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City and metropolitan inequality on the rise, driven by declining incomes

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Income inequality in large metropolitan areas is higher than in the nation as a whole and is still growing, largely due to falling incomes among low-income households, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution. City and Metropolitan Inequality on the Rise, Driven by Declining Incomes compares the incomes of households in the 95th and 20th percentiles to determine a city’s “95/20 ratio,” a rough measure of inequality. The report finds that the Bridgeport, Conn., New York City, and San Francisco metro areas are among the most unequal, with ratios well above the national average of 9.3. Most of the growth in income inequality can be attributed to falling incomes among poor households, according to the report.

Click here to read the full report.

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