ARE NOT PROPORTIONATE

WHERE DO WE STAND?

People arrested by the 21 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. To estimate the 2020 population, the median between the 2019 and 2021 population was used. Disproportionality ratios were calculated using Travis County Jail booking data and the estimated 2020 population.

DISPROPORTIONALITY IN DISCIPLINARY REMOVALS

During the 2023-2024 school year, African-American students in AISD were over represented in Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEP) removals  by a factor of 2.5. African-American students are disproportionately represented in DAEP placements. 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.

DISPROPORTIONALITY IN CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT

Black children in Travis County continue to be over represented among children who experience abuse or neglect. During Fiscal Year 2023-2024, African-American children made up about 19% 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 2.3, 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 DISPROPORTIONALITY

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 were disproportionately overrepresented among the people counted during the 2023 ECHO Point In Time Count.  In 2023, the disproportionality ratio for Black Travis County residents was 4.1, which indicates  an extreme disproportion of overrepresentation.

UNEMPLOYMENT DISPROPORTIONALITY

From 2019 to 2023, African American Travis County residents had an unemployment disproportionality ratio of 1.6, which represents a moderate level of disproportion.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Hispanics are highly overrepresented among adults with no high school diploma. In 2023, people identifying as Hispanic or Latino accounted for about 71% of people with less than a high school diploma, but only about 28% of the total population over 25 years of age. This results in  a disproportionality ratio of 2.5, indicating high disproportion.

African-Americans are moderately overrepresented among adults who have earned a High School diploma or GED. In 2023, people identifying as Black or African-American Alone made up about 15% of adults over 25 with some a HS diploma or GED, but about 8% of the total population aged 25 and over. This results in a disproportionality ratio of 1.8, indicating moderate disproportion.

POVERTY DISPARITY

In 2023, Hispanic and Black residents of Travis County reported slight levels of disproportion as it relates to the impact of poverty. For Black residents, this shows an improvement from the moderate disproportion level reported in 2018 and 2019. In 2022, Asian residents of Travis County reported an increase in the level of disproportion in this metric.

* 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 increased by more than 3,000 from 2022 to 2023. While the gap continues to narrow, Hispanics are still uninsured at higher rates than other races or ethnicities. Overall, in Travis County Hispanics are uninsured at more than 2.9 times the rate of Whites. In 2023, people identifying as Hispanic or Latino accounted for 52% of people under 65 lacking health insurance, but only 36% of the total population under 65. This results in a disproportionality ratio of 1.46, which is approaching a moderate level of disproportion. The disproportionality ratio for uninsured Black residents in Travis County increased to 1.3 in 2023 from 0.9 in 2019.