Regarding financial security, 22 percent of respondents reported they were “just getting by,” and 12 percent found it “difficult” or “very difficult” to manage financially. Whites were more than twice as likely as all other groups to say they were living comfortably.

In addition to inequities by education level, race, ethnicity, and place of residence, the survey also shows that cost of living is a significant threat in preserving the region’s degree of prosperity, with 18 percent of respondents saying they did not have enough money to pay for food or housing. Latinos, blacks, DC residents, and Prince George’s County, Maryland, residents reported the highest levels of food and housing insecurity.

The survey responses signal that solutions to these problems must focus on economic and social inclusion. Local leaders must ensure—through an equity lens—that all communities share the prosperity the overall region enjoys.

Solutions should involve local government, philanthropy, and the nonprofit and business sectors working together, with facts and evidence as the foundation for policy decisionmaking. Most importantly, solutions must have a higher degree of engagement with and participation from the communities and neighborhoods most affected by the region’s problems.

Read the full article on inclusive prosperity by Gustavo Velasquez at Urban Institute.