Atlanta Is The Worst City For Income Inequality In America According To New Report

A new study finds that Atlanta has the highest income inequality across several American cities.

Atlanta has been ranked the worst city in America for income inequality.

According to a study led by GoBankingRates, the Georgia city dubbed the Black Mecca clinched the No. 1 spot for the most income inequality in America. People whose incomes landed in the bottom 20% in Atlanta earned an average income of $11,221. Those whose salaries are included in the top 20% made an average of $324,230.

Income inequality measures how unevenly income is distributed among a population. Thus, the greater the disparity, the less equal the income distribution will be.

The report, which looked at cities across the nation with a total population of 100,000 people or more, along with the Gini index for measuring income inequality into a single statistic, factored in the city’s bottom 20% of earner’s average income as well as the bottom 20% of earner’s share of wealth. Additionally, the study calculated the top 20% of earner’s average income and share of wealth and their median household income to determine the rankings.

Aside from Atlanta being the top U.S. city with the most income inequality, other key findings included six Florida cities, including Miami, Tampa, Tallahassee, and others, who were high in the same ranking. Five California cities topped the list, and it is important to note that no city included in the report had a median household income greater than $100,000.

The only American cities with a median household income greater than $100,000 include the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., Connecticut’s Stamford, Scottsdale in Arizona, and Berkley and San Franciso in California.

Where Atlanta falls on the list of cities with the worst income inequality in the States may come as a surprise after the city topped the list of best cities for renters to live in 2024, thanks to the local economy. Georgia’s capital also holds the country’s highest rate of Black-owned businesses, according to Lending Tree. Atlanta is home to over 10,000 Black-owned companies, accounting for 9% of the businesses operating in the city.