ARE NOT PROPORTIONATE

WHERE DO WE STAND?

People arrested by the 16 law enforcement agencies in Travis County are generally booked into the Travis County jail. Black residents account for 28% of people booked into jail, but only 8% of Travis County’s adult population, which indicates a high level of disproportionate representation and a disproportionality ratio of 3.4. This level of disproportionality has increased in recent years.

The disproportionality ratio is calculated by dividing the proportion of each racial and ethnic group booked into Travis County Jail by their representation in the county’s adult population. Disproportionality ratios are classified as follows: Comparable Representation (rates under 1.50), Moderate Disproportion (rates between 1.50-2.49), High Disproportion (rates between 2.50-3.49), and Extreme Disproportion (rates of 3.50 and over).

* The US Census Bureau did not release 2020 ACS 1-Year Data.

A CLOSER LOOK

During the 2022-2023 school year, African-American students in AISD were over represented in Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEP) removals  by a factor of 2.3. African-American students are disproportionately represented in DAEP placements. During the 20202021 school year, the number of DAEP removals decreased by more than 85% for each of the three racial/ethnic groups. Some groups or years are not included because data may be unavailable.

The disproportionality ratio is calculated by dividing the representation of each racial and ethnic group removed from AISD classrooms to DAEP by their representation in the general student population.

Black children in Travis County are over represented among children who experience abuse or neglect. During Fiscal Year 2022-2023, African-American children made up about 20% of confirmed victims of child abuse or neglect in Travis County, compared to about 8% of the total population under 18. This results in a disproportionality ratio of 2.4, indicating a moderate level of over-representation.

The disproportionality ratio is calculated by dividing the representation of each racial and ethnic group’s confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect by their representation in the county’s child population.

HOMELESSNESS DISPARITY

Disproportionality among those who are experiencing homelessness reveals the greatest level of disproportionality found for any of the CAN Dashboard indicators.  Travis County residents who are Black are disproportionately overrepresented among the people counted through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).  In 2023, the disproportionality ratio for Black Travis County residents was 4.1 which indicates  an extreme disproportion of overrepresentation.

UNEMPLOYMENT DISPARITY

From 2018 to 2022, African American Travis County residents had an unemployment disproportionality ratio of 1.4, and Hispanics had a ratio of 1.05, which represents a slight level of disproportion.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Hispanics are highly overrepresented among adults with no high school diploma. In 2022, people identifying as Hispanic or Latino accounted for about 74% of people with less than a high school diploma, but only about 29% of the total population over 25 years of age. This results in  a disproportionality ratio of 2.6, indicating high disproportion.

African-Americans are moderately overrepresented among adults who have some college experience or an Associate’s degree. In 2022, people identifying as Black or African-American Alone made up about 12% of adults over 25 with some college or an Associate’s, but about 8% of the total population aged 25 and over. This results in a disproportionality ratio of 1.5, indicating moderate disproportion.

POVERTY

From 2017 to 2022, Hispanic and Black residents showed slight to moderate levels of disproportion as it relates to the impact of poverty, while Asian residents showed a slight level of disproportion.

* The US Census Bureau did not release 2020 ACS 1-Year Data. Without the data from the USCB, poverty rates were not possible to determine for 2020.

The number of uninsured residents in Travis County decreased by more than 19,000 from 2021 to 2022. Hispanics continue to be uninsured at higher rates than other races or ethnicities, but the gap has narrowed. According to the Migration Policy Institute, an estimated 6.7% of the population in Travis County are undocumented immigrants, and 60% of those undocumented immigrants do not have health insurance. Overall, in Travis County Hispanics are uninsured at more than 3 times the rate of Whites. In 2022, people identifying as Hispanic or Latino accounted for 60% of people under 65 lacking health insurance, but only 37% of the total population under 65. This results in a disproportionality ratio of 1.6, indicating a moderate level of disproportion.