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The 10 WORST States for Black Families
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Jul 17, 2025
If you're looking to move your family to a great state, make sure to avoid these 10. Subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any future videos! Check out the books we love and recommend in our Black Excellence Book Club: https://www.blackexcellence.com/store/ Some links are affiliate links, which means we earn a very tiny commission if you make a purchase. __________________________________________________________ Sharing interesting and noteworthy stories in Black culture. All content provided by Black Excellence Media, LLC is for entertainment purposes only. None of the information or advice provided is to replace professional advice. Website: https://blackexcellence.com
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0:00
Raising a family is a challenge that
0:02
requires access to quality education,
0:04
safe neighborhoods, affordable housing,
0:06
reliable health care, and economic
0:09
opportunity. For black families in
0:10
America, these essentials are often
0:12
harder to secure due to systematic
0:14
racial disparities that persist in many
0:16
regions. Numerous reports and data sets
0:18
from the US Census Bureau, FBA crime
0:21
statistics, the CDC, and education
0:24
assessments paint a sobering picture of
0:26
the states where the black family faced
0:27
the greatest obstacles. In today's
0:29
videos, we look at the top 10 worst
0:31
states to raise a black family
0:33
considering educational quality, home
0:35
ownership, affordability, healthc care
0:37
access, and of course, safety. Hi, my
0:40
name is Jared and welcome to Black
0:41
Excellence, where we celebrate all the
0:43
ways black people pursue excellence in
0:45
their everyday lives. If you're
0:46
searching for ways to fuel your own
0:48
journey of excellence with content on
0:50
where to live, where to travel,
0:52
lifestyle trends, and unconventional
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ways to do it all, you know what to do.
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Hit that subscribe button and join our
0:58
circle of excellence. This list, of
1:00
course, is in no particular order, but
1:02
you know, this first state was going to
1:04
be on here somewhere. At number one, we
1:06
have Mississippi. Mississippi ranks
1:08
consistently near the bottom in economic
1:11
opportunity and quality of life for
1:13
black families. According to the US
1:14
Census Bureau, Mississippi's median
1:17
household income for black families is
1:19
just over $35,000,
1:22
significantly lower than the national
1:24
median of approximately 47,000 for black
1:27
households. Education remains a major
1:30
major hurdle. The state's average high
1:32
school graduation rate for black
1:34
students is about 70%, trailing the
1:36
national average of 85%. Schools serving
1:39
majority black communities often suffer
1:42
from chronic underfunding, resulting in
1:44
fewer advanced courses, outdated
1:47
materials, and high teacher turnover
1:49
rate. The National Assessment of
1:50
Educational Progress shows black
1:52
students in Mississippi scoring well
1:54
below proficiency in math and reading
1:56
compared to their white peers. Home
1:58
ownership rates for blacks in
2:00
Mississippi stand at just about 34%,
2:03
below the national black home ownership
2:05
rate of 42%. Historical redlinining and
2:08
ongoing lending discrimination continue
2:10
to limit access to mortgage financing.
2:13
Even though Mississippi's housing is
2:14
generally affordable, many black
2:16
families face barriers due to low credit
2:18
scores and limited wealth accumulation.
2:21
Health care disparities compound
2:23
challenges. Mississippi has the highest
2:25
percentage of uninsured residents in the
2:27
nation with approximately 15% of black
2:30
adults lacking health insurance. This
2:32
lack of coverage contributes to the
2:34
disproportionately high rates of chronic
2:36
disease like diabetes and hypertension.
2:39
The state also records some of the
2:41
highest infant mortality rates with
2:43
black infants dying at more than twice
2:45
the rate of white infants. Safety
2:47
concerns are also acute. The FBI's 2023
2:51
uniform crime reporting data shows
2:53
violent crime rates are nearly 50%
2:56
higher than the national average with
2:58
black communities often
2:59
disproportionately affected. This type
3:01
of environment only exaggerates stress
3:04
and trauma for families trying to build
3:06
stability. At number two, we're headed
3:08
to Wisconsin. Wisconsin constantly ranks
3:11
as one of the worst states for black
3:13
families due to pervasive and
3:15
significant racial disparities across
3:17
nearly every major indicator of
3:19
well-being. These disparities are often
3:21
among the largest in the nation,
3:23
indicating deep-seated systematic issues
3:26
that disadvantage black residents
3:28
compared to their white counterparts.
3:30
While Wisconsin might rank well overall
3:32
in some metrics, these averages mask a
3:35
stark reality for their black
3:37
population. One of the most alarming
3:39
areas of disparity is again education.
3:42
Wisconsin holds the regrettable
3:44
distinction of having the widest
3:46
achievement gap in the US for math and
3:48
reading scores between black and white
3:50
students. For instance, recent data
3:53
shows that black fourth grade students
3:55
in Wisconsin score an average of 45
3:57
points lower than their white peers in
3:59
reading and black eighth graders scored
4:02
39% lower. Similar disparities exist in
4:05
math with black fourth grade students
4:07
scoring 47 points lower and eighth
4:10
graders scoring 50 points lower than
4:12
their white counterparts. These gaps
4:14
translate into significantly lower high
4:16
school graduation rates for black
4:18
students. 29% not graduating on time for
4:21
black children versus 6% for white
4:24
children and a substantial lack of
4:26
proficiency in core subjects severely
4:28
limiting future opportunities. And I'm
4:30
sorry, this problem is only compounding
4:33
worse and worse and worse. What's going
4:35
to happen when we get to AI? Black
4:36
households in Wisconsin experience a
4:38
median income that is significantly
4:40
lower than white households. As of 2019,
4:44
the median income for black households
4:46
was around $31,351
4:49
compared to the 64,927
4:52
for non-Hispanic white households. And
4:55
this gap has only widened over the last
4:57
decade. Consequently, black residents
4:59
face much higher poverty rates with
5:01
around 27% living in poverty compared to
5:04
just 9% of white residents. Housing
5:07
further illustrates the disparity.
5:09
Wisconsin has one of the worst black
5:11
home ownership rates in the country at
5:13
around 25% compared to the national
5:15
average of 44% of black households. And
5:18
the black white home ownership gap in
5:20
Wisconsin is a staggering 47 percentage
5:23
points, significantly wider than the
5:25
national gap of 30 points. And don't
5:27
even get us started about the justice
5:29
system and the health care sectors that
5:31
rever severe inequities. Wisconsin leads
5:34
the nation in black incarceration rates
5:36
with one in every 36 black Wisconsinites
5:39
in prison, meaning black people are
5:41
nearly 12 times more likely to be
5:43
incarcerated than white people. This is
5:45
a significantly higher disparity than
5:48
the national average. The hyper
5:49
incarceration is not solely due to the
5:51
higher crime rates, but also to
5:53
disproportionate arrest rates. For
5:55
example, black individuals are 11 times
5:57
more likely to be arrested than white
5:59
individuals in Day County alone. and get
6:03
harsher sentencing. In healthcare, black
6:04
families in Wisconsin face alarming
6:06
disparities, particularly in maternal
6:09
and infant health. The pregnancy related
6:11
death rate for black mothers is five
6:13
times higher compared to white mothers.
6:16
And the black infants are 2.7 times more
6:19
likely to die in their first year of
6:21
life than white infants. And number
6:23
three, we're moving to Louisiana.
6:25
Louisiana's black families face
6:26
significant barriers rooted in education
6:29
inequities and public safety issues. The
6:31
median income for black households in
6:34
Louisiana is approximately $38,000
6:37
below both the state median of 51,000
6:40
and national averages. Education
6:43
disparities remain stark. The state's
6:45
black high school graduation rate is
6:47
about 71% lagging behind white students
6:50
at 86%. Funding gaps leave schools in
6:53
predominantly black neighborhoods
6:55
struggling with overcrowding and a lack
6:57
of resources. According to the Louisiana
6:59
Department of Education, only 28% of
7:02
black students are proficient in math
7:04
and 32% in reading on standardized
7:07
tests. Home ownership rates for black
7:09
Louisiana is roughly 37% despite low
7:13
housing costs in many areas. Decades of
7:16
discriminatory housing policies and
7:18
economic inequity limit home ownership
7:21
wealth building. Healthc care access is
7:23
problematic. The CDC reports that black
7:26
residents in Louisiana suffer from
7:28
disproportionately high rates of
7:30
obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
7:32
Public safety issues weigh heavily in
7:34
Louisiana. Also, New Orleans with a
7:37
large black population experience a
7:40
violent crime rate over twice the
7:42
national average in 2023. According to
7:44
the FBI data, high homicide rates and
7:47
property crime disproportionately impact
7:50
black families, limiting neighborhood
7:52
stability and safety. At number four, we
7:54
have another deep south state where
7:56
black families just don't fare so well,
7:58
and that would be Alabama. Alabama's
8:00
black families experience persistent
8:02
challenges across education, health, and
8:05
housing. The median income for black
8:07
households in Alabama is around 39,000
8:10
compared to the state's median of
8:12
$52,000.
8:14
Educational outcomes for black students
8:16
lag. The state's graduation rate for
8:18
black youth is approximately 72% lower
8:22
than the national average. The Alabama
8:24
State Department of Education reports
8:26
that black students have limited access
8:28
to advanced placement courses and often
8:30
attend schools with lower per student
8:32
spending. Home ownership rates for black
8:35
residents, just 38%. Health disparities
8:38
are pronounced in this state. Alabama
8:40
has one of the highest rates of
8:41
uninsured black adults at 16%. Black
8:44
Alamians also face higher rates of
8:46
maternal mortality and chronic disease
8:49
such as hypertension. Access to quality
8:52
health care remains limited in rural
8:54
areas where many black families reside.
8:56
Safety is another concern. According to
8:58
FBI data, cities like Birmingham and
9:01
Mobile report violent crime rates of 40
9:03
to 50% above the national averages,
9:06
disproportionately impacting black
9:08
neighborhoods again and compounding
9:10
family stress. At number five, we have
9:12
Ohio. Ohio is constantly identified as
9:15
one of the most challenging states for
9:17
black families, marked by pervasive and
9:19
often widening racial disparities across
9:21
crucial aspects of life. These
9:23
disparities point the deep-seated
9:25
systematic issues that create
9:27
significant barriers for black
9:28
residents. Education in Ohio reflects
9:31
significant racial gaps. Black students
9:33
consistently lag behind their white
9:35
peers in standardized test scores and
9:38
graduation rates. These achievement gaps
9:40
are often attributed to disparities in
9:42
school funding. The long-term
9:44
consequences of these educational
9:46
disparities are severe, impacting future
9:48
economic mobility and overall
9:50
well-being. Economically, black families
9:53
in Ohio face substantial challenges.
9:55
There is a persistent income gap with
9:57
black households having significantly
9:59
lower median incomes compared to white
10:01
households. The state's housing market
10:03
also presents significant hurdles for
10:05
black families. Ohio has a widening home
10:08
ownership gap between black and white
10:10
residents, reaching 37 percentage points
10:13
by 2021, which again is larger than the
10:16
national average. Black Ohioans are also
10:18
more likely to be denied mortgage loan
10:20
applications compared to white
10:22
applicants. And black mortgage holders
10:24
are twice as likely to be severely house
10:27
poor or costburdened, which means
10:29
spending more than half of their income
10:31
on housing. Finally, Ohio's criminal
10:34
justice system exhibits stark racial
10:36
disparities. Black Americans in Ohio are
10:39
incarcerated in state prisons at more
10:41
than five times the rate of whites.
10:43
Black Ohioans make up 45% of the state's
10:46
prison population despite being only 12%
10:48
of the state's total population. Again,
10:51
these figures underscore deeprooted
10:53
biases in policing, sentences, and bail
10:56
practices that disproportionately impact
10:58
black communities and lead to higher
11:00
rates of incarceration, which in turn
11:02
destabilizes families and limits future
11:05
opportunities. At number six, we have
11:07
Arkansas. Arkansas presents significant
11:10
challenges for black families,
11:12
especially in rural communities. The
11:14
median black household income in
11:16
Arkansas is about 37,000 whereas the
11:19
state median is 49,000. Education in
11:22
Arkansas struggles with underfunded
11:24
schools and achievement gaps. The
11:27
graduation rate for black students is
11:28
near 70% with many facing inadequate
11:31
school facilities and limited
11:33
extracurricular opportunities. NAP data
11:36
indicate black students score below
11:38
proficiency in key subjects. Home
11:40
ownership among blacks in Arkansas is
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roughly 34%. While housing costs are
11:45
affordable, poverty and a lack of stable
11:47
employment limit home buying power and
11:50
asset building. And what do you know?
11:52
Healthc care access in this state is
11:54
uneven again, especially in rural areas.
11:57
Uninsured rates among black adults
11:59
reached 15%. What comes with a lot of
12:01
uninsured people? Higher rates of
12:03
preventable chronic diseases in the
12:06
black community. Violent crime rates are
12:08
elevated in urban centers like Little
12:10
Rock, where black families often reside
12:12
in higher risk neighborhoods, adding to
12:14
instability and again stress. At number
12:17
seven, we have South Carolina. South
12:19
Carolina's black families face
12:20
systematic inequalities in education,
12:23
home ownership, and health. Black
12:25
household median income is about
12:27
$40,000, well below the state median of
12:30
$53,000. Black students graduate high
12:33
school at a rate near 71%, lower than
12:36
white students at 87%. Schools serving
12:38
black communities receive less funding
12:41
and report lower standardized test
12:43
scores. Black home ownership rates stand
12:45
at approximately 39%. Limited by
12:48
economic disparities and historical
12:50
housing discrimination. Health care
12:52
challenges persist with high uninsured
12:55
rates and again elevated rates of
12:58
chronic illness and infant mortality in
13:01
black communities. Crime remains a
13:03
concern in cities like Colombia and
13:05
Charleston with violent crime rates
13:07
above national averages
13:08
disproportionately affecting who other
13:11
than black neighborhoods. At number
13:13
eight, another Midwest state, we have
13:15
Michigan. Michigan actually presents a
13:18
complex picture for black families,
13:20
often ranking among the states with
13:22
significant racial disparities that
13:24
hinder well-being and opportunity. While
13:26
the state has made some efforts to
13:28
address these issues, the data reveals
13:31
persistent challenges across crucial
13:33
sectors, including the justice system,
13:35
education, housing, healthcare, and
13:38
economic opportunity. One of the most
13:40
striking areas of concern is Michigan's
13:42
criminal justice system. Black people in
13:44
Michigan are disproportionately
13:46
represented at every stage of the legal
13:49
process. They constitute about 15% of
13:52
Michigan's residents, but make up 30% of
13:54
people in jail, and a staggering 53% of
13:58
people in prison. This over
13:59
representation stems from factors such
14:01
as racial profiling, harsher sentencing
14:04
for similar offenses, and limited access
14:06
to adequate legal representation,
14:08
leading to widespread family disruption,
14:10
and diminished economic prospects for
14:13
black communities. Education in Michigan
14:15
also reflects deep racial achievement
14:17
gaps. While specific numerical gaps can
14:19
fluctuate, studies consistently show
14:21
that black students in Michigan lag
14:23
behind their white peers in academic
14:25
proficiency and graduation rates.
14:27
Factors contributing to this disparity
14:30
include unequal school funding, which
14:32
often disadvantages districts with
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higher concentrations of black students
14:36
and a lack of access to experienced and
14:39
highqualified teachers in predominantly
14:41
black schools. For instance, a 2025
14:43
analysis found that students in schools
14:45
serving majority black populations were
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nearly four times more likely to learn
14:50
from educators teaching outside of their
14:53
fields of study and nearly twice as
14:55
likely to learn from less experienced
14:57
teachers. These educational inequalities
15:00
create significant long-term barriers to
15:02
higher education and stable employment.
15:04
In the realm of housing, Michigan
15:06
exhibits substantial black white home
15:08
ownership gap. Again, recent reports
15:10
indicate this gap is around 31 to 34
15:13
percentage points. And we all know that
15:15
this disparity is crucial because home
15:17
ownership is a primary driver of
15:20
intergenerational wealth accumulation
15:22
and stability. Black and Hispanic
15:24
applicants in Michigan face
15:25
significantly higher rates of mortgage
15:28
denial compared to white applicants, 21%
15:31
versus like 11%. Economically, while
15:34
Michigan has seen some improvements,
15:36
earning gaps with white non-Hispanic
15:38
workers have persisted, black households
15:40
continue to face lower median incomes
15:42
and higher poverty rates compared to
15:44
white households, undermining their
15:46
financial stability and overall
15:48
well-being. And number nine, we have
15:50
Oklahoma. Oklahoma struggles with high
15:52
poverty among black families and
15:54
significant health care and educational
15:57
inequities. Median black household
15:58
income is about 38,000 while graduation
16:02
rates for black students hover near 68%
16:05
which is the lowest graduation rate on
16:07
this list. Economic opportunities for
16:10
black families in Oklahoma are also
16:12
severely limited. Black Oklahomaans
16:14
experience significantly higher rates of
16:17
poverty compared to white residents.
16:19
Recent data indicates that over 28% of
16:21
black Oklahomaans live in poverty
16:24
compared to around 13.4% 4% of white
16:27
Oklahomaans. Home ownership is around
16:29
36% limited by poverty and a lack of
16:32
opportunity. Healthc care access is
16:34
limited with 16% of black adults
16:36
uninsured and elevated rates of
16:38
preventable diseases. Violent crime
16:40
disproportionately affects black
16:42
neighborhoods in Tulsa and Oklahoma
16:44
City. And last but not least, we have
16:47
Indiana. Indiana consistently appears on
16:50
the list of states with the largest
16:52
racial disparities, indicating that
16:54
while state's overall performance might
16:56
seem average, it mass a profoundly
16:58
unequal experience for its black
17:00
residents. Indiana has one of the
17:02
highest black male incarceration rates
17:04
in the nation. While black males
17:06
comprise around 4.5% of the state's
17:09
population, they represent over 32% of
17:12
the incarcerated offenders in state
17:14
prisons. Indiana's health care system
17:17
performs significantly worse for black
17:19
people than for white people. Black
17:22
males in Indiana have the highest
17:23
mortality rates and disproportionately
17:26
suffer from chronic diseases like
17:28
obesity, high blood pressure, and
17:30
diabetes. Black students are
17:32
disciplined, suspended, and expelled at
17:34
disproportionately higher rates than any
17:38
other ethnic groups, which of course
17:40
impacts their academic progress and
17:42
contributes to higher dropout rates. And
17:44
of course, this early funneling into
17:46
disciplinary systems sets a negative
17:49
trajectory. Black households in Indiana
17:51
experience substantial income gaps and
17:54
higher poverty rates. Black males in
17:56
particular face higher rates of
17:58
unemployment and underemployment,
18:00
coupled with a lack of job readiness and
18:03
education, contributing to overall
18:05
economic instability for black families.
18:08
The median household wealth for Indiana
18:10
as a whole ranks among the least
18:12
wealthiest states in the country and
18:14
these challenges are compounded for
18:16
black households. Indianapolis data
18:18
reveals that white residents are around
18:20
2/3 homeowners compared to only onethird
18:24
of black residents. This residential
18:26
home ownership gap limits wealth
18:28
accumulation for black families.
18:30
Segregation and a lack of investment in
18:32
predominantly black neighborhoods also
18:34
contribute to poor living conditions and
18:37
limited access to resources. The states
18:39
we talked about today consistently fail
18:41
to provide black families with the
18:43
educational quality, housing stability,
18:46
health care access, affordability, and
18:48
safety needed to thrive. While
18:50
individual communities and families show
18:53
resilience and success, systematic
18:55
barriers continue to impose real limits
18:58
on opportunities and well-being. If you
19:00
live in any of these states, let me know
19:02
in the comments what your experience has
19:04
been. Somebody somewhere or all the
19:06
billionaires need to get together and
19:08
fix this issue because it's going to
19:10
benefit everybody once we do. That's it
19:12
for this episode. We'll see you on the
19:14
next one. Don't forget to like and
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subscribe. Go find me on Instagram and
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follow. and we'll catch you on the next