Connecticut is one of the most racially and ethnically segregated states in the country. 

Racial and ethnic segregation in Connecticut is closely linked with patterns of concentrated poverty.  Such high levels of segregation isolate people of color from the opportunities that lead to success in life, like thriving schools, safe neighborhoods, health resources, and social networks that connect to employment.  In fact, 73% of Blacks and 68% of Latinos are living in areas of “low opportunity” compared to 25% of Whites and 32% of Asians.

 The impact of opportunity isolation is patently felt in Connecticut in a variety of ways.

• Education: Connecticut is home to some of the most severe disparities in school performance between White children and Latino and Black children in the nation. Click here for more resources.
  

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• Jobs:  Connecticut has some of the widest gaps in unemployment rates by race and ethnicity in the country.  While the unemployment rate for Whites was around 8.4% in 2012, it was about 17.3% for Latinos and 17% for Blacks.  Connecticut has the second widest gap in the U.S. in unemployment rates between Latinos and Whites and the 10th widest gap between Blacks and Whites. Click here for more resources.

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• Incarceration: Connecticut has some of the highest incarceration rates by race and ethnicity in the country.  With 12 Blacks incarcerated for every White inmate, Connecticut has the fourth highest Black/White ratio in the country.  Connecticut has the highest Latino/White incarceration rate in the country – 6.6 Latinos are incarcerated for every White inmate.  (2007 data - the most recent year data was compared nationally). Click here for more resources.

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• Health: Starkly different health outcomes for Black and Latinos and Whites are longstanding and cut across health indicators.  For example, in Connecticut, infant mortality rates for Blacks and Latinos are three and two times greater, respectively, as compared to Whites. In 2009, Connecticut asthma hospitalization rates for Blacks and Latinos were almost five times that for White non-Latinos.  A wealth of research has documented the connections between health outcomes, race, and geography. Click here for more resources.

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• Income Inequality: Race and income are almost inextricably intertwined and the income gap between the rich and poor is growing in Connecticut.  Since the 1970s, Connecticut has experienced the greatest increase in the income disparity between the top 20%and bottom 20% of income earners in the nation. Click here for more resources.

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