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 Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families Increasing
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Decreasing
Reports of Domestic Violence Increasing
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Increasing
Households Without Vehicles Maintaining
Means of Transportation to Work Not Applicable
Households With Internet Access Increasing
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Average Charitable Contribution Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Drug Poisoning Mortality Rate Increasing
Crimes Against People Decreasing
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Total Population Increasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Population by Age Not Applicable
Change in Population by Age/Gender Not Applicable
Seniors Living Alone Decreasing
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Change in Total Jobs by Sector Not Applicable
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Maintaining
Share of Workers who are Professionals, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
High-Tech Jobs Decreasing
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Maintaining
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Group Not Applicable
School Spending Per Student Maintaining
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students Increasing
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
People Living in Poverty Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance Maintaining
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income Maintaining
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
80/20 Income Ratio Maintaining
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates Maintaining
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership Increasing
Cost of Homeownership, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Rent Not Applicable
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homelessness Increasing
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
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Share of Workers who are Professionals, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate 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
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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