The May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis police custody has again generated international scrutiny of Minnesota’s racial disparities.
The state generally ranks highly in numerous quality of life indicators, but a closer look reveals glaring differences in the experiences of its white and black residents. Here’s how those disparities look in five areas:
When comparing Minnesota and United States median incomes, Minnesota whites tend to be paid more than white Americans as a whole, who have a median income of $65,902. Meanwhile, black Minnesotans tend to be paid less than black Americans as a whole, who are paid $41,511, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
When comparing Minnesota and United States average poverty levels, more Minnesota whites fare better than white Americans as a whole, of which, 10.9 percent are below poverty level. Meanwhile, black Minnesotans fare worse than black Americans as a whole, of which 22.5 percent are below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Both Minnesota whites and blacks fare better than their national counterparts when it comes to health insurance coverage. The national average for whites who are uninsured is 8.0 percent, while it’s 10.1 percent or U.S. blacks, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Black Minnesotans were about twice as likely as white residents to be unemployed, both before and after the coronavirus pandemic struck in March 2020.
Black Minnesotans are more likely to have died from COVID-19 than their white peers and far more likely to have tested positive on a per-capita basis.
