The Color of Debt
The Black Neighborhoods Where Collection Suits Hit Hardest
In 1967, riots in Newark accelerated the white flight already present across Essex County, leaving the region highly segregated. Here are five black neighborhoods where residents faced some of the highest rates of court judgments from debt collection suits. Note: Data includes suits filed between July 1, 2007-June 30, 2012. | Related story »
Irvington
| Median Household Income | Judgments Per 100 Residents | Black Pop. |
|---|---|---|
| $40,066 | 32.2 | 82.7% |
At one time, Irvington was a thriving suburb of Newark, but over the past decades it has been hit by crime, foreclosures, and in recent years, lawsuits over unpaid consumer debt. Central Irvington has the highest judgment rate in Essex County, with one judgment for every three residents.
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West Side, Newark
| Median Household Income | Judgments Per 100 Residents | Black Pop. |
|---|---|---|
| $39,750 | 28.1 | 88.9% |
The 1967 Newark riots began just blocks away from the West Side neighborhood when a black taxi driver was pulled over and beaten by the police. The riots sparked a flight of white middle-class residents and industry, sending the city into an era of decline.
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Upper Vailsburg, Newark
| Median Household Income | Judgments Per 100 Residents | Black Pop. |
|---|---|---|
| $53,291 | 28.7 | 89.1% |
Many of the areas with the highest judgment rates are in Newark, the largest city in New Jersey. Upper Vailsburg, a middle-class neighborhood with a growing Haitian and West Indian population, has been particularly hard hit by debt buyers, who accounted for around 60 percent of the total cases.
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Vailsburg, Newark
| Median Household Income | Judgments Per 100 Residents | Black Pop. |
|---|---|---|
| $52,632 | 27.3 | 88.9% |
On the western edge of Newark, Vailsburg is wealthier than the other hard-hit areas, yet still had one of the highest judgment rates. Among those filing the most suits were major banks, with Capital One representing 10 percent of all judgments in the area.
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Weequahic, Newark
| Median Household Income | Judgments Per 100 Residents | Black Pop. |
|---|---|---|
| $40,457 | 27.7 | 92.7% |
Just a few miles from Newark Airport, Weequahic was a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in the 1960s, but today is mostly black. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in Essex County, averaging more than 30 percent over the past five years, according to recent census figures.
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The map displays census tract level data.
Note: The area around Newark Airport does not have household income data as there was not enough data available for the Census to make a statistical estimate.
Amanda Zamora and Alison Benjamin contributed production and development
Sources: State court records, U.S. Census, ProPublica analysis, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, City of Chicago, New Jersey Geographic Information Network.