity

294 implied HN points • 23 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Employment Education Voting Rights Democracy
  1. Millions of Americans face barriers in employment, healthcare, and education due to low-English proficiency.
  2. English-only exams and systems perpetuate inequality and hinder academic achievement for non-native English speakers.
  3. Language barriers affect voting rights, and updating language requirements can increase democratic participation.

Childcare costs skyrocket in the Northeast and West

334 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Inequality Childcare Employment Legislation Economy
  1. Childcare costs have skyrocketed in the Northeast and West, causing financial strain on families.
  2. Women face significant inequalities due to high childcare costs, impacting maternal employment rates.
  3. To address the childcare crisis, policies like federal funding for childcare centers, offsetting losses in universal Pre-K programs, and employer rebates for daycare can help make childcare more affordable and support working parents.

NEW LAUNCH: DATA PORTAL AND WEBSITE FOR AMERICAN INEQUALITY

432 implied HN points • 03 Aug 22
  1. A new website launched for American Inequality to access data and analysis easily.
  2. The launch was featured on national TV, and the website includes new branding and features.
  3. Readers are encouraged to share the work to help people understand inequality in their communities.

Debt and Inequality

216 implied HN points • 07 Dec 22
  1. Debt can be helpful, but it can also lead to financial struggles for many Americans.
  2. Texas has the highest percentage of residents in debt among counties.
  3. Different types of debt, like credit card, student, medical, and housing debt, contribute to financial inequality in America.

Join my new subscriber chat

58 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
💼 Business Subscriptions
  1. Join the American Inequality subscriber chat for exclusive conversations
  2. Engage with the community and connect in a private space
  3. Access the subscriber chat and more content with a 7-day free trial

Abortion and Inequality

255 implied HN points • 14 Sep 22
  1. After the overturn of Roe v. Wade, 25% of women now live more than 200 miles away from the nearest abortion clinic.
  2. The longer the distance to the nearest abortion clinic, the fewer women make the trip, disproportionately affecting Black women and those aged 15-24.
  3. Restrictive abortion policies exacerbate inequalities, disproportionately impacting Black women, increasing maternal mortality rates, and limiting access to healthcare in low-income communities.

Disability and Inequality

235 implied HN points • 05 Oct 22
  1. Americans with disabilities face significant inequalities like unemployment and lack of access to healthcare and education.
  2. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) brought significant changes by providing civil rights protections and accessibility requirements.
  3. Certain regions like the Rust Belt and rural areas have high rates of disabilities, facing challenges like poverty and lack of healthcare access.

Natural disasters cause havoc for low-income Americans

117 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
  1. Natural disasters have been increasing in frequency and magnitude over the last decade in America, impacting low-income communities the most.
  2. Half of all billion-dollar natural disasters in history have occurred in the last decade, causing significant economic and social challenges.
  3. Low-income families struggle the most from natural disasters, taking longer to recover financially, receiving limited support, and facing adverse health effects.

Single Parent Homes and Inequality

235 implied HN points • 13 Jul 22
  1. Almost 1 in 4 children in the US live in single-parent homes.
  2. The rise in single-parent homes has impacts on children's outcomes in education, imprisonment, and more.
  3. Children in two-parent households generally have better outcomes in health, education, and income as adults compared to those in single-parent households.

Immigration and Inequality

157 implied HN points • 26 Oct 22
  1. Labor exploitation, financial exclusion, and criminalization hinder immigrants' opportunities in the US
  2. Immigration is linked to inequality in America
  3. Efforts needed to address immigration issues and reduce inequality

Legal Aid and Inequality

117 implied HN points • 16 Nov 22
  1. The author will be giving a TEDx Talk on legal representation challenges and reducing inequality.
  2. Opportunity Mapping will be discussed as a method to reduce inequality in the TEDx Talk.
  3. Readers can gain 7-day free trial access to the full post archives by subscribing to American Inequality.

Unemployment and Inequality

157 implied HN points • 24 Aug 22
  1. Black unemployment rate is double the White rate
  2. US experiencing historically low unemployment levels
  3. Job gains in America post-pandemic are not equally distributed

Military enrollment and Inequality

157 implied HN points • 01 Jun 22
  1. The article discusses military enrollment and inequality in America.
  2. It references the war in Ukraine and the required enlistment of men aged 18-60.
  3. There is insight into the struggles of Black service members who join the military.

Nonprofits and Inequality

137 implied HN points • 11 May 22
  1. Nonprofit donations tend to go to wealthier counties, neglecting rural communities.
  2. Discussion on inequality in politics relates to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver's episode on Environmental Racism.
  3. The author, Girish Pendse, is an MPA student at Harvard Kennedy School, passionate about helping marginalized communities.

Police killings and Inequality

117 implied HN points • 22 Jun 22
  1. Police killings of Black individuals are alarmingly frequent in America.
  2. Police are one of the top causes of death for young Black men.
  3. Location plays a significant role in the likelihood of police killings, with Black individuals in certain areas at a much higher risk.

Reflecting on a year of inequality

157 implied HN points • 16 Feb 22
  1. Inequality in America goes beyond just wealth disparities, affecting aspects like health, education, pollution exposure, and hunger.
  2. Communities and individuals face multiple challenges due to inequality, requiring holistic solutions.
  3. Key strategies to tackle inequality include providing communities with unrestricted cash, improving access to better locations, and collecting more comprehensive data on social issues.

Credit Scores and Inequality

176 implied HN points • 22 Sep 21
  1. Your credit score is crucial for many aspects of your life, impacting loan rates, job opportunities, and more.
  2. Racial disparities in credit scores persist, with Black people and women often receiving lower scores.
  3. Student debt can significantly affect credit scores, showing a strong correlation between credit scores and student debt delinquency.

Literacy and Inequality

196 implied HN points • 30 Jun 21
  1. 6th graders in wealthy counties read 4 grade levels ahead of those in poorer counties.
  2. Reading proficiency impacts health, employment, and financial literacy.
  3. Racial and income disparities persist in educational outcomes, highlighting systemic challenges.

Income Segregation and Inequality

157 implied HN points • 13 Oct 21
  1. Income segregation can happen in specific places, beyond just where we live.
  2. Some places, like science museums, attract diverse visitors and reduce income segregation.
  3. Encouraging development of diverse places and changing daily routines can help reduce income segregation.

Black-owned Businesses and Inequality

98 implied HN points • 20 Apr 22
  1. Only 2.2% of businesses in America are minority-owned, and Black women receive a very small fraction of venture capital funding in tech.
  2. Black-owned businesses face challenges in scaling and growth, with higher failure rates and lower employee numbers and pay compared to other demographics.
  3. During the pandemic, Black businesses received lower PPP loans than White-owned businesses, highlighting disparities in government support and funding.

Tax Filing and Inequality

216 implied HN points • 15 Apr 21
  1. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is effective but many eligible families do not claim it, leading to billions of unclaimed benefits.
  2. The US tax system is regressive, with the wealthiest individuals paying a similar tax rate as middle-income families.
  3. Challenges to claiming the EITC include complexity of requirements, lack of tax support for low-income families, and the need to increase access to tax volunteers.

Flooding and Inequality

137 implied HN points • 24 Nov 21
  1. Flood risk is higher in low-income and Black communities
  2. FEMA does not include intense rainfall in flood risk calculations
  3. Consider subscribing to American Inequality for more insightful posts

Cancer and Inequality

117 implied HN points • 26 Jan 22
  1. Low-income and racial minority communities have higher cancer mortality rates.
  2. Poor access to care and delayed treatment contribute to race-based differences in cancer survival.
  3. Cancer can financially strain families, especially those with fewer resources and insurance.