About the 2020 State of Opportunity in America Report
Across the country, fragile communities face barriers to opportunity, including high levels of poverty, low-performing schools, inequities in law enforcement and limited economic opportunities. These communities are in urban, rural and increasingly suburban areas, and they include people of all races and ethnicities. For years, researchers and policy-makers have debated the entrenched poverty and lack of social mobility that plague such communities.
Too often, this research has had a paternalistic or “ivory tower” feel in which those conducting the research see themselves as solving the problems of those they study rather than including them as active participants in the problem-solving. The Center for Advancing Opportunity (CAO) has partnered with Gallup to approach these issues in a different manner that begins with listening closely to the people who live in these communities. The idea is that there can be no conversation around removing the barriers to opportunity without including those who live in the communities that are most impacted.
To help the Center accomplish this vision, Gallup launched one of the most comprehensive efforts of its kind – a six-month qualitative and quantitative survey of residents in fragile communities in four metropolitan areas: Birmingham, AL; Cleveland, OH; Fresno, CA and Chicago, IL. Using these insights, Gallup mailed a questionnaire to 28,000 people in urban and rural fragile communities nationwide, with more than 6,230 responding to produce a rich collection of insights on their lives and experiences. This survey is unprecedented in its field, with an exceptionally large and diverse sample size yielding actionable and sometimes counter-intuitive insights.
69% of those living in fragile communities are unsatisfied with job training availability, 57% aren't satisfied with the availability of college programs.
Education Opportunity
38% of black residents in fragile communites report that children in their area do not have access to high-quality education, while 50% say they don’t have access to an affordable college education.
How important is a college education today?
Very Important
Important
Somewhat Important
Not At All Important
July 2020
The State of Opportunity in America Regional Reports
The State of Opportunity study surveyed residents of fragile communities (FCs) in 11 cities and the Appalachian mountains, exploring the challenges in each region. Click or tap a city on the map, or select from the dropdown below to see the regional report.
Appalachia
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
D.C./Baltimore
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York
Philadelphia
San Francisco
2020
CAO Data Visualization Tools
Leverage the data from our State of Opportunity in America reports using our data visualization tools.
2018 - 2019
Previous State of Opportunity in America Reports
Review the previous reports on the State of Opportunity in America from the Center for Advancing Opportunity.