Where the Economic Recovery Has Been Most Inclusive

Kenrya Rankin shares news of a new study from the Urban Institute that ranks city on the inclusiveness of economic recovery since the Great Recession.

The "Inclusive Recovery in the United States" [pdf] report created indices for the 274 most populated cities in the United States, tracking inclusivity at intervals, i.e., 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2013. According to the definition included in the report, "inclusive recovery occurs when a place overcomes economic distress in a way that provides the opportunity for all residents—especially historically excluded populations—to benefit from and contribute to economic prosperity. In short, the recovery must embody both economic and racial inclusion to be equitable."

All five of the most inclusive recoveries were located in California: Fremont, Daly City, Torrance, Santa Clara, and Elk Grove. At the other end of the spectrum, Dallas' recovery has been the least inclusive, followed by Shreveport, Houston, South Bend, and Phoenix.

For more insight into the report, see also a blog post written by several of the authors of the report. That post provides five bog takeaways from the report, including insight into what makes inclusive cities inclusive.