Equality Rankings

Looking at the rates of unemployment in states, the Census Bureau also counts joblessness among people with disabilities. According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureaus's American Community Survey in 2017, people with disabilities were about 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed that people without disabilities. The gap was worst in Maine.

In measuring the ratio of non-Hispanic whites who have bachelor’s degrees or higher compared to the rates for all other racial groups, Census Bureau data reveal larger racial gaps in some states than in others. According to estimates from the 2017 American Community Survey, the highest gaps were found in New Mexico and Alaska, while the smallest gaps were in West Virginia and New Hampshire.

The Census Bureau’s reports on employment equality by race reveal disparities between non-Hispanic white and other racial and ethnic groups. While the unemployment rate overall is fairly low in the U.S., the country has large racial disparities. According to estimates from the 2017 American Community Survey, groups other than non-Hispanic white were 1.6 times more likely to be unemployed. Gaps were worst in South Dakota and smallest in Hawaii.

This metric compares the median earnings of the female population to those of the male population for individuals who were employed full time year-round in 2017, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Louisiana had the largest income gap by gender, with women earning less than 70% of what men took home in 2017. In California, the top state for this metric, women took home only about 89 cents for every dollar men earned in 2017.

This metric measures racial disparities in income by comparing the income per capita for non-Hispanic whites against all other groups. Estimates from the 2017 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey were used in the calculations. Nationally, per capita income for all other groups is about 60% of what it is for non-Hispanic whites. The gap is greatest in South Dakota and smallest in New Hampshire.

This metric measures the ratio of labor force participation rates for females and males in 2017, using estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Labor force participation rate were measured for the population between the ages of 16 and 64 and does not include those in the armed forces. Nationally, about nine women are in the labor force for ever 10 men. The gap is largest in Utah and smallest in Vermont.