White Households In Essex County Make Twice As Much As Blacks, Hispanics: Census Data

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — In Essex County, black and Hispanic households may have made less than half the income of their white counterparts during 2015, according to annual U.S. Census data released Thursday.

The yearly effort, which is reported by state and county here, revealed some disheartening news for Essex County residents of all racial backgrounds. Overall, median household earnings in Essex County dropped more than $2,700 over the past year, plunging from $54,754 in 2014 to $52,041 in 2015.

However, racial breakdowns of the data reveal large disparities between groups in Essex County, with the following estimated median household incomes being reported:

• Asian – $106,911
• White (Caucasian) – $80,370
• “Two Or More Races” - $42,403
• Black or African-American – $36,962
• Hispanic or Latino - $35,601
• American Indian or Alaska Native - $34,949
• “Some Other Race” - $32,112

The report cited significant margins of error for some groups, such as American Indian (+- $31,076) and Asian (+- $13,788). However data for Whites (+- $4,488), Blacks (+- $2,704) and Hispanics (+- $3,318) was more accurate.

NATIONWIDE DATA

Median household income in the United States in 2015 was $56,516, an increase of 5.2 percent from 2014. The median household income increased in 39 states and the District of Columbia — the highest increase was Montana, with 6.8 percent. Maryland and D.C. have the highest median household incomes at $75,847 and $75,628, respectively. The lowest is Mississippi — at $40,593, it was statistically unchanged from 2014's rate.

Incomes rose in 21 of the nation's 25 largest metropolitan areas, while poverty decreased in 16 out of the 25. National numbers released earlier this week noted that the nation had seen an annual increase in household incomes for the first time since 2007, a year before the recession. The U.S. also saw the largest annual decrease in the poverty rate since 1999.

No state saw a poverty rate increase, according to Census figures, and nearly half saw poverty rates decrease between 2014 and 2015. Poverty rates in 2015 ranged from a low of 8.2 percent in New Hampshire to a high of 22.0 percent in Mississippi, according to survey numbers.

Some of the highest poverty rates were found in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico. Some of the lowest poverty rates were found in Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont.

"The American Community Survey allows us to track incremental changes across our nation on how Americans live and work, year­-to­-year," Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson said in a statement. "It helps people, businesses and governments in all of our states and local communities better understand the needs of their populations, the markets in which they operate and the challenges and opportunities they face."

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