Study ranks Georgia No. 1 for racial progress
States that have made the most racial progress
A new study by WalletHub is ranking the states that have made the most racial progress. Georgia is at the top of the list, which considered nearly 2 dozen factors like employment, education, wealth, and health.
ATLANTA - A new WalletHub study released around the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday ranks Georgia No. 1 in the nation for racial progress.
What we know:
WalletHub said it compared Black-white gaps across 22 measures of equality, grouped into four categories: employment and wealth, education, social and civic engagement, and health.
WalletHub also said Georgia’s top ranking was driven in part by long-term gains in pay and education equity.
The study found the state has reduced the earnings gap between white and Black residents by more than 32 percentage points since 1979 — the largest improvement in the nation — and narrowed the high school attainment gap by more than 23 points since 1970.
WalletHub also cited Georgia’s strong showing in economic opportunity measures, ranking the state first for progress in business ownership and fourth for improving the share of Black residents in executive roles.
Mississippi ranked second and Texas third.
WalletHub also said Georgia’s top ranking was driven in part by long-term gains in pay and education equity. The study found the state has reduced the earnings gap between white and Black residents by more than 32 percentage points since 1979 — the largest improvement in the nation — and narrowed the high school attainment gap by more than 23 points since 1970. WalletHub also cited Georgia’s strong showing in economic opportunity measures, ranking the state first for progress in business ownership and fourth for improving the share of Black residents in executive roles.