Cb RENT POPULATION REPORTS Special Studies ♦Series P-23, No. 27 February 7, 1969 TRENDS in SOCIAL and ECONOMIC CONDITIONS in METROPOLITAN AREAS Population Distribution by Metropolitan-IMonmetropolitan Residence for the United States: 1968 BUREAU OF THE CENSUS A. ROSS ECKLER, Director ROBERT F. DRURY, Deputy Director CONRAD TAEUBER, Associate Director Population Division HERMAN P. MILLER, Chief ACKNOWL EDGMENTS This report was prepared by Arno I. Winard, Poverty Statistics Section, Population Division, under the general direction of Herman P. Miller, Chief , Population Division. Important contributions in drafting the text and design- ing the tables were made by Rockwell Livingston, Florence F. Einhorn,and Alice Bahrman. Dr. Richard Hornseth and Christine Haglund of Systems Di- vision were responsible for developing the computer programs which produced the tabulations for this report. SUGGESTED CITATION U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports , Series P-23» Special Studies (formerly Technical Studies), No. 27, "Trends in Social and Economic Conditions in Metropolitan Areas," U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1969- For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, 70 cents. Annual subscription (Series P-20, P-23, P-25, P-27, P-28 summaries, P-60, and P-65, combined), $8.50; foreign mailing, $11.00. Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library CONTENTS Page Introduction Ill Sources of data and definitions of terms VI I Population Characteristics Change in population by type of residence, 1960-1968 2 Average annual change in population, 1960-1966 and 1966-1968 3 Population distribution by type of residence 4 Negroes as a percent of the total population 5 White and Negro population, by region 6 Negroes as a percent of total population, by region 7 Population distribution by age 8 Change in population by age, 1960-1968 9 Negroes as a percent of total population in central cities, by age 10 II The Family 11 Type of family 12 Change in number of families by sex of head, 1960-1968 13 Negro families as a percent of all families in central cities 14 Female heads as a percent of all family heads in central cities, by family income 15 Female family heads in central cities, by presence of related children under 18 years old.. 16 Own children under 18 years old living with both parents as a percent of all own children in central cities 17 Marital status of female heads of families 18 Unrelated individuals by sex: 1968 19 III Education 21 Median years of school completed for persons 25 to 29 years old, by sex 22 Percent of persons 25 to 29 years old who graduated from high school or college 23 Males 25 to 54 years of age by years of school completed 24 Median income for males 25 to 54 years of age, by years of school completed 25 Median income for white and Negro males 25 to 54 years of age, by years of school completed 26 IV Employment 27 Labor force participation rates by age 28 White and Negro labor force participation rates in central cities, by age 29 Unemployment rates for selected groups 30 White and Negro unemployment rates in central cities for selected groups 31 Distribution of persons employed in nonagri cultural occupations 32 Distribution of persons in central cities employed in nonagricultural occupations 33 I CONTENTS -Continued Page V Family Income 35 Median family income 36 Median family income, by race of head 37 Median income of central city families, by sex of head 38 Family income distribution 39 Median family income, by region 40 Median income of white and Negro families in central cities, by region 4-1 Percent of families with high income 42 Families by number of earners 43 Median income of central city families, by number of earners 44 VI Earnings 45 Median earnings of workers 46 Median earnings of white and Negro workers in central cities 47 Median earnings in 1967 of year-round workers currently employed in selected occupation groups 48 Median earnings in 1967 of white and Negro year-round workers in central cities currently employed in selected occupation groups 49 VII Characteristics of the Poor 51 Incidence of poverty among persons 52 Distribution of poor persons by type of residence 53 Distribution of poor families by selected characteristics 54 Incidence of poverty among families in central cities, by sex of head 55 Incidence of poverty in 19c>7 for unrelated individuals, by sex 56 Median poverty gap for poor families 57 Distribution of the poverty gap, by type of residence 58 Distribution of poor households and the poverty gap in central cities, by family status... 59 Incidence of poverty for families in the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas 60 Incidence of poverty for families in the central cities of the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas 61 Poor families in central cities of the three largest metropolitan areas as a percent of all poor families in these areas 62 VIII Families in Poverty Areas 63 Families living in central city poverty areas 64 Change in central city poverty area families, 1967-1968 and 1960-1967 65 Incidence of poverty among families living in central city poverty areas 66 Families living in central city poverty areas of the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas 67 II TRENDS IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN METROPOLITAN AREAS INTRODUCTION This report presents statistics about the population changes that took place in the central cities of the Nation's 212 standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSA's) / and their suburban rings between 1960 and 1968. It shows the changes that took place during this period in population, family composition, education, employment, income, and poverty. The aim of this report is to provide a summary of pertinent data available from the Current Population Survey (CPS) on current conditions in our major cities and to describe the direction and magnitude of changes since 1960. Wherever possible, data are presented for whites and Negroes separately. This statistical report cannot present data on all the details of the urban scene since it is limited to those aspects of life which has been measured over time on a comparable basis. Health, crime, housing conditions, and the quality of education are among those vital elements of urban life for which adequate data are not available from the CPS. Other elements crucial for understanding what have been happening in our major cities have not been measured at all on a national basis. Yet much can be learned from examining the available data brought together in this report. Most of our indicators of well-being point toward progress in the cities since 1960. However, the rates at which positive changes are taking place will be open to differing interpretations. Likewise where deterioration rather than progress is indicated, the impact of such negative trends is open to debate. SMSA's, central cities, and suburban rings as defined in 1960. Ill Some highlights of the data presented in this report are: (1) POPUL ATION--Virtually all the metropolitan population growth between 1960 and 1968 occurred outside the central cities, where a majority of the metropolitan residents now live. There were fewer white central city residents in 1968 than at the time of the 1960 Census, with the decline in the 25- to 64-year-age group being partic- ularly noticeable. Since 1960, Negroes have become more heavily concentrated in the central cities of metropolitan areas; in 1968 they represented one-fifth of the central city population but only one-twentieth of the remaining metropolitan population. (2) THE F A MIL Y--There was an increase in families headed by women-- especially among Negroes living in central cities. City families lacking a male head were particularly likely to have low incomes; three-fifths of the female family heads had to support children as well as themselves with their lower-than-average incomes. The increase in the number of families headed by a woman indicates that more children are growing up in broken homes. This is most evident among Negroes in the central cities in 1968 where only 6 out of every 10 children were living with both parents. (3) EDUCATION--The proportion of young adults finishing high school in both central cities and suburbs increased substantially between 1960 and 1968. In central cities the median years of school completed by Negroes who were 25 to 29 years of age increased by about one year. The proportion of Negroes in central cities who completed high school rose from 43 percent in 1960 to 61 percent in 1968. In central cities the median income of men 25 to 54 years old who finished high school or college showed a greater increase between 1959 and 1967 than did the income of those who had less than a high school education. (4) EMPLOYMENT--Unemployment rates dropped significantly between 1960 and 1968 in both central cities and suburbs. The unemployment rate for Negroes continued to be about twice that for whites. One-third of the Negro teenagers living IV 1 in the central cities were unemployed in 1968, compared with only about one-eighth of the whites. Women were more likely to be part of the labor force in 1968 than in 1960. In central cities, about half of the women between 18 and 64 years old were either employed or seeking employment in 1968. There is some evidence of a lowering of the barriers which had largely excluded Negro women from employment in the better paying occupations. The proportion of Negro women in the labor force who were employed as private household workers declined substantially between 1960 and 1968 in central cities, whereas the proportion of Negro women who were clerical or sales workers rose from 13 percent in 1960 to 23 percent in 1968. (5) FAMILY INCOME--In the last 8 years, median family income increased more sharply for suburbanites than for city families; the median income in 1967 of suburban families was about one-fifth higher than that of families living in central cities. In 1967 a substantial gap remained between the incomes of whites and Negroes in central cities. However, the median family income of Negroes in central cities increased from 61 percent to 68 percent of the white median family income during the 8-year period. In 1967, 18 percent of all Negro families in central cities had incomes of $10,000 or more. (6) E ARNINGS--The earnings of men who lived in the suburbs in 1968 were higher than those received by central city dwellers. In central cities Negro men who worked the year round earned about seven-tenths as much as white workers in 1967--a relationship that has not changed significantly since 1959. Among year-round workers, Negro women made considerable gains toward approaching the earnings of white women; the median earnings of Negro women who were year-round workers were 73 percent as high as those received by white workers in 1967 as compared with 59 percent in 1959. v (7) POVERTY-- The number of poor persons in the United States declined by about one-third between 1959 and 1967; the number of white poor persons dropped by 38 percent, while the number of poor Negroes declined by 21 percent. About 10 per- cent of the metropolitan population and 19 percent of those residing outside metro- politan areas were poor in 1967. The incidence of poverty among central city residents was twice that among suburban residents. Since 1959 poverty has been most noticeably reduced among families with a male head, particularly among those families with male heads who were white and under 65 years of age. The degree of poverty among the Negro poor in metropolitan areas was especially severe, with half of these families reporting incomes $1,000 or more below the Social Security Administration's poverty budget in 1967. 2 (8) POVERTY AREAS--About half of the population in central-city-poverty areas was nonwhite in 1968, up from 43 percent in 1960. This trend resulted from a sharper decline in the number of whites than of nonwhites in these areas. The number of poor white families residing in poverty areas dropped by 50 percent compared to 30 percent for nonwhite families during the 8-year period. SOURCES OF DATA AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS Special tabulations were prepared for this report from the 53,000 households in a one-in-a-thousand sample of 1960 Census data and from the approximately 50,000 households in the March 1968 Current Population Survey (CPS). Roughly 65 percent of these sample households were in metropolitan areas. These tabulations were designed to eliminate conceptual differences between the original tabulation of the 1960 Census data and the 1968 CPS data. Since the estimates are based on samples, they may differ somewhat from the figures that would have been obtained from complete censuses using the same schedules, instructions, and enumerators. As in any survey work, the results are subject to errors of response and of reporting as well as being subject to sampling variability. 2 For definition of poverty, see page 52. VI i The designs of the samples used for this report provide the greatest reliability for data concerning broad population groups at the national level. Data for small population groups (for example, Negroes in suburban areas) will have larger relative sampling errors. Differences shown in the tables for such small groups may be simply the result of sampling variability and should therefore be used with caution. All statements of comparison made in the text of this report, however, are statistically significant. This means that the chances are at least 19 in 20 that a difference identified in the text indicates a true difference in the population rather than the chance variations arising from the use of samples. This report is limited primarily to metropolitan areas, specifically the standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSA's) as defined in 1960. Except in New England, an SMS A is a county or group of counties which contains at least one city of 50,000 inhabitants or more, or "twin cities" with a combined population of at least 50,000. In New England, SMSA's consist of towns and cities, rather than counties. The special focus of this report is on central cities within the metropolitan areas. Some data in this report are shown separately for the central cities in SMSA's with a population of one million or more in 1960 — the 24 largest SMSA's. That portion of the SMSA which lies outside the central city is referred to in this report as the "suburban ring" or the "suburbs." It should be emphasized that in addition to the residential communities commonly referred to as "suburbia," these suburban rings also contain cities of moderate size and also some open country. Two different population universes are used in this report. Data for overall characteristics such as age, family structure, and education include inmates of institu- tions but exclude Armed Forces members living in barracks. The income, poverty, and employment data exclude both inmates of institutions and Armed Forces personnel living in barracks. Although the time periods covered by the income and poverty statistics refer to calendar years 1967 and 1959, characteristics such as type of residence, employment status, and educational attainment refer to the time of enumeration, March 1968 and April 1960, respectively. VII Earnings include only wages or salary and net income from self-employment received by persons. Income includes not only earnings but also income from other sources such as Social Security, interest, dividends, and private pensions. Data on income and earnings are shown in constant 1967 dollars. The value of 1959 income was converted to 1967 dollars on the basis of the change in the Consumer Price Index. In each table, the individual estimates and percentages have been rounded inde- pendently, so that the component parts do not always add to the total. Percentages are based on the unrounded numbers. VIII Population Characteristics 2 The population of the Nation's metropolitan areas grew by 15.6 million per- sons between 1960 and 1968. This represented a 14-percent increase, compared with a growth of only 6 percent in the nonmetropolitan population. By 1968, the majority of metropolitan area residents were living in the suburbs, whereas in 1960 more than half of the metropolitan population resided in the central cities. Large and small metropolitan areas grew at the same rate, although the increase in the Negro population was sharper in metropolitan areas with a population of 1,000,000 or more than in the smaller SMSA's. CHANGE IN POPULATION BY TYPE OF RESIDENCE, 1960-1968 (Numbers in millions) Total White Negro Percent Percent Percent 1968 1960 change 1968 1960 change 1968 1960 chang United otates* lyy.i I/O, / 11 1 /4.U 15o. / 1U lo.4 Metropolitan areas 128.0 112.4 14 111.3 99.4 12 15.2 11.9 27 Central cities 58.2 57.8 1 45.5 47.6 -5 11.9 9.5 25 Suburban rings 69.9 54.6 28 65.9 51.8 27 3.3 2.4 36 Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 70.0 61.2 14 59.8 53.9 11 9.3 6.8 36 Central cities 30.4 30.2 1 22.3 24.3 -8 7.5 5.6 34 Suburban rings 39.6 31.0 28 37.5 29.7 27 1.8 1.2 45 Metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 58.0 51.1 14 51.5 45.5 13 5.9 5.1 15 Central cities 27.8 27.6 1 23.2 23.4 -1 4.4 3.9 12 Suburban rings 30.2 23.5 28 28.3 22.1 28 1.5 1.2 26 Outside metropolitan areas 70.1 66.3 6 62.7 59.3 6 6.9 6.5 6 Central city population as a percent of metro- politan area total: All metropolitan areas 45 51 (X) 41 48 (X) 78 80 (X) Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 43 49 (X) 37 45 (X) 81 82 (x) Metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 48 54 (X) 45 51 (X) 74 76 (x) ■* All data presented in this report exclude Armed Forces living in barracks. X Not applicable. 3 There is some evidence that the rate of population growth in metropolitan areas between 1966 and 1968 did not match the pace registered between 1960 and 1966. Whereas the population in the suburban ring continued to grow, there was no appreciable change in the population living in central cities between 1966 and 1968. Although the figures suggest that in central cities the rate of increase of the Negro population slowed down between 1966 and 1968, the sampling variability on these figures is very high and additional observations are needed before this trend can be confirmed. Similarly, while the data would seem to indicate that in the suburban ring the Negro population increased from 1966 to 1968 at a much higher rate than was recorded between 1960 and 1966, no valid conclusions about Negro population growth in the suburbs can be drawn because of the high sampling variability. AVERAGE ANNUAL CHANGE IN POPULATION, 1960-1966 AND 1966-1968* (Numbers in thousands) Average annual change Percent change 1960- •66 1966-f 58 Per- Per 1960-66 1966-68 Number cent Number cen TOTAL Metropolitan areas 10.9 1.9 2,055 1.7 1,186 1.0 Central cities 2.8 -1.3 271 0.5 -381 -0.6 Suburban rings 19.4 4.8 1,784 3.0 1,566 2.4 Outside metropolitan areas 5.1 2.5 560 0.8 857 1.2 WHITE Metropolitan areas 9.6 1.5 1,600 1.5 820 0.8 Central cities -1.8 -2.1 -141 -0.3 -486 -1.0 Suburban rings 20.0 4.2 1,741 3.0 1,306 2.0 Outside metropolitan areas 5.6 2.5 540 0.9 784 1.2 NEGRO Metropolitan areas 19.2 4.6 389 2.9 332 2.3 Central cities 22.9 1.9 370 3.4 111 1.0 Suburban rings 4.6 17.0 19 0.7 221 8.0 Outside metropolitan areas 2.1 1.9 23 0.3 64 1.0 * The 1966 and 1968 figures in this table are based on five-quarter averages of data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) centered on April. There- fore, the 1968 figures used for this table differ slightly from those shown in the preceding table, which are based on the CPS taken in March 1968. The census is the source for the 1960 data. 4 The proportion of the Nation's population living in metropolitan areas increased slightly between 1960 and 1968. This gain occurred entirely in the suburbs. The proportion of the metropolitan population living in central cities dropped. Negroes are much more heavily concentrated in the central cities than are whites. Between 1960 and 1968, the proportion of Negroes residing in central cities increased from 52 percent to 54 percent, whereas the proportion of whites within central cities dropped from 30 percent to 26 percent. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY TYPE OF RESIDENCE (Percent) Total White Negro 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 United States 100 100 100 100 100 100 Metropolitan areas 65 63 64 63 69 65 Central cities 29 32 26 30 54 52 Suburban rings 35 31 38 33 15 13 Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 35 34 34 34 42 37 Central cities 15 17 13 15 34 30 Suburban rings 20 17 22 19 8 7 Metropolitan areas 28 under 1,000,000 29 29 30 29 27 Central cities 14 15 13 15 20 21 Suburban rings 15 13 16 14 7 7 Outside metropolitan areas 35 37 36 37 31 35 5 Negroes accounted for 12 percent of the total metropolitan population in 1968. They were concentrated mostly in the central cities of the metro- politan areas, where they represented one-fifth of the central city popu- lation, compared with only one-twentieth of the suburban population. The largest concentration was in the central cities of metropolitan areas having 1 million or more inhabitants, where one-fourth of the population were Negroes. NEGROES AS A PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION All metropolitan areas Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 1968 1960 Metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 1968 1960 1968 1960 Total Central cities Suburban rings 12 20 5 11 16 5 13 25 4 11 18 4 10 16 5 10 14 5 6 In all four geographic regions, there was a substantial growth in the suburban population of the metropolitan areas, whereas the central cities stayed about the same or even declined in population between 1960 and 1968. The largest increase in suburban population — 40 percent — was recorded for the South and West. The suburbs of these two regions grew by 8.7 million persons, while there was no significant population change in the central cities of these regions. Only in the Northeast was there a measurable decline in the number of whites residing in central cities between 1960 and 1968. Significant growth in the Negro population residing in central cities occurred in each region except the West. WHITE AND NEGRO POPULATION, BY REGION (Numbers in millions) Central cities Suburban rings Change, 1960-68 Change, 1960-1 1968 Number Percent 1968 Number Perce] TOTAL Northeast 16.6 -0.7 -4 21.0 2.8 15 North Central 16.8 0.5 3 18.1 3.7 26 South 15.0 0.1 1 15.8 4.5 40 West 9.7 0.5 6 14.9 4.2 39 WHITE Northeast 13.5 -1.5 -10 20.1 2.5 14 North Central 12.9 -0.6 -5 17.6 3.5 25 South 10.8 -0.3 -3 14.2 4.3 44 West 8.2 0.2 3 14.0 3.7 36 NEGRO Northeast 3.0 0.7 30 0.7 0.1 25 North Central 3.8 1.1 39 0.5 0.2 55 South 4.1 0.4 10 1.6 0.2 18 West 0.9 0.2 32 0.5 0.3 37 7 In 1968, the proportion of Negroes in the population of metropolitan areas was only 6 percent in the West hut 18 percent in the South. Except in these two regions, the proportion of the metropolitan population who were Negroes increased slightly from 1960 to 1968. In the Northeast and North Central regions, the proportion of central city residents who were Negro rose between 1960 and 1968, whereas in the suburbs the proportion stayed about the same. NEGROES AS A PERCENT OF TOTAL POPULATION, BY REGION Metropolitan Central Suburban areas, total citie ;s rin^ is 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 Northeast 10 8 18 13 3 3 North Central 12 10 23 17 3 2 South 18 19 27 25 10 12 West 6 5 10 8 4 2 8 The median age of the population in central cities was higher than for suburban residents in both 1960 and 1968. Within cities and suburbs, the median age has declined since 1960. Two-fifths of the Negroes but only about one-fourth of the whites residing in central cities were under 15 years of age in 1968. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY AGE Total White Ne§ TO 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 CENTRAL CITIES iNLUllUtrl \ IU-L_1__L -LUIlo J 58 ? 57 8 l *; 5 11 9 9.5 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Under 5 years 9 11 10 1 J 14 5 to 15 years 21 19 19 18 27 23 16 to 19 years 7 5 7 5 8 6 20 to 24 years 8 7 8 7 7 7 25 to 44 years 23 27 23 26 24 29 4-5 to 64- years 21 22 23 23 16 17 65 years and over 11 10 13 11 5 5 Median age 29.8 31.3 32.3 32.5 21.7 25.6 SUBURBAN RINGS Number (millions) 69.9 54.6 65.9 51.8 3.3 2.4 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Under 5 years 10 12 9 12 12 14 5 to 15 years 23 23 23 23 28 26 16 to 19 years 7 5 7 5 7 6 20 to 24- years 7 5 7 5 9 7 25 to 44- years 26 29 26 29 22 26 45 to 64 years 20 19 20 19 16 17 65 years and over 8 7 8 7 6 5 Median age 27.4 28.1 27.8 28.4 21.7 23.1 There were substantial changes in the age distribution of the metro- politan population between 1960 and 1968. Among white central city residents, two age groups declined in number — children under 16 years of age and adults 25 to 64 years old. For Negroes living in central cities, there was an increase of about 2.4 million persons, with most of this increase, about 1.8 million, recorded for persons under 25 years of age. Relatively large increases were recorded in all age groups for Negro as well as white suburban residents. The high percentage increase for Negroes reflects the very small number of Negroes who were living in Suburban areas in 1960, whereas the proportionate increases for the white suburban population are indicative of large numerical growth as well. CHANGE IN POPULATION BY AGE, 1960-1968 (Numbers in millions) White Negro Central cities Suburban rings Central cities Suburban rings Num- Per- Num- Per- Num- Per- Num- Per- ber cent ber cent ber cent ber cent Under 16 years -1.1 - 8 3.4 19 1.2 35 0.3 36 16 to 19 years 0.4 17 1.8 65 0.3 61 0.1 59 20 to 24 years 0.5 16' 1.9 72 0.3 42 0.1 85 25 to 64 years -2.7 -12 5.5 22 0.4 10 0.2 22 65 years and over 0.7 13 1.4 37 0.1 19 0.1 57 10 The proportion of central city residents who were Negro increased in most age groups between 1960 and 1968. The most striking increase was recorded for persons under 16 years of age residing in metropolitan areas with 1 million or more inhabitants. By 1968, one-third of these young persons in large cities were Negroes. NEGROES AS A PERCENT OF TOTAL POPULATION IN CENTRAL CITIES, BY AGE Central cities in — All central cities Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 1968 1960 Metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 1968 1960 1968 1960 Under 16 years 16 to 19 years 20 to 24 years 25 to 64- years 65 years and over Total 20 27 23 19 18 10 16 20 18 16 15 9 25 34 28 23 22 10 18 23 20 20 17 10 16 21 18 15 14 8 14 18 16 12 13 8 II The Family 11 12 About 8 out of every 10 families in the major cities in 1968 were headed by a man with his wife present. Within the suburban ring, 9 of every 10 families had both husband and wife present. Husband-wife families were much more prevalent among whites than among Negro families in both 1968 and 1960. In central cities, the proportion of husband-wife families among Negroes declined from 73 percent to 66 percent between 1960 and 1968. TYPE OF FAMILY Metropolitan Central Suburban + n+nl cities r 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 TOTAL Number (millions) 32.2 28.6 14.6 14.7 17.6 13.9 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Husband -w if e 86 88 82 84 90 91 Other male head 3 3 3 3 2 2 Female head 11 10 15 12 8 7 WHITE Number (millions) 28.6 25.8 11.8 12.4 16.8 13.3 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Husband-wife 88 89 85 86 90 92 Other male head 2 3 3 3 2 2 Female head 10 8 12 10 8 6 NEGRO Number (millions) 3.3 2.6 2.6 2.1 0.7 0.5 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Husband-wife 67 74 66 73 72 79 Other male head 4 4 4 4 6 3 Female head 29 22 30 23 22 18 13 In central cities the number of families headed "by females increased for both whites and Negroes since 1960. The increase occurred mainly in central cities of metropolitan areas with a population of 1,000,000 or more and was most pronounced among Negroes. In the cities of the largest SMSA's, the number of Negro female family heads increased by 83 percent from the start of the decade to 1968. Male Negro family heads recorded only a 15 percent increase in the same cities during the same period. CHANGE IN NUMBER OF FAMILIES BY SEX OF HEAD, 1960-1968 (Numbers in thousands) White Negro Number Central cities: Male head -757 Female head 155 In metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more: Male head -707 Female head 109 In metropolitan areas under 1,000,000: Male head Female head Percent Number Percent -7 172 11 12 294 60 -12 1-49 15 16 245 83 -51 46 -1 8 24 49 4 25 Although Negroes increased as a percent of both male and female fam- ily heads in central cities between 1960 and 1968, the increase among female family heads was particularly sharp. This increase occurred princi- pally in central cities of the largest SMSA's where the proportion of Negroes among families headed by females rose from 29 percent to 4-0 percent NEGRO FAMILIES AS A PERCENT OF ALL FAMILIES IN CENTRAL CITIES 1968 1960 Central cities: Male head Female head 15 35 13 27 In metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more: Male head Female head 18 40 15 29 In metropolitan areas under 1,000,000: Male head Female head 11 27 11 24 15 The proportion of central city families headed by women has edged up in the past 8 years to 15 percent in 1967. The proportion headed by women ranged from 44 percent for families receiving incomes of under $2,000 in 1967 to only 5 percent for those with incomes over $10,000. In 1967, Negro families at the low income levels (under $4,000) were much more likely than white families to be headed by women, but the gap between the races narrowed significantly in the income brackets between $4,000 and $10,000 and virtually disappeared among families with incomes over $10,000. FEMALE HEADS AS A PERCENT OF ALL FAMILY HEADS IN CENTRAL CITIES, BY FAMILY INCOME (1967 dollars) Total White Negro 1967 1959 1967 1959 \m All families 15 12 12 10 30 23 Under $2,000 44 38 36 31 61 51 $2,000 to $3,999 33 23 23 20 54 29 $4,000 to $5,999 22 11 20 11 27 14 $6,000 to $7,999 14 7 12 7 21 7 $8,000 to $9,999 8 7 8 7 12 6 $10,000 and over 5 5 5 5 6 9 16 In the central cities, the proportion of female family heads who had children increased between 1960 and 1968. The responsibility of child support was more common for Negro female family heads than for whites. In 1968, four-fifths of the Negro female family heads, but only one-half of the white female family heads, had children to support. FEMALE FAMILY HEADS IN CENTRAL CITIES, BY PRESENCE OF RELATED CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS OLD (Percent) 1968 1960 TOTAL Female family heads With no children With one or more children With two or more children 100 40 60 39 100 46 54 31 WHITE Female family heads With no children With one or more children With two or more children 100 50 50 29 100 55 45 24 NEGRO Female family heads With no children With one or more children With two or more children 100 21 79 59 100 24 76 51 17 About 60 percent of all Negro children in central cities lived with "both parents in 1968 compared with 88 percent of all white children. There has been a considerable decline in this rate for Negro children since 1960 when about 70 percent lived with both parents. In the lowest income interval (under $4, 000), only 36 percent of all children were living with both parents in 1967. This ratio increased sharply towards the middle income levels ($4,000 to $8,000) and leveled off in the upper brackets. The major difference in the percent of white and Negro children living with both parents was found in the lowest income interval (under $4,000) where the Negro rate was only half that for white children. OWN CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS OLD LIVING WITH BOTH PARENTS AS A PERCENT OF ALL OWN CHILDREN IN CENTRAL CITIES Total White Negro All children: 1968 1960 81 87 88 91 61 71 Children by family income in 1967: Under $4,000 36 74 89 93 95 96 51 78 91 94 96 97 24 67 80 89 93 95 $4,000 to $5,999 $6,000 to $7,999 $8,000 to $9,999 $10,000 to $14,999 $15,000 and over 18 Among white and Negro female family heads living in metropolitan areas there was an increase between 1960 and 1968 in the proportion who were separated or divorced. For Negro families, separation or divorce was the principal cause for the absence of a male head in both 1960 and 1968. Among white families, death was the most common reason for the husband's absence. Among Negro families with a female head, separation was about twice as frequent as divorce, whereas among white families the opposite relationship was observed. MARITAL STATUS OF FEMALE HEADS OF FAMILIES Metropolitan Central Suburban areas, total cities rings 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 WHITE Number (millions) 2.7 2.1 1.5 1.3 1.3 0.8 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Single 10 12 12 14 7 9 Separated or divorced 37 31 37 31 38 32 Separated 13 11 13 11 13 10 Divorced 25 21 24 19 25 22 Married, husband absent 5 7 5 7 6 8 In Armed Forces 2 1 3 Other reasons 3 7 3 7 3 8 Widowed 48 49 47 48 49 51 NEGRO Number (millions) 0.9 0.6 0.8 0.5 0.1 0.1 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Single 15 13 15 13 11 9 Separated or divorced 54 4-5 55 46 49 38 Separated 38 32 39 34 33 25 Divorced 16 13 16 13 17 13 Married, husDand absent 5 6 4 6 8 8 In Armed Forces 1 1 1 Other reasons 3 6 3 6 8 8 Widowed 26 36 25 35 31 45 - Rounds to zero. 19 In 1968 about three-fifths of all unrelated individuals in metro- politan areas were contral city residents. In metropolitan areas the proportion of men among unrelated individuals was higher among Negroes than among whites. One-fifth of all male unrelated individuals in the central cities were Negroes. UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS BY SEX: 1968 (Numbers in millions) Male as a percent Total Male Female of total METROPOLITAN AREAS Total 9.2 3.4 5.8 37 White 7.9 2.8 5.1 35 Negro 1.2 0.6 0.7 47 Percent of total 13 17 11 (x) CENTRAL CITIES Total 5.7 2.2 3.6 38 White 4.7 1.7 3.0 36 Negro 1.0 0.5 0.5 47 Percent of total 17 21 15 (X) SUBURBAN RINGS Total 3.5 1.3 2.2 36 White 3.2 1.1 2.1 35 Negro 0.3 0.1 0.1 46 Percent of total 7 9 6 (X) X Not applicable. Ill Education 21 22 Among young adults, the difference between the median number of years of school completed for whites and Negroes residing in central cities narrowed substantially between 1960 and 1968. The median years of school completed for city Negroes increased by about 1 year during the 8 year period. During this period there was little change in the educational attainment of whites residing ; in central cities and some increase for those residing \ in suburbs. MEDIAN YFARS OF ' SCHOOL COMPLETED FOR PERSONS 25 TO 29 YEARS OLD, BY SEX Metropolitan Central Suburban areas, total cities rin gs 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 Both sexes 12.6 12.4 12.5 12.4 12.6 12.4 White 12.6 12.4 12.6 12.5 12.7 12.4 Negro 12.3 11.4 12.2 11.4 12.3 10.0 Male 12.7 12.4 12.6 12.4 12.7 12.5 White 12.7 12.5 12.7 12.6 12.7 12.5 Negro 12.3 11.3 12.3 11.3 12.4 11.1 Female 12.5 12.3 12.5 12.3 12.6 12.4 White 12.6 12.4 12.5 12.4 12.6 12.4 Negro 12.2 11.4 12.2 11.5 12.3 9.9 23 In 1968, three-fourths of all persons 25 to 29 years old residing in metropolitan areas had completed at least 4 years of high school. One of every six young adults had completed college. The educational attain- ment in central cities was lower on the average than in the suburbs. A substantial increase in the proportion of young adults finishing high school was recorded both in central cities and in the suburbs between 1960 and 1968. PERCENT OF PERSONS 25 TO 29 YEARS OLD WHO GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE TOTAL Number of persons (thousands) High school graduates* College graduates** WHITE Number of persons (thousands) High school graduates* College graduates** NEGRO Number of persons (thousands)' High school graduates* College graduates** Metropolitan areas, total 1968 1960 8,269 6,879 77 64 17 7,189 79 18 966 62 5 13 5,985 67 14 805 42 5 Central cities 1968 1960 3,750 73 15 2,895 77 18 779 61 5 3,580 62 13 2,859 66 14 661 43 5 Suburban rings 196g 1960 4,519 3,229 79 67 18 18 14 4,294 3,126 80 68 14 187 144 63 38 9 4 * Completed at least 4 years of high school. ** Completed 4 or more years of college. 24 The number of years of school completed by men 25 to 54 years old in both cities and suburbs increased significantly since 1960. About 50 per- cent of the men residing in central cities in 1960 had completed high school, whereas 62 percent had finished 4 years of high school or more in 1968. MALES 25 TO 54 YEARS OF AGE BY YEARS OF SCHOOL COMPLETED (Percent) Metropolitan Central Suburban areas, total cities rings 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 Number (millions) 22.3 21.4 9.6 10.8 12.6 10.6 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Elementary: 8 years or less 15 26 19 29 13 23 High school: 1 to 3 years 18 22 20 23 16 22 4 years 36 26 34 25 37 28 College: 1 year or more 31 25 28 24 33 27 4 years or more 18 14 16 12 20 15 Percent completing high school 67 52 62 48 71 55 25 In central cities median incomes "between 1959 and 1967 rose most sharply for males 25 to 54 years old with a high school or college education. Central city residents who were high school graduates or had attended at least 1 year of college received a 20 percent increase in median income. Those who started but failed to complete high school had only a 14 percent increase in median income between 1959 and 1967, while for those who did not finish elementary school the median rose by only 7 percent. MEDIAN INCOME FOR MALES 25 TO 54 YEARS OF AGE, BY YEARS OF SCHOOL COMPLETED Median income in 1967 Percent change, 1959 to 1967 Metro- politan areas, total Metro- Sub- C entr al urban cities rings politan Sub- areas, Central urban total cities rings High school: Elementary: College: Less than 8 yrs 8 years 1 to 3 years 4 years 1 to 3 years 4 years or more $4,854 6,376 6,864 7,752 8,615 10,852 $4, 627 5,895 6,241 7,226 7,950 10,030 $5,260 6,787 7,377 8,107 9,070 11,486 7 17 17 21 21 21 7 14 14 20 20 20 9 19 18 21 18 21 26 In central cities the median income of Negro men at each educational level was about three-fourths that of white men in 1967. Between 1959 and 1967 there was no significant narrowing of the income gap between white and Negro men at any level of educational attainment. In both cities and suburbs, the 1967 median income of male Negro high school graduates was about the same as that of white males who had only attended ele- mentary school. For men who did not complete high school the gap between the incomes of Negroes and whites was lower in the cities than in the suburbs. MEDIAN INCOME FOR WHITE AND NEGRO MALES 25 TO 54 YEARS OF AGE, BY YEARS OF SCHOOL COMPLETED Central cities Median income 1967 1959 Percent in- crease, 1959-67 Suburban rings Median Percent income in- crease, 1967 1959 1959-67 WHITE Elementary: 8 years or less $5,658 $5,137 10 $6,454 $5,507 17 High school: 1 to 3 years 6,748 5,788 17 7,495 6,342 18 4 years 7,543 6,265 20 8,188 6,774 21 College: 1 year or more 9,222 7,686 20 10,499 8,726 20 4 yrs. or more 10,261 8,486 21 11,536 9,536 21 NEGRO Elementary: 8 years or less $4,215 $3,428 23 $4,021 $2,750 46 High school: 1 to 3 years 5,086 4,059 25 4,631 4,050 14 4 years 5,642 4,323 31 5,980 4,333 38 College: 1 year or more 7,025 5,022 40 7,320 (B) 5,167 (B) 42 4 yrs. or more 7,556 (B) (B) (B) NEGRO MEDIAN INCOME AS A PERCENT OF WHITE Elementary: 8 years or less 75 67 (X) 62 50 High school: 1 to 3 years 75 70 (X) 62 64 4 years 75 69 (X) 73 64 College: 1 year or more 76 65 (X) 70 59 4 yrs. or more 74 (X) (X) (X) (X) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) B Base less than 75,000. X Not applicable, IV Employment 27 28 The proportion of men between the ages of 25 and 54 who were in the labor force was the same in the cities and suburbs. This was true for 18- to 24-year-old men as well in 1960, but by 1968 these young men re- siding in central cities had a higher rate of labor force participation than those who lived in the suburbs. Women living in central cities had somewhat higher rates of labor force participation in both years than those who lived in the suburbs. Since 1960, there was a general rise in female labor force participation, while the rates for men age 25 years old and over stayed virtually unchanged. LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATES BY AGE Metropolitan areas, total MALE 18 to 64- years 18 to 24 years 25 to 54 years 55 to 64 years FEMALE 18 to 64 years 18 to 24 years 25 to 54 years 55 to 64 years 1968 88 69 94 84 48 55 47 44 1960 90 76 94 84 43 48 43 37 Central cities 1968 1960 72 94 84 52 58 51 46 89 77 94 83 47 51 47 40 Suburban rings 1968 1960 87 67 93 83 45 51 44 41 90 76 94 85 39 44 38 33 29 In 1968 as well as in I960, the labor force participation rates of white and Negro men living in central cities were about the same. The labor force participation rates in central cities remained substantially higher for Negro women than for white women. WHITE AND NEGRO LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATES IN CENTRAL CITIES, BY AGE MALE White Negro 1968 1960 1968 1960 18 to 64- years 18 to 24 years 25 to 54 years 55 to 64 years 88 90 71 76 94 94 85 83 87 87 75 80 92 90 78 76 FEMALE 18 to 64 years 18 to 24- years 25 to 54 years 55 to 64 years 50 46 58 52 49 46 45 40 57 52 57 45 58 56 50 39 30 The unemployment rate for the Nation's metropolitan areas has dropped by 1-1/2 percentage points since I960, with both central city and suburban workers showing the same relative improvement. Teenagers, however, did not show a drop in unemployment between 1960 and 1968 UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR SELECTED GROUPS 1968 Both sexes, 16 years and over 16 to 19 years Male, 20 years and over Married, wife present Female, 20 years and over Metropolitan areas, total 3.7 13.2 2.5 1.8 3.7 Central cities 4.3 16.1 3.1 2.2 4.0 Suburban rings 3.2 10.8 2.0 1.5 3.5 Ratio: central cities to suburban rings 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.1 1960 Both sexes, 16 years and over 16 to 19 years Male, 20 years and over Married, wife present 5.2 11.6 4.6 3.4 Female, 20 years and over 5.1 5.8 11.8 5.6 3.9 5.2 4.4 11.2 3.7 2.9 4.9 1.3 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.1 31 Negro residents of central cities had unemployment rates twice as high as those of white city dwellers. Although both declined, this overall relationship was unchanged between 1960 and 1968. Among teenagers the unemployment rate was substantially higher than that for adults in both 1968 and 1960. Thirty percent of the Negro teenagers in central cities were jobless in 1968. WHITE AND NEGRO UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN CENTRAL CITIES FOR SELECTED GROUPS 1968 Both sexes, 16 years and over 16 to 19 years Male, 20 years and over Married, wife present Female, 20 years and over White 3.5 12.3 2.5 1.8 3.5 Negro 7.8 30.4 6.0 4.5 5.9 Ratio: Negro to white 2.2 2.5 2.4 2.5 1.7 1960 Both sexes, 16 years and over 16 to 19 years Male, 20 years and over Married, wife present Female, 20 years and over 4.9 10.7 2.2 9.8 22.7 2.3 4.8 9.9 2.1 3.4 7.5 2.2 4.3 10.1 2.3 32 In 1968 as in 1960 professional and managerial work was the dominant occupation of men workers in metropolitan areas. During the 8-year period, however, the proportion of men employed in professional and manage- rial work rose from 25 to 31 percent. Suburban residents showed a sharper increase in the percentage of men with professional and managerial work than did the central city residents. Little change in the occupational distribution of employed women was recorded between 1960 and 1968. Clerical and sales work remained their major source of jobs. DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONS EMPLOYED IN NONAGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS Metropolitan Central Suburban areas, total cities rings 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 MALE Total (millions) 30.4 27.3 13.7 14.2 16.8 13.1 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Professional and managerial workers 31 25 27 24 34 27 Clerical and sales workers 15 17 16 18 15 16 Craftsmen 20 22 19 20 21 24 Operatives 20 21 21 22 19 21 Laborers 6 7 7 7 5 6 Service workers 8 7 9 9 6 5 FEMALE Total (millions) 18.2 14.2 9.1 8.3 9.1 5.9 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Professional and managerial workers 20 18 18 17 21 19 Clerical and sales workers 45 44 43 43 46 45 Private household workers 6 7 6 8 5 6 All other service workers 15 13 15 13 14 13 Craftsmen, operatives, and laborers 15 18 17 18 14 17 33 Almost half of the white men employed in central cities worked as white collar workers in 1968, but only one-fifth of the Negro men were in similar occupations. There has been very little change in the occupational distribution of either white or Negro men since 1960. In contrast, there has been a marked shift in the occupational distri- bution of Negro women in cities over the 8 years. While the proportion of employed white women engaged in white-collar work stayed steady at about two-thirds, the proportion of Negro women doing similar work rose sharply from one-fifth in 1960 to one-third in 1968. Most of this increase took place among clerical and sales workers. Domestic work was much less important a source of jobs for Negro women in 1968 than in 1960. DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONS IN CENTRAL CITIES EMPLOYED IN N ONAGRI CULTURAL OCCUPATIONS White Negro 1968 1960 1968 1960 MALE Total (millions) 11.2 12.1 2.3 1.9 Perc ent 100 100 100 100 Professional and managerial workers 30 26 9 6 Clerical and sales workers 17 19 12 12 Craftsmen 21 21 13 11 Operatives 19 21 32 31 Laborers 5 5 17 22 Service workers 8 7 17 17 FEMALE Total (millions) 7.1 6.8 1.8 1.3 Percent 100 100 100 100 Professional and managerial workers 20 19 11 8 Clerical and sales workers 48 49 23 1? Private household workers 3 3 20 34 All other service workers 12 11 27 26 Craftsmen, operatives, and laborers 16 18 19 18 V Family Income 35 36 Median income in 1967 of families living in the suburban ring of metropolitan areas was about one-fifth higher than that of families living in central cities. Between 1959 and 1967, family income increased more sharply for suburbanites than for city families, slightly widening the income gap. In 1967, the median income of city dwellers was 83 percent that of suburban families; in 1959 the ratio had been 88 percent. The higher income level of suburbanites and their more rapid income gains over the past 8 years relative to that of central city families occurred both in the very large and the smaller metropolitan areas. MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME (1967 dollars) 1967 Metropolitan areas $8,673 Central cities 7,813 Suburban rings 9,367 Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more $9,122 Central cities 7,905 Suburban rings 10,014 Metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 $8,176 Central cities 7,719 Suburban rings 8,578 Median income of city families as a percent of income of suburban families: All metropolitan areas 83 Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 79 Metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 90 1959 $7,161 6,720 7,654 $7,74-7 6,985 8,369 $6,576 6,423 6,734 88 83 95 Percent change, 1959-67 21 16 22 18 13 20 24 20 27 (X) (X) (X) X Not applicable 37 Between 1959 and 1967, the incomes of both white and Negro families in metropolitan areas rose significantly. The percent increase in median income was greater for Negroes than for whites. Thus, the ratio of Negro to white median family income went up over the 8-year period. In 1967, the median income of Negro families was 63 percent that of white families. The median incomes of white families were considerably lower for central city residents than for suburbanites in 1967. There was no measurable difference between the incomes of Negro city residents and those residing in the suburbs. MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, BY RACE OF HEAD (1967 dollars) Percent change , 1967 1959 1959-67 Metropolitan areas: White $8,993 $7,493 20 Negro 5,670 4,339 31 Percent of white 63 58 (X) Central cities: White $8,294 $7,160 16 Negro 5,623 4,397 28 Percent of white 68 61 (X) In metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more: White $8,524 $7,579 12 Negro 5,822 4,848 20 Percent of white 68 64 (X) In metropolitan areas under 1,000,000: White $8,084 $6,795 19 Negro 5,284 3,560 43 Percent of white 65 52 (X) Suburban rings: White $9,497 $7,791 22 Negro 5,857 3,985 47 Percent of white 62 51 (X) X Not applicable. 38 For central city residents, the ratio of Negro to white median income was much higher for families headed by men than among families with a female head. In 1967, Negro families with a male head received incomes 78 percent as high as those of comparable white families, while the income received by Negro families headed by women was 62 percent that of white families of the same type. The incomes of Negro families rose faster than those of white families between 1959 and 1967 for families with a male head as well as for those with a female head. MEDIAN INCOME OF CENTRAL CITY FAMILIES, BY SEX OF HEAD 1967 1959 Percent change, 1959-67 MALE HEAD White Negro Percent of white $8,741 6,778 78 $7,441 4,959 67 (X) 17 37 FEMALE HEAD White Negro Percent of white $5,234 3,270 62 $4,718 2,424 51 (X) 11 35 X Not applicable. 1 39 Between 1959 and 1967, there was a considerable rise in family incomes in both cities and suburbs. The proportion of families with incomes of $10,000 or more reached 33 percent in the cities and 45 percent in the suburbs in 1967. Among Negro families there was a substantial decline since 1959 in the proportion with low incomes (under $4, 000). In contrast, the major decline among white families took place in the middle income brackets ($4,000 to $8,000). This pattern prevailed in cities as well as in the suburbs. FAMILY INCOME DISTRIBUTION (1967 dollars) Total White Negro 1967 1959 1967 1959 1967 1959 CENTRAL CITIES Number (millions) 14.6 14.7 11.8 12.4 2.6 2.1 Perc ent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Under $4,000 19 22 16 18 33 45 $4,000 to $5,999 15 20 14 20 21 25 $6,000 to $7,999 18 19 18 20 17 15 $8,000 to $9,999 15 15 15 16 11 8 $10,000 to $14,999 22 16 24 18 13 6 $15,000 and over 12 7 13 9 5 1 SUBURBAN RINGS Number (millions) 17.6 13.9 16.8 13.3 0.7 0.5 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Under $4,000 12 16 11 14 30 50 $4,000 to $5,999 10 17 10 17 22 21 $6,000 to $7,999 16 20 16 20 17 15 $8,000 to $9,999 17 18 17 18 12 7 $10,000 to $14,999 28 19 28 20 13 7 $15,000 and over 17 10 18 10 6 1 L 40 Incomes of families living in the suburban ring were higher than the incomes of city families in each of the four regions of the country. In central cities as well as in the suburbs, incomes in the South were below those of other regions, in both 1967 and 1959. Major gains in median family income were registered in each region, with the South showing the greatest gains. Median family income in metropolitan areas of the South rose by slightly over one-fourth during the 1959-1967 period as compared to an increase of about one-fifth in the other three regions. In the Northeast and the West the incomes of subur- banites rose more sharply than those of central city residents. MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, BY REGION (1967 dollars) Perc ent change, 1967 1959 1959-67 Metropolitan areas $8,673 $7,161 21 Northeast 8,557 7,189 19 North Central 9,117 7,624 20 South 7,881 6,191 27 West 9,155 7,671 19 Central cities $7,813 $6,719 16 Northeast 7,524 6,670 13 North Central 8,283 7,171 16 South 7,239 5,868 23 West 8,492 7,463 14 Suburban rings $9,367 $7,655 22 Northeast 9,346 7,738 21 North Central 9,840 8,126 21 South 8,546 6,628 29 West 9,570 7,823 22 41 In central cities, Negro median family income as a percent of white income advanced from 61 percent in 1959 to 68 percent 8 years later. In 1967, the ratio of Negro to white family income was 62 percent in the South and 84- percent in the West. MEDIAN INCOME OF WHITE AND NEGRO FAMILIES IN CENTRAL CITIES, BY REGION (1967 dollars) Median family income Negro income as 1967 1959 percent of white White Neg ro White Neg ro 1967 1959 Total $8,294 $5, 623 $7,160 $4, 397 68 61 Northeast 7,923 5, 385 6,950 4, 790 68 69 North Central 8,698 6, 501 7,566 5, 117 75 68 South 8,047 5, 015 6,590 3, 454 62 52 West 8,610 7, 203 7,712 5, 037 84 65 42 The proportion of families in the higher income brackets shoved a substantial increase between 1959 and 1967. By 1967, 40 percent of all metropolitan area families had incomes over $10,000, and families with incomes over $15,000 were no longer a rarity, the latter reaching 15 percent. High income families were more prevalent in the suburban ring than in the central cities. Between 1959 and 1967 there was a dramatic increase in the propor- tion of Negro families with higher incomes in metropolitan areas. By 1967, about one-fifth had incomes over $10,000, double the proportion in 1959, but still only about half the percentage of white families in this income bracket. PERCENT OF FAMILIES WITH HIGH INCOME (1967 dollars) $10,000 and over $15,000 and over 1967 1959 1967 1959 Metropolitan areas 40 26 15 9 White 42 28 16 9 Negro 18 7 5 1 Central cities 33 23 12 7 White 37 27 13 9 Negro 18 7 5 1 In metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 34 27 13 8 White 39 30 15 10 Negro 20 10 6 2 In metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 33 21 11 6 White 35 23 12 7 Negro 15 4 4 4 Suburban rings 45 29 17 10 White 46 30 18 10 Negro 19 8 6 1 43 About one-half of all families residing in central cities had more than one earner in 1968. Since 1960 the proportion of multi-earner families has increased and the proportion of families with one earner has declined. There was little difference in this pattern between the cities and suburbs. Among city dwellers, the proportion of families with more than one earner was slightly higher among Negro families than among white families. FAMILIES BY NUMBER OF EARNERS Percent by number of earners Number of Three families All No One Two or more ( millions ) families earners earner earners earners CENTRAL CITIES 1968 Total 14.6 100 10 39 38 14 White 11.8 100 10 40 37 13 Negro 2.6 100 11 33 42 14 1960 Total 14.7 100 8 46 37 9 White 12.4 100 8 47 37 9 Negro 2.1 100 10 41 37 12 SUBURBAN RINGS 1968 Total 17.6 100 7 40 39 15 White 16.8 100 7 40 39 14 Negro 0.7 100 9 34 41 17 1960 Total 13.9 100 5 50 35 9 White 13.3 100 5 51 35 9 Negro 0.5 100 6 42 39 13 44 The gap between the income of white and Negro families narrowed sub- stantially from 1959 to 1967. Overall, the median income of Negro families in central cities reached about two- thirds that of white families. In 1967, the median income of Negro families with two earners was roughly equivalent to that of white families with one earner. MEDIAN INCOME OF CENTRAL CITY FAMILIES, BY NUMBER OF EARNERS (1967 dollars) 1967 All families No earners One earner Two earners Three or more earners Total white Negro Percent of white $7,813 8,294 5,623 68 $2,476 2,615 2,144 82 $6,810 7,285 4, 199 58 >9,054 9,543 7,225 76 $12,454 12,891 9,507 74 1959 Total $6,719 $1,923 $5,872 $8,104 $11,308 White 7,159 2,083 6,255 8,467 12,332 Negro 4,397 1,427 3,500 5,711 7,460 Percent of white 61 69 56 67 60 1 VI Earnings 45 46 Male workers who lived in the suburbs in 1968 received earnings which were much higher than those received by the central city dwellers. This was true among all workers as well as year-round workers. The female workers living in the city earned slightly more than the suburban residents, although there was no measurable difference in the earnings of women with year-round work. The average earnings received by metropolitan area workers increased by about 20 percent during the past 8 years. Among male workers, suburbanites registered larger earnings gains than did city dwellers, whereas the earnings of females increased at about the same rate in both cities and suburbs. MEDIAN EARNINGS OF WORKERS (1967 dollars) Male Female Percent Percent change , change , 1967 1959 1959-67 1967 1959 1959-67 METROPOLITAN AREAS All workers $6,620 $5,460 21 $2,739 $2,305 19 Year-round workers 7,497 6,228 20 4,029 3,683 9 Proportion of workers with year-round work 74 67 (X) 53 45 (X) CENTRAL CITIES All workers $6,059 $5,168 17 $2,846 $2,378 20 Year-round workers 6,890 5,866 17 3,908 3,605 8 Proportion of workers (X) with year-round work 73 66 (X) 56 47 SUBURBAN RINGS All workers $7,104 $5,800 22 $2,596 $2,189 19 Year-round workers 7,968 6,624 20 4,139 3,794 9 Proportion of workers (X) with year-round work 75 69 (X) 51 41 X Not applicable. 47 Negro men living in central cities who worked year round in 1967 earned about seven-tenths as much as white workers. Between 1959 and 1967, the ratio of Negro to white median earnings has not increased significantly for male workers. The gap in earnings between female white and Negro workers became smaller between 1959 and 1967. However, the earnings of Negro women re- mained well below the earnings received by white women in 1967. MEDIAN EARNINGS OF WHITE AND NEGRO WORKERS IN CENTRAL CITIES (1967 dollars) WHITE All workers Year-round workers Proportion of workers with year-round work NEGRO All workers Year-round workers Proportion of workers with year-round work Male Percent change, 1967 1959 1959-67 $6,4-65 $5,430 19 7,264 6,132 18 74 67 (X) $4-, 380 $3,435 28 5,179 4,271 21 68 57 (X) Female Percent change, 1967 1959 1959-67 $3,063 $2,616 17 4,144 3,896 6 57 48 (X) $2,197 $1,421 55 3,020 2,295 32 55 42 (X) NEGRO MEDIAN EARNINGS AS A PERCENT OF WHITE All workers 68 63 (X) 72 54 (X) Year-round workers 71 70 (X) 73 59 (X) X Not applicable. 48 In each occupation group, the earnings of men living in the suburbs were higher than those of central city males,. Residence in central cities or suburbs made little difference in the median earnings of women. Between 1959 and 1967, the earnings of workers in the majority of the occupation groups increased at about the same rate in central cities as in the suburbs. MEDIAN EARNINGS IN 1967 OF YEAR-ROUND WORKERS CURRENTLY EMPLOYED IN SELECTED OCCUPATION GROUPS Percent change, Median earnings in 1967 1959-67 Metropolitan Central Suburban Central Suburban areas, total cities rings cities rings MALE Professional and managerial workers $10, 109 $9, 301 $10, 463 16 17 Clerical and sales workers 7, 099 6, 691 7, 482 15 18 Craftsmen and foremen 7, 747 7, 383 7, 985 18 16 Operatives 6, 636 6, 181 7, 025 14 18 Nonfarm laborers 5, 313 5, 098 5, 556 6 12 Service workers, exc. private household 5, 386 5, 083 5, 824 10 12 FEMALE Professional and managerial workers $6,053 $5,940 $6,157 22 25 Clerical and sales workers 4,308 4,322 4,294 6 6 Operatives 3,585 3,464 3,797 5 5 Private household workers 1,186 1,297 893 5 -17 All other service workers 2,949 2,999 2,871 20 17 49 In most occupation groups Negro men in central cities with year-round work received median earnings which were consistently lower than those of white workers. The median earnings of Negro women who were year-round workers equaled those of white women in the same occupations. MEDIAN EARNINGS IN 1967 OF WHITE AND NEGRO YEAR- ROUND WORKERS IN CENTRAL CITIES CURRENTLY EMPLOYED IN SELECTED OCCUPATION GROUPS Year-round Negro median workers as a earnings as percent of Median earnings a percent all workers in 1967 of white in group White Negro 1967 1959 White Negrc MALE Professional and managerial workers $9,542 $6,208 65 (B) 86 87 Clerical and sales workers 6,878 5,515 80 82 78 84 Craftsmen and foremen 7,545 5,962 79 75 80 76 Operatives 6,475 5,414 84 79 72 75 Nonf arm laborers 5,355 4,492 84 77 63 62 Service workers, exc. private household 5,536 4,159 75 67 75 69 FEMALE Professional and managerial workers $5,910 $6,209 105 (B) 69 66 Clerical and sales workers 4,312 4,425 103 99 68 59 Operatives 3,590 3,296 92 85 61 66 Private household workers 880 1,410 160 100 26 62 All other service workers 3,061 2,905 95 85 54 59 B Base less than 75,000. Characteristics of the Poor 52 The incidence of poverty in 1967 was approximately twice as high among city dwellers as among suburban residents. The extent of poverty in metro- politan areas declined both in the cities and in the suburbs during the past 8 years. Within the central cities, the decline was particularly large in the smaller SMSA's. Over the 8-year period the number of poor persons de- clined more rapidly in nonmetropolitan than in metropolitan areas. Poverty was reduced over the past 8 years among both whites and Negroes in cities and suburbs. However , the disparity between whites and Negroes con- tinued to be very great. In the central cities, the incidence of poverty was three times as great for Negroes as for white persons; in the suburban ring, the incidence for Negroes was about five times as great as for whites. INCIDENCE OF POVERTY* AMONG PERSONS Number of persons below poverty level Percent below (millions) poverty level 1967 1959 1967 1959 United States** 26.1 39.4 13 22 Metropolitan areas 13.2 18.3 10 17 Central cities 8.3 11.3 14 20 White 4.7 7.1 10 15 Negro 3.5 4.1 30 43 In metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 4.5 5.1 15 17 White 2.3 3.1 10 13 Negro 2.1 2.0 28 36 In metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 3.8 6.1 14 23 White 2.4 4.0 10 17 Negro 1.4 2.1 33 54 Suburban rings 4.9 7.0 7 13 White 4.0 5.7 6 11 Negro 0.9 1.2 28 52 Outside metropolitan areas 12.9 21.1 19 32 White 9.1 15.9 15 27 Negro 3.7 4.9 55 77 * The poverty definition (as developed by the Social Security Administration) is based on the minimum food and other needs of families, taking account of family size, number of children, and farm-nonfarm residence. The poverty threshold for a nonfarm family of four was %3,335 in 1967 and $3,060 in 1959. ** An error was found in the original processing of the income data from the March 1968 CPS. Consequently, the revised 1967 poverty data shown here differ slightly from those published in Current Population Reports , Series P-60, No. 55. 53 Metropolitan areas contain about two- thirds of all persons, but only- half of those who are poor. A somewhat higher proportion of the Negro than of the white poor reside in metropolitan areas, where they are concentrated in the central cities. A larger proportion of the poor resided in central cities of the largest SMSA's in 1967 than 8 years earlier. In contrast, central cities of the smaller SMSA's contained about the same proportion of the poor in both years. The proportion of poor persons living outside metropolitan areas declined between 1959 and 1967. This reduction took place only among farm residents. DISTRIBUTION OF POOR PERSONS BY TYPE OF RESIDENCE (Percent ) Total White Negro 1967 1959 1967 1959 1967 1959 United States 100 100 100 100 100 100 Metropolitan areas, total 51 46 49 45 55 52 Central cities 32 28 26 25 44 40 Suburban rings 19 18 22 20 11 12 Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 26 20 24 19 30 24 Central cities 17 13 13 11 26 19 Suburban rings 9 7 11 8 4 4 Metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 25 26 25 26 25 28 Central cities 15 16 13 14 18 21 Suburban rings 10 11 11 12 7 8 Outside metropolitan areas 49 54 51 55 45 48 Nonf arm 42 42 44 43 38 38 Farm 7 12 8 12 7 10 54 The characteristics of poor central city families differ in several respects from those of poor suburban families. The poor city family is less likely to be headed by a person over 65 but is much more likely to be headed by a Negro. In 1967, 42 percent of all poor city families, as contrasted with only 16 percent of all poor suburban families, were Negro. Among poor families in the city, a larger proportion of male headed fami- lies are white, whereas Negroes predominate among poor families headed by women. The past 8 years have seen significant changes in the composition of the poor in metropolitan areas. There was a slight increase in the pro- portion of poor families headed by aged persons. There was a more dra- matic rise in the proportion of poor families headed by women under 65 years of age. In central cities this latter increase occurred mainly among Negroes. The overall decline in the number of poor families has taken place primarily among those headed by males less than 65 years old. DISTRIBUTION OF POOR FAMILIES BY SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS Metropolitan Central Suburban areas , total cities rings 1967 1959 1967 1959 1967 1959 Number (millions) 2.6 3.6 1.6 2.2 1.0 1.4 Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 Head 65 years and over 24 21 22 21 27 20 Head under 65 years 76 79 78 79 73 80 Male head 40 56 39 53 42 61 White 29 40 25 33 35 50 Negro 11 15 14 19 6 10 Female head 36 23 38 26 31 19 White 19 14 15 13 24 15 Negro 17 9 23 13 7 3 White families 68 71 58 63 83 84 Negro families 32 28 42 36 16 15 55 The overall decline in the number of poor families in central cities between 1959 and 1967 was not shared equally by poor families headed by men and those headed by women. There was a definite reduction in the number of male-headed families below the poverty level during the 8-year period, among white as well as Negro families. In contrast, the number of poor families headed by women remained substantially the same during this period. In 1967 about one-half of all families headed by Negro women had incomes below the poverty level. INCIDENCE OF POVERTY AMONG FAMILIES IN CENTRAL CITIES, BY SEX OF HEAD Number below poverty level (thousands) 1967 1959 Perc ent change, 1959-67 Perc ent poverty 1967 below level 1959 Total Male head Female head 1,596 905 691 2,190 1,529 661 -27 -41 5 11 7 31 15 12 37 White Male head Female head 920 616 305 1,387 1,034 353 -34 -40 -14 8 6 21 11 9 27 Negro 665 783 -15 26 37 Male head 284 479 -41 16 29 Female head 381 304 25 49 62 56 The incidence of poverty among unrelated individuals shows little varia- tion between central cities and suburbs. About one-third of all unrelated individuals in metropolitan areas had incomes below the poverty level in 1967. The incomes of female unrelated individuals were more likely to fall below the poverty level than were the incomes of male unrelated individuals. Among either sex, Negroes were more likely to be poor than whites in metro- politan areas. INCIDENCE OF POVERTY IN 1967 FOR UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS, BY SEX Number below poverty level (thousands) Percent below poverty level Total White Negro Total White Negro METROPOLITAN AREAS Both sexes 3,036 2,465 532 . 33 31 43 Male 763 568 171 22 20 29 Female 2,273 1,898 361 39 37 55 CENTRAL CITIES Both sexes 1,916 1,466 420 33 31 43 Male 480 334 126 22 20 27 Female 1,436 1,131 294 40 38 57 SUBURBAN RINGS Both sexes 1,119 1,000 112 32 31 43 Male 283 233 45 23 21 38 Female 836 767 67 37 37 48 57 The median poverty gap in 1967 for poor city families was about $800. This means that 50 percent of all poor city families had incomes which were $800 or less below the poverty line. The comparable figure for poor sub- urban families was $900. The median poverty gap for poor city families has declined since 1959. Negro families with incomes below the poverty line were more deeply impoverished than were poor white families. In the central cities (where 80 percent of all metropolitan Negro families below the poverty level live), the average poor Negro family had an income that was about $1,100 below the poverty line. The comparable figure for a poor white family was about $700. MEDIAN POVERTY GAP* FOR POOR FAMILIES 1967 1959 METROPOLITAN AREAS Total $841 $969 White 757 882 Negro 1,035 1,200 CENTRAL CITIES Total $811 $963 white 685 871 Negro 1,052 1,148 SUBURBAN RINGS Total $901 $981 White 871 899 Negro 987 1, 500 * The poverty gap is computed by subtracting each family's total money income from the poverty threshold for a family of that size, type, and residence. The median poverty gap is the amount which divides the distribution of the poverty gap for the specific population (e.g., Negro metropolitan area residents in 1967) into two equal groups. 58 The amount of additional income required to raise all poor persons in the United States above the poverty level was about 10 billion dollars in 1967, a decline of approximately two-fifths over an 8-year period. The reduction in the dollar deficit for Negroes below the poverty level was smaller (32 percent) than that registered for whites (41 percent). Metro- politan areas accounted for about one-half of the total dollar deficit in 1967, about the same proportion as their share of the poverty population. DISTRIBUTION OF THE POVERTY GAP, BY TYPE OF RESIDENCE (Dollar deficit in billions of dollars) Total White Negro 1967 1959 1967 1959 1967 1959 United States $9.7 $15.6 $6.9 $11.6 $2.6 $3.8 Metropolitan areas, total 5.1 7.6 3.6 5.6 1.4 1.9 Central cities 3.0 4.8 2.0 3.3 1.1 1.5 Suburban rings 2.1 2.8 1.7 2.3 0.3 0.4 Metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more 2.7 3.6 1.8 2.6 0.8 0.9 Central cities 1.6 2.3 0.9 1.6 0.7 0.7 Suburban rings 1.1 1.2 0.9 1.1 0.1 0.2 Metropolitan areas under 1,000,000 2.4 4.0 1.8 3.0 0.6 1.0 Central cities 1.4 2.5 1.0 1.7 0.4 0.7 Suburban rings 1.0 1.6 0.8 1.3 0.2 0.3 Outside metropolitan areas 4.6 8.0 3.3 6.0 1.2 1.8 59 Over one-half of the dollar deficit in central cities was accounted for by families and the remainder by individuals living alone or with non- relatives. In 1967, the dollar deficit for central city families with a female head was about the same as that of male-headed families, a con- siderable shift from the pattern prevailing in 1959. This change in the distribution of the dollar deficit for poor families reflects a parallel change in the distribution of the number of poor families. There was a sharp reduction in the number of poor families headed by men while the number of poor families headed by women remained about the same. DISTRIBUTION OF POOR HOUSEHOLDS AND THE POVERTY GAP IN CENTRAL CITIES, BY FAMILY STATUS Total Families Male head White Negro Female head White Negro Unrelated individuals White Negro Households below poverty level Number ( millions ) 1967 1959 3.5 4.7 1.6 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.7 0.3 0.4 1.9 1.5 0.4 2.2 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.7 0.4 0.3 2.5 2.0 0.4 Percent distribution 1967 100 45 26 18 8 20 9 11 55 42 12 1959 100 47 33 22 10 14 8 7 53 43 9 Dollar deficit Amount (billions) 1967 1959 $3.0 $4.8 1.7 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.9 0.3 0.5 1.3 1.0 0.3 2.6 1.7 1.1 0.6 1.0 0.5 0.5 2.2 1.8 0.4 Percent distribution 1967 100 57 27 17 10 30 10 17 43 33 10 1959 100 55 35 22 12 20 10 11 45 37 60 • In both 1967 and 1959 families residing in central cities of the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas were more likely to be poor than those who lived in the suburbs. The past 8 years have seen no change in the proportion of families below the poverty level in the Chicago SMSA, while in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas poverty declined. INCIDENCE OF POVERTY FOR FAMILIES IN THE NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN AREAS Number of families below poverty level Percent below ( thousands) poverty level 1967 1959 1967 1959 New York SM3A 243 311 8 11 Central city 208 266 10 13 Suburban ring 35 44 4 6 Chicago SMSA 147 144 8 9 Central city 110 109 13 12 Suburban ring 37 36 4 5 Los Angeles-Long Beach SMSA 149 174 7 10 Central cities 73 84 9 12 Suburban ring 76 90 6 9 61 The incidence of poverty declined in New York City and in the central city population of the Los Angeles metropolitan area between 1959 and 1967. Chicago showed no significant reduction in the proportion of poor families. In these central cities (as a group) there was no measureable change in the number of nonwhite families below the poverty level over the 8-year period, while the number of poor white families declined by an average of one-third. INCIDENCE OF POVERTY FOR FAMILIES IN THE CENTRAL CITIES OF THE NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN AREAS Number of families below poverty level Percent below (thousands)™ p ° verty level 1967 1959 1967 1959 CENTRAL CITIES OF THE THREE LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREAS Total 391 459 11 12 White 210 313 7 10 Nonwhite 181 147 26 27 Percent of total 46 32 (X) (X) NEW YORK CITY Total 208 266 10 13 White 128 198 8 11 Nonwhite 80 68 24 26 Percent of total 38 26 (X) (X) CHICAGO Total 110 109 13 12 White 39 54 6 7 Nonwhite 71 55 33 30 Percent of total 65 50 (X) (X) LOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH Total 73 84 9 12 White 43 61 7 10 Nonwhite 30 24 20 24 Percent of total 41 28 (X) (X) X Not applicable. 62 The three largest metropolitan areas display different patterns in the distribution of poor families between central cities and suburbs. In both 1959 and 1967, 86 percent of the poor families within the New York metro- politan area resided in the central city, while in the Los Angeles area only about half of the poor families lived in the city. In the three largest SMSA's (as a group), the proportion of poor fami- lies living in the central cities was much smaller for whites than for non- whites. Moreover, between 1959 and 1967 the proportion of the poor white families residing in these central cities declined. POOR FAMILIES IN CENTRAL CITIES OF THE THREE LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREAS AS A FERCENT OF ALL POOR FAMILIES IN THESE AREAS Total White Nonwhite 1967 1959 1967 1959 1967 1959 Total 73 73 61 67 93 90 New York SMSA 86 86 80 84 96 92 Chicago SMSA 75 75 52 63 (B) 94 Los Angeles-Long Beach SMSA 49 48 39 43 (B) 75 B Base less than 75,000. VIII Families in Poverty Areas 64 In 1968, about one-fourth of all families within central cities of SMSA's of 250,000 or more resided in poverty areas (neighborhoods which in 1960 contained relatively large concentrations of poor families). During the past 8 years the number of families residing in all central city poverty areas declined by 21 percent, with large SMSA's (those with a population of 1,000,000 or more) experiencing the sharper decline. White families left central city poverty areas at a faster rate than nonwhites between 1960 and 1968, resulting in an increase in the percentage of poverty area families who were nonwhite. There was a 35 percent decline in the number of white families residing in poverty areas of large cities as compared with a drop of only 10 percent in the number of nonwhite families. FAMILIES LIVING IN CENTRAL CITY POVERTY AREAS Central cities in metropolitan areas of 250,000 or more: Total White Nonwhite Percent of total In metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more: Total White Nonwhite Percent of total In metropolitan areas of 250,000 to 1,000,000: Total White Nonwhite Percent of total Number of families (thousands) Percent in poverty areas 1968 2,895 1,476 1,419 49 1,733 773 960 55 1,162 703 459 40 196C 3,653 2,080 1,573 43 2,251 1,189 1,062 47 1,402 892 510 36 196S 24 15 56 (X) 23 13 53 :x) 25 18 63 (X) 1960 30 20 78 (X) 29 19 76 (X) 31 23 80 (X) X Not applicable. 65 The reduction between 1967 and 1968 in the number of families re- siding in central city poverty areas equaled that recorded during the preceding 7-year period. Whereas white families declined in number during both periods of time, the reduction for nonwhite families took place only between 1967 and 1968. CHANGE IN CENTRAL CITY POVERTY AREA FAMILIES, 1967-1968 AND 1960-1967 Change (thousands) 1967-68 1960-67 Central cities in metropolitan areas of 250,000 or more: Total White Nonwhite In metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more: Total White Nonwhite In metropolitan areas of 250,000 to 1,000,000: Total White Nonwhite -367 -230 -138 •221 -152 -70 ■146 -78 -68 -391 -374 -16 -297 -264 -32 -94 •111 17 Percent change, 1967-68 -11.3 -13.5 -8.9 ■11.3 ■16.4 -6.8 -11.2 -10.0 -12.9 Average annual percent change , 1960-67 •1.6 •2.9 ■0.1 •2.0 -3.6 •0.4 -1.0 -1.9 0.5 66 About one out of every four families living in central city poverty areas had income below the poverty level in 1967. The percent of families in poverty in 1967 was about twice as high among nonwhite families in poverty areas as among white families. The number of poor families in central cities of SMSA's with a popula- tion of 250,000 to 1,000,000 declined much faster than in SMSA's with a population of 1,000,000 or more. Within the large SMSA's, the number of poor white families dropped by 52 percent as compared with a decline of only 21 percent in the number of nonwhite families below the poverty level. INCIDENCE OF POVERTY AMONG FAMILIES LIVING IN CENTRAL CITY POVERTY AREAS Central cities in metropolitan areas of 250,000 or more: Total White Nonwhite Percent of total In metropolitan areas of 1,000,000 or more: Total White Nonwhite Percent of total In metropolitan areas of 250,000 to 1,000,000: Total White Nonwhite Percent of total Number of families below poverty Percent level in 1967 change, ( thousands) 1959-67 656 -38 231 -51 425 -29 65 (X) 411 -33 121 -52 290 -21 71 (X) 245 -45 110 -49 135 -41 55 (X) Percent below poverty level 1967 23 16 30 (X) 24 16 30 (X) 21 16 29 (X) 1959 29 23 38 (X) 27 21 34 (X) 32 24 45 :x) X Not applicable. 67 In the central cities of the three individual metropolitan areas for which data are available, New York and Chicago had greater proportions of families residing in poverty areas than did Los Angeles and Long Beach in both 1968 and 1960. Since 1960, the number of poverty area families has decreased in the central cities of each of the three areas. However, only in Chicago was there a significant decline in the number of nonwhite families in poverty areas since 1960. Although there was a decline in the number of families residing in the poverty areas of these cities between 1960 and 1968, the incidence of poverty was as high in the earlier year as in the later year. About one of every three nonwhite families residing in these poverty areas had income below the poverty level in 1967. FAMILIES LIVING IN CENTRAL CITY POVERTY AREAS OF THE NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN AREAS Number of families Percent of Percent below ( thousands) city total poverty level 1968 1960 1968 1960 1967 1959 CENTRAL CITIES OF THE THREE LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREAS Total 766 990 21 27 25 25 White 397 577 14 18 17 22 Nonwhite 369 413 52 75 34 30 Percent of total 48 42 (X) (X) (X) (X) NEW YORK CITY Total 4-62 606 23 29 25 25 White 259 402 16 22 20 23 Nonwhite 203 204 60 77 32 28 Percent of total 44 34 (X) (X) (X) (X) CHICAGO Total 190 241 22 27 26 27 White 84 93 13 13 12 17 Nonwhite 106 148 49 80 38 33 Percent of total 56 61 (X) (X) (X) (X) LOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH Total 114 143 15 20 23 25 White 54 82 9 13 (B) 22 Nonwhite 60 61 40 61 (B) 29 Percent of total 53 43 (X) (X) (X) (X) B Base less than 75.000. X Not applicable.