Baltimore City and Poverty
The city of Baltimore is unfortunately known for its high crime and poverty. President Trump often commented on Baltimore, calling it “a “disgusting, rodent and rat-infested mess,” “very dangerous and filthy,” “the Worst in the USA.” In the United States, nearly 40 million Americans (around 12.2% of the population) are living below the poverty line. Though the state of Maryland has one of the lowest poverty rates in the country (49th place), Baltimore’s poverty level is high. Baltimore is 131.5% above the state’s poverty line with 21.8% of the population living in poverty. Additionally, this poverty rate is not equally distributed by race. Data reveals that Black Americans are “two and a half times more likely to be poor than white Americans” since “13. 6% of Black Americans are living below the poverty line” (WTOP).
Is It Getting Any Better?
With Baltimore having the highest poverty level in all of Maryland, one would hope that this situation is getting better. In fact, from a distance, the poverty problem in Baltimore does seems to be improving. As seen in the chart below, the average percent of employed individuals from 2006 to 2010 was 55.1% in the whole city. The most recent data (2015-2019) shows that the percent of employed individuals has increased to 64.6%. This 9.5% increase seems hopeful and gives us the impression that Baltimore employment levels are heading in the right direction
Its Only Getting Better at a Distance
Below is a map of Baltimore presenting the same data from the chart above. Though it is true that on average the percent of employed individuals has increased nearly 10 percent, this increase is not the same across all Baltimore neighborhoods. Most neighborhoods saw an increase in the percent of employed individuals over time. However, the areas that have always had the highest percentage of employed individuals have stayed the same and have increased the most. Poorer areas in Baltimore have not increased their percentage of employed individuals as much.
Racial Demographics in Baltimore
The racial distribution in Baltimore is very visible. Most areas are either predominantly white, or predominantly Black, with very few areas that are around 50% white, 50% Black. As seen in the map below, across the years, the racial distribution of Baltimore has stayed fairly the same. Areas of highest percentage of white (non-Hispanic) residents go down the middle of the city, branching eastward near the harbor, forming an "L" shape. This is area is known to many Baltimoreans as “the white L”. The lighter areas in the map below show the areas that have the lowest percentage of white (non-Hispanic residents). These areas have the highest percentage of BIPOC residents, and collectively form what Baltimoreans call, “the Black Butterfly”.
Redlining and its Effects
This distribution of race across the city of Baltimore is no accident. Baltimore has always been a racially divided city due to historical red lining. Redlining is a term coined from the old “practice of coloring the Black neighborhoods red, denying homeowners their fair loans and disincentivizing investment in those areas” (WMAR2NEWS). Though this no longer occurs today, the effects of this continues to affect BIPOC Baltimore residents today. Both maps above are very similar. The “white L” can be seen in the demographics map as well as in the map showing the percent of population employed. With this comparison of the two maps, one can see those individuals living in predominantly white areas have a disproportional access to jobs and are more likely to be employed. Additionally, despite the average increase in jobs, the problem of unequal employment continues and BIPOC communities are still living in poverty.
Where are the Majority of Jobs Located?
Below is a map showing the number of total jobs filled by employees. Throughout the years, most jobs are located in the “white L” of Baltimore, while BIPOC-majority neighborhoods have less jobs. This means that many BIPOC people may have to seek employment outside of their neighborhood, which presents other challenges such as transportation and childcare while at work. This continues to show the disproportional access to jobs.
What Needs to be Done?
The city government needs to increase funding to areas outside of the “white L”. Despite the increase in jobs overall, racial disparities are very much still present in the city. Unequal access to employment causes for the poverty rate in Baltimore to stay high and continues to promote violence and crime. Additionally, lack of funding and investment in BIPOC communities affects access to education, which unfortunately makes disproportionate access to employment a long-term issue.