Culture

What It Means To Live In A Segregated Milwaukee

Milwaukee consistently ranks as one of the most segregated cities in the U.S. Here's what that looks like for black and white residents.

What It Means To Live In A Segregated Milwaukee
Getty Images / Darren Hauck

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is consistently ranked as one of the most segregated cities in the U.S. 

Milwaukee has the largest concentration of black people in the state of Wisconsin. But the city's black population is concentrated in the city's center and north side, while the white population is everywhere else. 

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Here's what we know about this divide: Life in black Milwaukee looks a lot different than in white Milwaukee. 

Overall, the city had a poverty rate of almost 30 percent in 2014. The poverty rate among blacks was nearly 40 percent, while the poverty rate among whites was around 15 percent. 

Police response times also differ depending on where you live. A Milwaukee Police Department report found that police response times were almost twice as long for residents on the north side as they were for residents on the south side. 

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And if you're looking to get a home loan, it might be easier if you're white and don't live in the city's central or northern areas. Numbers from 2014 show white applicants for loans were favored over black applicants — 81 percent to 4 percent.