Democrats Win Control Of The Wealthiest Districts, But Also The Most Unequal
Andrew DePietro
Andrew DePietroContributor
Personal Finance
I cover real estate, economics and cost of living.
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Greenwich, Connecticut is a suburb well-known for its affluence. Unfortunately, it lies in the same... [+] congressional district as some of Connecticut's poorest cities. | Getty Images
Greenwich, Connecticut is a suburb well-known for its affluence. Unfortunately, it lies in the same... [+]
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With the 2018 midterm elections in the books, both major and minor political changes have occurred. In the Senate there was little change except for a few pickups by the Republican Party, which already had control of that chamber.
The House of Representatives, on the other hand, saw substantial changes. Democrats took control of the House, gaining at least 30 seats (there are still technically 422 of 435 seats undeclared), and bringing the balance of power up to 225 Democrat representatives against 197 Republican. Democrats, in fact, now represent 41 out of the top 50 wealthiest congressional districts — and all 10 of the top 10 wealthiest districts, according to a recent election study.
Underneath this surface of wealth, however, lies a great deal of wealth inequality. And, unfortunately, this wealth inequality isn’t just limited to the richest congressional districts: It’s a growing trend that plagues far too many congressional districts, cities and states alike.
Take a look below for a deeper analysis at some of the more egregiously wealthy yet unequal congressional districts of 2018.
Wealth and Inequality in America’s Richest Districts
To assess the level of wealth and income inequality in congressional districts, the Gini index was used as the prime indicator. The Gini index, or Gini coefficient, is used to measure the level of economic inequality in a given place, whether it’s a zip code or a country. The Gini index ranges from zero (or 0%) to 1 (or 100%), in which zero represents perfect equality while 1 represents perfect inequality.
Thus, the higher the Gini index, the worse the inequality. In the case of judging congressional districts, ones with a Gini index of 0.50 (50%) or higher are considered the most unequal. Here’s a look at the districts that suffer from high Gini coefficients while being among the richest congressional districts.
5. New York – District 3
Representative: Thomas Suozzi
Party: Democrat
Gini index: 0.5053
Median household income: See full report
4. California – District 33
Representative: Ted Lieu
Party: Democrat
Gini index: 0.5386
Median household income: See full report
3. New York – District 12
Representative: Carolyn Maloney
Party: Democrat
Gini index: 0.5480
Median household income: See full report
2. Connecticut – District 4
Representative: Jim Himes
Party: Democrat
Gini index: 0.5597
Median household income: See full report
1. New York – District 10
Representative: Jerrold Nadler
Party: Democrat
Gini index: 0.5882
Median household income: See full report
Geographic Patterns Shared By These Districts
The main theme that can be discerned is that these districts often cover portions of urban centers, but then reach outward into areas that have become wealthy suburban sprawl.
New York District 3, for example, covers parts of Brooklyn and Queens — thus New York City proper — but also includes some of the richest towns on Long Island, such as Old Westbury with a median income of $164,286; Dix Hills, $145,387; and Jericho, $143,829.
Even more imbalanced is Connecticut District 4. The congressional district covers a large swathe of Connecticut, from Greenwich in the east, to the city of Bridgeport in the west. In this small area covered, incomes and inequality are severe. One only has to observe the difference in incomes between the east and west endpoints to appreciate the problem. In Old Greenwich, the median income is an incredible $224,009, whereas the city of Bridgeport’s median income is a mere $43,137.
