The percentage of females in poverty in various racial and ethnic groups is a measure of the overall economic health of these groups and may reflect disparities in access to economic opportunity. It also indicates the level of need for targeted social and government supports.

Norfolk County's rates in 2017-21 were highest among African American (14%) and Hispanic (12%) women, compared to Asian women at 9% and white women at 6%. Since 2000, the rate increased 4 percentage points among African American women and decreased by 2 points for Asian women and 1 point for Hispanic women.

Norfolk County had the lowest rates of poverty among African American, Hispanic and white women compared to Middlesex, Essex and the state as a whole. The County's rate among Asian women was on par with Middlesex and Essex and lower than the state and the nation.

In Brookline and comparison localities, the number of women in each race/ethnicity were generally too small for reliable poverty rate estimates and meaningful comparisons.

The effects of sexism and racism across society combine to limit the employment opportunities available to women of color. Women in general are overrepresented in lower-wage professions, consistently paid less than their male counterparts, and more likely to sacrifice work and earnings to care for family members limiting their earning potential. When compounded by affiliation with a racial or ethnic group that has faced historic and systemic exclusion from opportunity, women of color are more likely to live in poverty than white women. Women of color face job discrimination, experience a larger wage gap compared to men, and Black women graduate with more education debt than any other group. As a result, women of color have less savings.

The multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval).

The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Poverty status is not reported for people in institutions, including college dormitories and military barracks, and people in living situations without conventional housing. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.