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Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
Washington Value:
Index of segregation between Black and non-Hispanic white households measured by the proportion of a state's population that would need to move in order to achieve complete integration, ranging from zero (the proportion of each racial/ethnic group in each census tract is the same as their proportion to the population as a whole) to 100 (each tract contains only one racial/ethnic group)
Washington Rank:
Index of segregation between Black and non-Hispanic white households measured by the proportion of a state's population that would need to move in order to achieve complete integration, ranging from zero (the proportion of each racial/ethnic group in each census tract is the same as their proportion to the population as a whole) to 100 (each tract contains only one racial/ethnic group)
46 - 57
58 - 63
64 - 65
66 - 71
72 - 80
Index of segregation between Black and non-Hispanic white households measured by the proportion of a state's population that would need to move in order to achieve complete integration, ranging from zero (the proportion of each racial/ethnic group in each census tract is the same as their proportion to the population as a whole) to 100 (each tract contains only one racial/ethnic group)
Top State(s): Delaware: 46
Bottom State(s): Montana: 80
Definition: Index of segregation between Black and non-Hispanic white households measured by the proportion of a state's population that would need to move in order to achieve complete integration, ranging from zero (the proportion of each racial/ethnic group in each census tract is the same as their proportion to the population as a whole) to 100 (each tract contains only one racial/ethnic group)
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Dataset, 2019-2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Dataset, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
Different areas across the United States have different environmental characteristics and levels of access to opportunities and resources. Residential segregation restricts socioeconomic mobility, affecting equitable proximity and access to quality schools, good jobs and healthy food, and leading to health disparities in outcomes. Segregation can also create areas of concentrated exposure to physical and environmental hazards, such as unsafe housing conditions and industrial pollution.
Black communities in the U.S. are more likely than Hispanic or Asian communities to be segregated from white communities. Furthermore, Black/white residential segregation is nearly three times higher in the U.S. compared with Great Britain. As segregation rates increase, Black men in particular experience more acute differences in social class.
Schools and neighborhoods with children tend to have higher rates of racial segregation than the general population, with white households with children remaining the least likely to be integrated. Living in more segregated neighborhoods has been associated with poorer self-rated health among both Black and white children.
While the root causes of racial segregation run deep and complex, some immediate strategies to reduce segregation and its impact include:
Alexander, Diane, and Janet Currie. “Is It Who You Are or Where You Live? Residential Segregation and Racial Gaps in Childhood Asthma.” Journal of Health Economics 55 (September 2017): 186–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.07.003.
Downey, Liam, and Brian Hawkins. “Race, Income, and Environmental Inequality in the United States.” Sociological Perspectives 51, no. 4 (December 2008): 759–81. https://doi.org/10.1525/sop.2008.51.4.759.
Iceland, John, Kimberly A. Goyette, Kyle Anne Nelson, and Chaowen Chan. “Racial and Ethnic Residential Segregation and Household Structure: A Research Note.” Social Science Research 39, no. 1 (January 2010): 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.06.006.
Massey, Douglas S. “Residential Segregation and Neighborhood Conditions in U.S. Metropolitan Areas.” In America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences, Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2001. https://doi.org/10.17226/9599.
Sacks, Vanessa. 5 Ways Neighborhoods of Concentrated Disadvantage Harm Children. Research Brief. Child Trends, February 14, 2018. https://www.childtrends.org/publications/5-ways-neighborhoods-of-concentrated-disadvantage-harm-children.
Steil, Justin, and Mariana Arcaya. Residential Segregation And Health: History, Harms, And Next Steps. Health Affairs Health Policy Brief. Washington, D.C.: Health Affairs, April 27, 2023. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20230321.580719/full/.
Steil, Justin, and Michael Lens. Public Policies To Address Residential Segregation And Improve Health. Health Affairs Health Policy Brief. Washington, D.C.: Health Affairs, April 27, 2023. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20230321.466701/full/.
Thomas, Melvin, and Richard Moye. “Race, Class, and Gender and the Impact of Racial Segregation on Black-White Income Inequality.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 1, no. 4 (October 2015): 490–502. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332649215581665.
Wang, Guangyi, Gabriel L. Schwartz, Kiarri N. Kershaw, Cyanna McGowan, Min Hee Kim, and Rita Hamad. “The Association of Residential Racial Segregation with Health among U.S. Children: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study.” SSM - Population Health 19 (September 2022): 101250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101250.
Williams, David R., and Chiquita Collins. “Racial Residential Segregation: A Fundamental Cause of Racial Disparities in Health.” Public Health Reports 116, no. 5 (September 2001): 404–16.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12042604/.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
