While data alone do not tell or illuminate the whole story, here are the statistical comparisons between Baltimore and Memphis:
CITY DATA Baltimore Memphis
Population 622,104 653,450
Black 63.7% 63.3%
College degreed 26.8% 23.7%
Home Ownership 48.3% 51.1%
Median Household Value $41,385 $36,912
Living in Poverty 23.8% 26.9%
Black-owned businesses 34.6% 38.2%
Female-headed households 22.7% 24.3%
Labor force penetration 62.2% 63.9%
Vacant Housing 18.5% 16.8%
Minority Poverty Rate 29.4% 34.4%
MSA DATA
Black Unemployment 15.1% 16.6%
Ranking of most to least
equality #39 #43
Median Household Income
African-American $43,663 $31,576
White Median Income $80,487 $58,819
Note: The Memphis MSA is the #1 in cities that are least equal for Hispanics.
LIVING WAGE
1 adult $11.24 $9.76
1 adult, 1 child $22.88 $18.18
2 adults $16.81 $15.06
2 adults, 2 children $21.90 $19.33
INCOME INEQUALITY
Ranking #12 #19
20th percentile $ 13,588 $ 14,531
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT BY MSA
2013 $168.8 billion (#19) $67.9 billion (#46)
INCARCERATION RATES (PER 100,000 IN POPULATION)
897.6 1,422
BEST-PERFORMING MSA ECONOMIES (MILKEN RATINGS)
Baltimore: #38
Memphis: #145