Adam McCann, Financial Writer • Aug 4, 2020
In order to determine which states have the most racial equality in civic engagement, WalletHub compared 48 states and the District of Columbia across five key metrics. Our data set compares the difference between white and black Americans in areas like the share of single-parent households, the volunteer rate and voter registration.
Racial Equality in Social & Civic Engagement in Texas (1=Most Equality; 25=Avg.):
- 16th – Share of Single-Parent Households
- 40th – Share of Adult Population on Parole
- 1st – Share of Veterans
- 6th – Volunteer Rate
- 1st – Voter-Turnout Rate
Racial equality has been one of the most prominent issues in 2020, with protests about police brutality giving way to broader discussions about race relations. While it’s easy to see racial discrepancies in areas like employment and education, it’s also important to highlight differences in civic engagement. For example, 71 percent of non-Hispanic white adults in the U.S. are registered to vote, compared to 63.6 percent of black adults. Similarly, the volunteer rate of white Americans is 26.4 percent compared to 19.3 percent for black Americans. Naturally, these statistics lead to questions about whether minorities have fewer opportunities to engage politically and socially.
In the overall ranking, New Mexico topped the list with a score of 92.30 followed by Wyoming at 91.97. Texas came in at #8 with a score of 79.35. Maryland followed with a score of 79.16. Coming in last at #49 was Wisconsin 16.93.
To view the full report and state rankings, visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-racial-equality-civic/76689/
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from of the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Justice Statistics and Corporation for National and Community Service.
