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

Incarceration and inequality

98 implied HN points • 09 Mar 22
  1. 375 US counties incarcerate at least 20 Black people for every 1 White person and Oklahoma has a higher incarceration rate than Russia or Rwanda
  2. America has an incarceration problem, with an under-resourced criminal justice system and high recidivism rates
  3. Racism is prevalent in incarceration, with the US imprisoning a large percentage of its Black population and some states having significant racial disparities in prison populations

Hate crimes and Inequality

117 implied HN points • 15 Dec 21
  1. In 2020, the US witnessed the highest number of hate crimes ever recorded, with over 11,000 individuals becoming victims.
  2. 32% of hate crimes in 2020 were motivated by race/ethnicity/ancestry, representing the highest percentage among all categories.
  3. There is a need to improve hate crime reporting, provide better training for law enforcement, and support communities to combat the rising trend of hate crimes.

Violent Crime and Inequality

137 implied HN points • 01 Sep 21
  1. St. Louis has the highest violent crime rate in America, while Monroe County, Illinois has the lowest, due to income inequality and policing practices.
  2. Violent crime rates, including murders, have been rising in recent years in the US, especially affecting communities with higher inequality.
  3. Americans tend to overestimate crime rates, but in reality, violent crime has significantly decreased since 1993.

Mental Health and Inequality

157 implied HN points • 09 Jun 21
  1. Mental health care is not equally accessible, particularly in areas like prisons.
  2. Data shows regions in America that struggle the most with mental health challenges.
  3. Many areas in the US lack mental health support, leading to a significant shortfall of mental health providers and an overreliance on jails for mental health care.

Voter Turnout and Inequality

117 implied HN points • 02 Nov 21
  1. Voter turnout in the US has deep regional divides, with many areas having over 70% of the voting age population not participating.
  2. Texas shows extreme voting inequality, with counties like Reeves having only 30% voter turnout while areas like Ouray County, CO, have nearly full participation.
  3. Historical factors like racism, sexism, felon disenfranchisement, and gerrymandering contribute to voter suppression and inequality in America.
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Teen Pregnancy and Inequality

137 implied HN points • 11 Aug 21
  1. High rate of teen pregnancy in America contributes to cycles of poverty for young mothers and their children.
  2. Teen pregnancy rates in America are similar to those in countries like Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, and Turkey.
  3. 10 years ago, the rate of teen pregnancy in America was twice as high as it is now.

Teacher Pay and Inequality

78 implied HN points • 30 Mar 22
  1. Teachers are 3x more likely to have multiple jobs and their pay is 20% lower than their peers.
  2. 1 in 3 new teachers works a second job, highlighting the struggle with low salaries.
  3. Low-income students are often taught by low-income teachers, creating an inequity cycle in education.

Cost of Living and Inequality

137 implied HN points • 21 Jul 21
  1. Americans in major cities are struggling with high costs but not seeing a rise in income.
  2. The Bronx faces income challenges.
  3. Consider a free trial to access more content on cost of living and inequality.

Launching American Inequality

176 implied HN points • 01 Feb 21
  1. American Inequality blog focuses on less covered inequality topics like internet access and food deserts.
  2. Data visualizations are used to highlight America's regional divides.
  3. Inequality in life expectancy in America shows a significant regional gap.

Homelessness and Inequality

137 implied HN points • 25 May 21
  1. There are 567,000 homeless people in America, with half in California and New York.
  2. Main drivers of homelessness include financial hardship, household crises, and systemic factors.
  3. Ending homelessness in the US would cost $20 billion, and the PAC framework of Permanence, Assistance, and Crisis Readiness can help address the issue.

Food Deserts and Inequality

137 implied HN points • 17 Feb 21
  1. 54 million Americans face food insecurity, with 23.5 million living in food deserts.
  2. Food inequality disproportionately affects Black and Latinx households due to underinvestment in their neighborhoods.
  3. Solutions to combat food insecurity include increasing funding for SNAP and improving access to healthy foods in underserved areas.

Internet Access and Inequality

117 implied HN points • 03 Mar 21
  1. Internet access is not equally distributed in America, with millions lacking access, especially in low-income communities.
  2. The digital divide existed before COVID-19, but the pandemic highlighted the essential need for internet in education and daily life.
  3. Efforts from the public, private, and non-profit sectors are key to bridging the digital divide by providing solutions like hotspots, subsidies, and increased competition in broadband markets.

Superfunds and Inequality

58 implied HN points • 05 Jan 22
  1. Superfund sites disproportionately affect low-income communities
  2. Funding for Superfund cleanups is crucial and has recently been increased
  3. Living near Superfund sites leads to serious health implications

Financial Access and Inequality

78 implied HN points • 04 May 21
  1. Many US households lack access to banking services, leading to financial insecurity.
  2. Being unbanked can result in families facing high fees, perpetuating income and wealth inequality.
  3. Certain regions in the US, particularly in the South, have a higher percentage of unbanked individuals, exacerbating financial disparities.

Surveillance and Inequality

78 implied HN points • 31 Mar 21
  1. Some communities are surveilled at much higher rates than others with the help of partnerships between Amazon Ring and Police Departments.
  2. Surveillance and facial recognition tools by law enforcement disproportionately target Black communities, leading to increased tensions and criminalization.
  3. Courts need to set evidentiary standards for law enforcement requests, and tech companies should increase transparency in data requests to ensure accountability and build public trust.

Air Pollution and Inequality

78 implied HN points • 17 Mar 21
  1. 100,000 Americans die every year from air pollution related illnesses.
  2. Pollution disproportionately affects low-income communities and people of color.
  3. Wildfires and industrial pollution contribute to poor air quality and health risks in the U.S.

Life Expectancy and Inequality

3 HN points • 02 Feb 21
  1. America is experiencing the greatest gap in life expectancy across regions in the last 40 years.
  2. Money has become a strong factor influencing life expectancy with wealthier counties outliving poorer ones.
  3. Reducing health risks and healthcare costs are crucial to closing the life expectancy gap across different counties.