The State of Shared Prosperity: Diving into our updated Scorecard data

Civic Commons convened a group of more than 40 civic leaders on Jan. 16 to engage in a conversation around the updated Scorecard for Shared Prosperity.  

Go here to view a full event recording.  

The Scorecard is an online data tool that features five Dimensions of Prosperity (individuals, households, communities, economy and democracy) and dozens of metrics tracking everything from the number of cost-burdened households to food insecurity rates. The data is disaggregated by race wherever possible, and available for King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties.  

During the virtual conversation, panelists called attention to persistent challenges related to racial wealth gaps and the need for system disruption. Homeownership rates, for example, have stayed mostly consistent as an overall metric the past several years – as has the gap between the percentage of the Black population that owns a home (33%) compared to that of the white population (66%).  

“In Washington state, the racial wealth gap is the homeownership gap,” said HomeSight Executive Director Darryl Smith, while calling attention to the work of Black Home Initiative. “If we can be real about what the data are telling us, there’s real challenge there.” 

Other panelists highlighted the regional differences surfaced by the Scorecard, such as rising costs in areas outside of Seattle. In the most recent year in which data are available (2022), median rental prices were up 13 percent in Pierce County and 11 percent in Snohomish County, compared to 9 percent in King County. 

Panelists also spoke to the interconnectedness of each of the five dimensions. John Kim, CEO of HealthierHere, pointed out that health and well-being is not just a concern for us as individuals. 

“Health is not the goal. Health is a tool for daily living, and it is a predicate for being able to really flourish or to thrive.” Kim said. “The idea of having these many different data points that you’re looking at as an integral whole is really the secret.” 

The conversation ended on an optimistic note, with panelists focusing on how the immense amount of collective wealth and resources in our region could bring about shared prosperity. Jennie Romich, director of the West Coast Poverty Center at UW, noted that several Scorecard indicators moved in a positive direction during the COVID-19 pandemic, when more government aid was available.  

“We know how to do some of these things, (but) we need to create the local political will to do them in Washington state and not have to rely fully on federal assistance, which comes and goes,” Romich said.