The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice has unveiled its latest report, “Two New Jerseys: One State of Inequity,” providing a comprehensive county-by-county analysis of economic racial disparities within the state. Senior Counsel Harbani Ahuja, part of the Economic Justice Program, emphasized the persistent nature of these inequities across all New Jersey counties.
“Our new data shows us that these vast racial inequities show up consistently on the county level, as well,” said Ahuja, underscoring the pervasive nature of economic racial disparities in the state.
Building upon previous reports, such as “Making the Two New Jerseys One” and “The Two New Jerseys by the Numbers,” which focused on state-level inequities, this new report delves into county-level data. The aim is to illuminate the impact of economic disparities on Black and other families of color in New Jersey.
The report, “Two New Jerseys: One State of Inequity,” highlights racial disparities in homeownership, income, poverty, health insurance, and internet access across New Jersey’s counties.
One striking revelation from the report is in Essex County, a majority people of color county, where white homeowning households outnumber Black and Latina/o homeowning households combined.
Laura Sullivan, Director of the Economic Justice Program at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, emphasized the connection between New Jersey’s racial inequality and its history of slavery and structural racism.
Key data points from the report include:
Homeownership:
- White homeownership in 19 of New Jersey’s 21 counties exceeds 70%, while Black and Latina/o homeownership rates in about two-thirds of counties are under 50%.
- In Essex County, more white homeowning households are present than Black and Latina/o homeowning households combined.
Income:
- Statewide, the median income for white households is $109,100, compared to $65,400 and $70,200 for Black and Latina/o households, respectively.
- In Essex County, the income gap between white and Black families is a staggering $70,400.
Poverty:
- In Cumberland County, one in four Black residents live in poverty, and in Atlantic, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, and Passaic Counties, it is about one in five.
Health Insurance:
- Statewide, 3.5% of white residents are uninsured, compared to 8.3% of Black and 17.9% of Latina/o residents.
- Passaic County has the greatest average uninsured population in the state at 12.5% for all residents.
Digital Access:
- In almost 40% of the state’s counties, at least one in 20 Black households do not have a computer.
- Essex County has over 10% of Latina/o households and 7.4% of Black households lacking an internet subscription.
This comprehensive analysis underscores the urgent need for targeted initiatives to address and rectify these deep-rooted economic racial disparities in New Jersey.
