Unemployment in Indianapolis’ African-American community declined last year while Black household incomes remained stagnant and the number of Blacks living in poverty increased. Those are some of the initial findings in the initial release of 2011 data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). The annual survey of demographic trends for the country’s population. The data released show that Indianapolis’ African-American community continues to struggle from the aftermath of the Great Recession, but there are some signs of the start of a recovery.
UNEMPLOYMENT & EMPLOYMENT – Black unemployment declined in 2011 after the disastrous record high 21.3% Black unemployment recorded in 2010. The Census ACS reports that in 2011, Black unemployment in Indianapolis/Marion County was 18.4%; a decrease of 2.9 points from 2010. Black male unemployment fell from 25.4% in 2010 to 17.8% in 2011; but Black female unemployment increased from 18.0% to 18.8%. The actual number of Blacks in the labor force declined by 1,421 to 116,019. The number of Blacks employed last year rose 2,239 to 94,707 and the number of Black jobless declined 3,660 to 21,312. Overall unemployment in the city/county dropped from 13.3% in 2010 to 12.0% last year.
HOUSEHOLD & FAMILY INCOMES – Despite the progress in employment, incomes in the Black community were inconsistent in 2011. Median Black household income in Indianapolis/Marion County was flat at $29,599 in 2011 compared to $29,551 in 2010. Median income of Black families rose $2,159 to $35,607, fueled by a strong increase in median Black married family income, up $3,624 to $60,262; and a rise in median Black single male headed family incomes which increased $6,242 to $29,556. However, median income fell among Black single female headed families, falling $2,365 to $23,492. The overall Median Income for all Indianapolis households rose slightly from $38,959 in 2010 to $39,631 last year.
POVERTY – The inconsistent income and jobs data, helped cause the number of African-Americans living below the poverty level in Indianapolis to increase. The percentage of Black families living in poverty rose to a quarter of all Black families (24.4%). up from a fifth of all Black families (21.4%) in 2010. Nearly three-in-ten Black persons in the city/county (29.7%) live below the poverty level; up from 24.4% the year before. The numbers are more dire among children, with 42.3% of all Black children under 18 and 45.2% of all Black children under five living in poverty in Indianapolis. Up from 33.7% for children under 18 and 38.9% for children under 5 in 2010. The city/county’s overall family poverty rate remained flat moving from 16.3% in 2010 to 16.5% last year. The percentage of individuals living below the poverty level also rose slightly from 20.6% to 21.1% There was a slight increase in the percentage of children under 18 living in poverty to 32.4% last year from 30.8% the year before. But the overall poverty rate for children under 5 in Indianapolis declined slightly to 35.2% last year versus 36.0% the year before.
COLLEGE GRADUATES – The Census ACS reported an increase in Black college graduates with 15.7% of Indianapolis Black adults 25-plus college graduates compared with 14.5% in 2010. The overall percentage of Indianapolis adults 25-plus who’re college graduates declined slightly to 26.1% compared to 26.6% the year before.
HEALTH INSURANCE – The slightly improving employment situation among African-Americans and improving incomes among some Black families seems to have fueled an increase in the number of Blacks covered by health insurance. The Census ACS reports that just 17.3% of African-Americans in the city/county don’t have health insurance; down from 18.2% in 2010. Overall 17.0% of Indianapolis residents don’t have health insurance in 2011; compared to 18.1% lacking insurance in 2010.
FIRST CITY DATA ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION – For the first time the Census ACS provided data on preschool attendance among young children in the country’s twenty-five largest cities. And according to the ACS, Indianapolis ranks as one of the worst cities major cities in having its children enrolled in preschool programs. The 2011 Census ACS reports that just 39.7% of all 3 and 4 year olds in Indianapolis/Marion County were enrolled in some type of schooling in 2011. That’s fifth lowest of the twenty-five major cities in the country. Only three cities in Texas – Austin, Dallas and Ft Worth – along with Phoenix ranked lower than Indianapolis. The best cities in enrolling young children in preschool were Washington DC, San Francisco, Seattle and New York City. At 41.7% Indiana is tied for 13th worst in the percentage of Hoosier 3 and 4 year olds who attend some form of schooling. But Indiana’s total is higher than that for the City of Indianapolis/Marion County. The states with the lowest percentage of young children in school are Nevada (31.6%), Idaho (32.7%), Arizona (34.8%), Alaska (36.6%) and West Virginia (37.6%).
