A Great Divide: L.A. Equity Index

The City of Los Angeles is comprised of millions of people living in more than 100 neighborhoods. Every neighborhood is geographically, demographically and economically unique, and living in each presents both challenges and opportunities. Despite efforts to address the issue, L.A. remains a City divided. Some neighborhoods face far more challenges than others, especially those with higher populations of people of color and immigrants.

Controller Galperin created the L.A. Equity Index to look at some of the most important factors – socioeconomic, environment, education and access to resources – that contribute to these challenges facing Angelenos. The Index's goal is to illustrate the level of equity and opportunity in each neighborhood so that City leaders and all residents have a data-driven understanding of community needs throughout Los Angeles.

What is the L.A. Equity Index? The Index takes a look at the City from the ground up. It was created by examining a series of indicators individually, scoring them, and bringing everything together in a composite index – the L.A. Equity Index – reflected in the map directly below. The Equity Index scores each census tract in the City on a scale of 1 to 10. A lower score (darker colors) indicates areas where residents experience less equity and opportunity; a higher score (lighter colors) means an area with more equity and opportunity for Angelenos.

Indicators examined: rent burden, poverty level, home ownership, air quality, closeness to toxic releases, traffic density and education level; and access to internet, food and health insurance. Dozens of additional variables were also examined, including ethnic makeup and median income, which also inform the final results.

Explore the Index: enter your address into the search bar on the map to find your census tract. Click on a tract to read more about the population, including demographics. View the map's legend by hovering over the icon on the lower left-hand corner.

Fast facts about the City of Los Angeles:

• Population: 4 million residents; 1.3 million households (defined as people living in the same house, apartment or living quarters)
• Ethnic makeup: 48.6% Latino, 28.5% white, 11.8% Asian/Pacific Islander, 9% Black, 1.4% American Indian/Others
• Size: 468.7 square miles of land
• Median household income: $58,385

Read below to learn more about the indicators included in the L.A. Equity Index.

Los Angeles faces a housing shortage, which has resulted in spiraling costs, created barriers to wealth accumulation for low-and-middle income families, and contributed to the growing homelessness crisis in the City and region. The indicators below track how the cost of rent impacts local families, the level of poverty experienced by City residents and the neighborhoods where people experiencing homelessness live.

More than 60% of Angelenos are renters, one of the highest rates of any metropolitan area in the nation. A 2019  report  found that Los Angeles is the third-most rent burdened city in the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers a family to be rent burdened if they spend 30% or more of their annual income on rent. In L.A., many families spend half their income on housing, as illustrated in the map below.

Environmental resources and hazards are often discussed broadly, but the reality is that they can differ across the City of Los Angeles. Over time, even slightly elevated levels of exposure of pollutants and toxins can compound and impact future outcomes for residents, including life expectancy. The maps below track the quality of air, prevalence of toxins released from facilities, and where traffic density most impacts Los Angeles.

Data for the environmental hazards was obtained from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. More information about the indicators and raw data can be obtained at the  CalEnviroScreen website. 

Educational attainment corresponds with future financial stability, lower rates of unemployment and even better health outcomes for individuals.

Adults without a high school diploma face clear barriers to success in Los Angeles and are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who graduate. People who attain a college degree or higher are likely to do even better. This map shows education levels achieved by Angelenos across the City, contrasting areas where those lacking diplomas live with areas where the education level is higher.

Learning at grade level is crucial throughout the school experience, but in the younger years it is especially meaningful. If students are left behind, they will continue to lag for years to come. Researchers agree that children who are not reading well by the end of third grade are unlikely to graduate high school, often leading to behavioral and social problems.

Access to resources, like internet, health insurance, and food can impact the lives and livelihoods of Angelenos. Limited access in certain neighborhoods can lead to negative economic and health consequences for residents and a lower quality of life. These maps show the availability of certain basic resources across L.A.'s neighborhoods.