New data shows Latinos in the Chicago area and suburbs are “doing more with less,” in terms of socioeconomic wellbeing. Latino Policy Forum partnered with MacArthur-supported Metropolitan Planning Council and UIC’s Great Cities Institute to gather data and insights on Latinos in Chicago’s suburbs, and the challenges and opportunities Latinos face. They facilitated community forums for qualitative data and gathered quantitative data from publicly available sources to produce a picture of the region’s Latino communities.
Among other findings, the report notes that while Latinos have high employment rates, they are underpaid with the highest percentage of earners making less than $15 an hour, and 6 in 10 Latinos live in municipalities that can be categorized as high or very-high hardship. The full report includes data on population growth, education, income, homeownership, and other demographic data. Latinos are also a growing population in the area, suggesting that investing in the socioeconomic wellbeing of Latinos can improve the economy for everyone in the Chicago area.
