Economy and Workforce
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity

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Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity, 2017

What does this measure?

The number of businesses owned, broken down by race/ethnicity expressed as a percentage of all businesses.

Why is this important?

Business ownership plays a significant role in wealth creation and accumulation, and can help address the racial wealth gap in the U.S. while also creating jobs and stimulating the economy more broadly.

How is our region doing?

In 2017, a significant majority of businesses in MetroWest were owned by white people (80.2%), followed by Asian (8.4%), Hispanic (1.5%) and African Americans (1.1%). MetroWest's shares of Hispanic and African American-owned businesses were lower than the state (1.5% Hispanic, 1.4% African American) and the nation (5.6% Hispanic, 2.2% African American).

Among comparison counties, Norfolk had the highest percentage of businesses owned by African Americans (1.3%), Middlesex had the highest percentage of Asian and Hispanic (9.3% and 1.6% respectively) and Worcester had the highest percentage of white-owned businesses (83.2%). Middlesex had no African American-owned businesses and Worcester had no Hispanic-owned businesses.

Why do these disparities exist?

The lack of equal opportunities for wealth accumulation and systemic racism in the banking industry both contribute to these disparities. Would-be businesses owners of color have significantly less investment capital than their white peers due to historic discrimination in housing, a traditional method for accumulating personal wealth, and in the lending industry through both housing and corporate redlining.

Notes about the data

Annual Business Survey (ABS) data are sourced from a combination of responses to the survey, data from the economic census, and administrative records data. The ABS only include tabulations for employer businesses, which are businesses with paid employees. The Annual Business Survey uses the collection year (the year the survey was collected) in the survey name rather than the reference year (the year the survey collects data on).

Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity, 2017
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
United States9.7%2.2%5.6%83.0%
Massachusetts7.5%1.4%1.9%83.2%
Region8.4%1.1%1.5%80.2%
Middlesex County9.3%0.0%1.6%78.8%
Norfolk County8.0%1.3%1.3%80.6%
Worcester County6.9%0.8%0.0%83.2%
Franklin town, Norfolk County0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Marlborough city, Middlesex County7.5%0.0%0.0%66.7%
Waltham city, Middlesex County9.2%0.0%0.0%73.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2018 Annual Business Survey, data year 2017.




Number of Businesses Owned, by Race/Ethnicity, 2017
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
United States555,638124,004322,0764,769,762
Massachusetts10,3721,8932,614115,546
Region5,68233577554,068
Middlesex County3,321055628,182
Norfolk County1,33721321913,548
Worcester County1,024122012,338
Franklin town, Norfolk County0000
Marlborough city, Middlesex County9800872
Waltham city, Middlesex County191001,528

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2018 Annual Business Survey, data year 2017.




Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity, 2017
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
United States9.7%2.2%5.6%83.0%
Massachusetts7.5%1.4%1.9%83.2%
Region8.4%1.1%1.5%80.2%
Middlesex County9.3%0.0%1.6%78.8%
Norfolk County8.0%1.3%1.3%80.6%
Worcester County6.9%0.8%0.0%83.2%
Franklin town, Norfolk County0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Marlborough city, Middlesex County7.5%0.0%0.0%66.7%
Waltham city, Middlesex County9.2%0.0%0.0%73.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2018 Annual Business Survey, data year 2017.




Number of Businesses Owned, by Race/Ethnicity, 2017
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
United States555,638124,004322,0764,769,762
Massachusetts10,3721,8932,614115,546
Region5,68233577554,068
Middlesex County3,321055628,182
Norfolk County1,33721321913,548
Worcester County1,024122012,338
Franklin town, Norfolk County0000
Marlborough city, Middlesex County9800872
Waltham city, Middlesex County191001,528

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2018 Annual Business Survey, data year 2017.




INDICATORS REGIONAL TREND
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Not Applicable
Reports of Domestic Violence Not Applicable
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Not Applicable
Households Without Vehicles Not Applicable
Means of Transportation to Work Not Applicable
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Not Applicable
Average Charitable Contribution Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Not Applicable
Opioid Overdose Mortality Rate Not Applicable
Crimes Against People Not Applicable
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Tourism Spending Not Applicable
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Employment Not Applicable
Arts Grants Distribution Not Applicable
Arts and Culture Attendance Not Applicable
Change in Total Population Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Not Applicable
Language Diversity Not Applicable
Population by Age Not Applicable
Change in Population by Age/Gender Not Applicable
Seniors Living Alone Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Not Applicable
Change in Total Jobs by Sector Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Not Applicable
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Share of Workers who are Professionals, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
High-Tech Jobs Not Applicable
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Not Applicable
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Group Not Applicable
School Spending Per Student Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults Not Applicable
College Admission Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Arts Teachers in Public Schools Not Applicable
Students Taking Arts Courses Not Applicable
Students Taking Arts Courses, by Grade Level Not Applicable
Students Taking Arts Courses, by Student Group Not Applicable
Students Taking Arts Courses, by Subject Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
80/20 Income Ratio Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Rent Not Applicable
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homelessness Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Not Applicable
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Tourism Spending Not Applicable
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Employment Not Applicable
Arts Grants Distribution Not Applicable
Arts and Culture Attendance Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Share of Workers who are Professionals, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
College Admission Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Arts Teachers in Public Schools Not Applicable
Students Taking Arts Courses Not Applicable
Students Taking Arts Courses, by Grade Level Not Applicable
Students Taking Arts Courses, by Student Group Not Applicable
Students Taking Arts Courses, by Subject Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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