Southern Regional Data

The table below includes data on measures of equity and growth for metros in the Southern Region. Benner and Pastor examined changes in two measures of equity (the 80/20 household income and the poverty rate) and two measures of growth (change in employment and change in earnings per job) between 1979 and 2010, as well as two endpoint measures of the level of equity and growth in 2010 (the Gini coefficient and median household income, respectively).

The change metrics for the two measures of equity and two measures of growth were calculated over four time periods: 1979-2010 as well as each of the three decades in between. The result was 16 difference metrics of change for each metro (four measures times four time periods)—eight for equity and eight for growth. Each metro was compared with other metros falling in the Southern Region under each of eight metrics for change in equity and eight for growth and the results were used to form a composite Equity Index and Growth Index, respectively. (Note that while used to develop the Equity Index and Growth Index, data points for 1989 and 1999 are not included in the table.)
For details on the data sources and methodology used, see Appendix B and Chapter 3 of Equity, Growth, and Community.

Download the full data set

Metropolitan Region	1979 80-20 ratio	1979 Poverty	1979 Jobs (000s)	1979 Earnings Per Job - 2010	2010 80-20 ratio	2010 Poverty	2010 Jobs (000s)	2010 Earnings Per Job - 2010	Equity Index Value	Equity Index Rank	Growth Index Value	Growth Index Rank	2010 Gini	2010 Median Income -2010
South average (unweighted)	53.7	0.15	320	39927	54.9	0.17	601	46443	0	97	-0.01	100	50.7	45364
Amarillo, TX	4.04	0.1	100	42224	4.32	0.16	153	43441	-0.36	155	-0.56	156	0.44	46390
Asheville, NC	4.04	0.14	135	34895	4.35	0.16	235	37953	0.06	91	-0.31	130	0.44	42168
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA	4.38	0.13	1268	43350	4.74	0.15	3049	52789	-0.11	114	0.64	32	0.46	53182
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	4.4	0.17	182	38800	5.1	0.2	292	44584	-0.14	118	-0.26	123	0.46	44477
Austin-Round Rock, TX	4.8	0.15	308	38277	4.7	0.16	1077	50429	0.67	16	1.71	1	0.46	55744
Baltimore-Towson, MD	4.28	0.12	1139	44677	4.57	0.11	1649	58497	0.28	56	-0.05	97	0.45	64812
Baton Rouge, LA	5.38	0.17	268	45371	5.19	0.16	477	47779	0.84	6	-0.32	133	0.46	48294
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	4.76	0.12	176	52150	5.33	0.2	206	48660	-0.42	160	-1.12	187	0.46	41291
Birmingham-Hoover, AL	5.06	0.16	446	43494	5.13	0.17	637	50120	0.42	37	-0.4	140	0.47	44216
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX	4.56	0.32	78	32135	5.22	0.36	172	32396	0.15	74	0.03	84	0.49	31736
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	3.46	0.11	91	33597	4.47	0.17	286	39589	-1.32	189	1.05	11	0.46	43936
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	4.38	0.16	205	40256	4.89	0.16	387	47419	0.09	85	-0.04	96	0.46	48062
Charleston, WV	4.55	0.13	155	48660	4.45	0.15	174	50223	0.54	25	-0.95	183	0.44	43922
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC	3.84	0.11	504	39502	4.72	0.15	1055	55705	-0.67	176	0.77	23	0.47	50449
Chattanooga, TN-GA	4.2	0.14	215	41034	4.84	0.16	294	45184	-0.04	107	-0.57	159	0.46	42288
Clarksville, TN-KY	3.84	0.16	84	39403	4.18	0.16	145	49931	0.3	51	0.43	46	0.42	42262
Columbia, SC	4.26	0.14	264	37622	4.65	0.16	440	45476	-0.04	106	-0.06	102	0.45	45929
Columbus, GA-AL	4.43	0.19	126	36700	5.34	0.2	174	45283	-0.03	104	-0.08	104	0.51	36553
Corpus Christi, TX	4.62	0.17	162	45915	4.94	0.2	239	46710	0.21	63	-0.66	175	0.46	41994
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	4.04	0.1	1712	45819	4.52	0.15	3925	56117	-0.4	159	0.53	38	0.46	54449
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	3.9	0.14	101	32267	4.6	0.16	198	37621	-0.3	147	0.01	88	0.44	41556
Durham, NC	4.33	0.14	159	39926	5.18	0.19	362	60093	-0.66	175	1.05	10	0.48	47982
El Paso, TX	4.04	0.22	207	37820	4.83	0.24	389	42426	-0.15	121	0.06	82	0.47	36015
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO	3.86	0.14	97	31801	4.62	0.15	259	44929	-0.2	129	1.32	3	0.45	45101
Fayetteville, NC	3.58	0.17	127	39686	4.36	0.18	220	54793	-0.19	125	0.74	27	0.44	43458
Fort Smith, AR-OK	4.16	0.16	95	36009	4.38	0.19	154	38820	0.3	52	-0.41	143	0.45	37992
Gainesville, FL	5.1	0.23	78	34997	6.17	0.27	159	44248	-0.25	137	0.28	57	0.51	40274
Greensboro-High Point, NC	4.08	0.11	298	38968	4.58	0.18	424	45360	-0.8	182	-0.41	142	0.46	41120
Greenville, SC	3.84	0.12	227	37523	4.82	0.16	363	45474	-0.72	180	-0.17	111	0.47	42640
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS	4.21	0.18	90	37127	4.46	0.19	145	44007	0.51	29	0.03	85	0.43	41875
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV	4.37	0.12	77	42884	4.5	0.12	122	42894	0.29	53	-0.62	171	0.43	50529
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	3.22	0.09	151	34123	4.33	0.16	187	38894	-1.5	192	-0.67	176	0.44	39381
Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX	3.96	0.1	1737	52739	4.89	0.17	3452	63872	-0.82	184	0.28	58	0.47	53942
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	4.5	0.15	130	47366	5	0.22	139	43335	-0.2	127	-1.41	189	0.45	36022
Huntsville, AL	4.66	0.14	127	44596	5.16	0.13	263	54916	0.19	65	0.33	51	0.47	52384
Jackson, MS	4.96	0.2	216	37313	4.95	0.18	335	44603	0.79	9	-0.17	113	0.47	42501
Jacksonville, FL	4.62	0.15	371	41599	4.57	0.15	783	47387	0.43	36	0.14	78	0.46	50324
Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX	3.71	0.16	115	38505	3.39	0.13	218	51181	1.24	1	0.76	24	0.4	49778
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA	4.18	0.15	133	38715	4.66	0.17	154	41527	0.15	73	-0.89	181	0.48	34741
Knoxville, TN	4.6	0.15	247	39971	4.55	0.14	426	45202	0.75	10	-0.22	119	0.46	43114
Lafayette, LA	4.75	0.14	102	44608	5.46	0.2	190	51900	-0.16	122	-0.01	92	0.46	46730
Lakeland, FL	3.91	0.15	149	40337	4.16	0.18	257	41290	0.01	96	-0.49	150	0.43	41174
Lexington-Fayette, KY	4.56	0.14	185	40403	5.23	0.19	311	46296	-0.3	145	-0.27	126	0.46	46257
Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR	4.25	0.13	260	40479	4.59	0.15	424	46498	0.14	76	-0.18	114	0.45	45991
Louisville, KY-IN	4.39	0.12	530	42965	4.63	0.15	739	48116	0.07	90	-0.59	163	0.45	44678
Lubbock, TX	4.33	0.15	119	38613	4.91	0.21	168	39973	-0.33	153	-0.65	174	0.47	42126
Lynchburg, VA	3.89	0.11	99	37502	4.7	0.16	134	39155	-0.69	177	-0.84	180	0.44	41248
Macon, GA	4.66	0.19	89	37006	5.48	0.23	128	39360	-0.22	133	-0.6	165	0.47	37507
McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr, TX	4.68	0.35	94	31279	5.52	0.33	312	34071	0.27	58	0.98	13	0.48	33732
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	5.33	0.21	512	41007	5.06	0.19	775	49859	0.9	3	-0.05	99	0.46	45377
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL	4.62	0.12	1568	40268	5.32	0.17	3142	46761	-0.51	168	0.14	77	0.5	45352
Mobile, AL	4.69	0.19	163	40382	5.16	0.2	227	44069	0.31	48	-0.58	162	0.48	39998
Montgomery, AL	5.1	0.2	142	38959	5.27	0.18	220	45394	0.61	22	-0.25	121	0.45	45513
Naples-Marco Island, FL	4.52	0.14	44	35021	4.29	0.16	174	41408	0.15	72	1.44	2	0.51	52730
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro, TN	4.28	0.12	494	39031	4.73	0.15	994	54153	-0.19	126	0.63	33	0.46	47975
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA	5.36	0.17	648	45882	5.45	0.17	714	52322	0.61	21	-0.81	179	0.48	46134
Ocala, FL	3.92	0.18	46	31014	3.94	0.2	130	34507	0.34	46	0.51	39	0.44	37044
Oklahoma City, OK	4.32	0.11	488	42638	4.73	0.16	763	48087	-0.36	154	-0.39	138	0.46	46238
Orlando, FL	4.15	0.12	397	38343	4.39	0.15	1248	44752	-0.15	120	0.91	17	0.45	46478
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	3.94	0.1	122	43119	4.55	0.13	262	46758	-0.6	173	-0.03	94	0.44	46262
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	4.2	0.17	129	42518	4.86	0.17	219	42263	0.12	80	-0.51	152	0.45	43974
Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, FL	4.02	0.16	63	37688	4.36	0.15	183	36442	0.13	77	0.19	68	0.49	41346
Raleigh-Cary, NC	4.21	0.12	229	37070	4.35	0.13	654	51875	0.26	59	1.2	7	0.44	57840
Richmond, VA	4.07	0.12	481	41070	4.21	0.12	758	52412	0.4	39	0.01	89	0.45	55325
Roanoke, VA	4.14	0.11	142	37772	4.35	0.14	191	44259	0	98	-0.43	145	0.44	45569
San Antonio, TX	4.19	0.18	535	39442	4.65	0.16	1180	45923	0.51	28	0.35	50	0.45	50225
Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, FL	3.62	0.1	154	34189	4.47	0.14	368	37979	-0.54	170	0.29	54	0.46	45283
Savannah, GA	4.63	0.18	109	39598	5	0.17	199	44486	0.4	40	-0.18	115	0.45	46755
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA	5.1	0.16	177	41374	5.2	0.18	236	46497	0.51	30	-0.61	166	0.48	40762
Spartanburg, SC	4.1	0.14	105	38112	4.65	0.17	142	48517	-0.28	142	-0.32	132	0.45	41850
Tallahassee, FL	4.81	0.21	100	36099	6.38	0.26	212	44072	-0.78	181	0.27	59	0.5	41511
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	3.88	0.12	679	38688	4.62	0.15	1460	47132	-0.49	165	0.33	52	0.46	43547
Tulsa, OK	4.44	0.11	373	44996	4.59	0.16	553	50186	-0.02	102	-0.56	157	0.46	44519
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	4.13	0.14	647	40950	3.98	0.11	993	50608	0.86	4	-0.05	98	0.42	57315
Waco, TX	4.55	0.17	83	37400	5.05	0.21	134	42043	0.08	87	-0.31	129	0.45	39143
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	3.83	0.08	2048	51583	4.2	0.08	3837	73627	-0.15	119	0.64	31	0.43	84523
Wilmington, NC	4.4	0.17	75	36033	5.04	0.18	189	41702	0.08	88	0.45	43	0.46	44825
Winston-Salem, NC	4.41	0.12	174	43068	4.58	0.16	263	47963	-0.17	123	-0.55	155	0.47	42644

Southern Regional Data

Sign up for email updates!