"In 2011 MAPC released The State of Equity in Metro Boston, an inventory of cross-sectoral indicators that measured inequity in the region through the various stages of life, from birth to old age. That report sparked a robust public conversation about this critical topic and informed collaborative regional efforts to address the disparities that were documented. Now—in 2017—this report updates those measures, where possible, and provides new indicators to give a more current picture of disparities and opportunity.
The update shows that in recent years the region has made some progress in closing critical gaps, especially those facing the region’s youngest residents, though large disparities remain. Children of color are born healthier and are seeing better educational outcomes than they did just five years ago. Gaps in test scores, exclusionary discipline, graduation rates, college attendance, and incarceration rates are decreasing. Yet, for many indicators, little progress has been made in closing gaps: people of color (both children and adults, particularly Black and Latino) are disproportionately affected by asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and other health burdens; labor force participation rates are falling for workers without a college degree; and unemployment rates are substantially higher for workers with disabilities, and for those who are Black and Latino. Some of these key findings are summarized in this document, with full details, data, and citations available in the online report at www.regionalindicators.org.
It is also abundantly clear that the conditions which contribute to inequity are persisting or becoming more severe: discrimination, whether overt or systemic, continues to limit opportunity for some residents; income and wealth disparity is increasing, dimming the prospects for upward mobility; and residential segregation, especially segregation by income, is becoming more severe, contributing to intergenerational poverty. To make progress, the region must act with even more urgency to address the observed health, educational, economic, and quality of life disparities documented here. If we hope to achieve these changes, the region must also tackle income inequality and segregation through economic, housing, and land use policies."