Diving into ALICE: Race, ethnicity, ALICE and poverty in Central Indiana
This is the third installment in a series about ALICE and poverty in Central Indiana. Data in this blog represents the seven counties served by United Way of Central Indiana: Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties. To learn more, read our previous posts, “Diving into ALICE: ALICE and poverty – what’s the difference?” and “Diving into ALICE: Key findings about ALICE and poverty in Central Indiana.”
Financial difficulties faced by families in our community are not distributed equally. One area where these differences are clear: race and ethnicity.
White (31%) and Asian (30%) households experience ALICE and poverty at rates that are more than 5 percentage points lower than the regional average (36%).
Black, Hispanic and multi-race households are ALICE or in poverty at higher rates than average in Central Indiana. Fifty-two percent of Black households and 48% of Hispanic households are below the ALICE threshold.
These differences are rooted in systemic barriers like structural racism and discrimination. The legacy of discriminatory policies such as redlining, even when they are ended, are still felt by communities in Central Indiana decades later.
Families that are ALICE or in poverty are more likely to face challenges like food insecurity, being behind on rent and bills, and feelings of anxiety than their counterparts above the ALICE threshold.
Data shows that Black and Hispanic people unfairly face these challenges at higher rates. Black (14%) and Hispanic (15%) residents in Central Indiana are nearly twice as likely to experience food insecurity than white residents (8%) (Feeding America, 2022). Even though 38% of renters are Black, half of eviction filings in Marion County over the past year have been against Black defendants. Conversely, white renters account for 45% of renters in the same county, but only 38% of eviction defendants are white (EvictionLab).
The trends we see in Central Indiana align with those across the nation. Black and Hispanic households in Indiana and the United States have higher rates of ALICE and poverty, while white and Asian households have lower-than-average rates.
These disparities in financial hardship by race and ethnicity are not recent occurrences. The previous ALICE report also showed that Black and Hispanic households had higher ALICE and poverty rates compared to their white and Asian counterparts.
If left unaddressed, the gaps we see today will lead to greater inequality in the future.
United Way and its partners throughout Central Indiana are working to create a more just and equitable future for everyone.
To explore data on ALICE in Central Indiana, visit the ”Poverty & ALICE in Central Indiana” page on our Impact United interactive data dashboard.
Click the button below to read the latest ALICE report.