High housing costs in urban areas are undermining emergency savings, according to a recently released survey by non-profit NeighborWorks America.
Thirty-two percent of those surveyed living in urban areas have no emergency savings at all, and 31 percent are “not too confident” or “not confident at all” they have enough stashed away for an unexpected expense, compared to 28 percent of those living in rural areas and 25 percent of those living in suburban areas. Furthermore, 15 percent of those living in urban areas reported that the savings they do have would hold them over for less than one week.
Low-income households, in addition, generally have little to no emergency savings, according to the survey. Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed taking home less than $20,000 have no emergency savings—a share that has increased 8 percent from 2016 alone. Twenty-nine percent of white survey respondents have no emergency savings, as well, a share that has also increased 8 percent from last year.
The share of African-American and Latino respondents who have no emergency savings, however, has decreased, to 41 percent from 48 percent and to 26 percent from 38 percent, respectively.
Those living in urban areas are contending with higher housing costs than their rural and suburban counterparts, with 22 percent reporting needing help with buying or renting a home.
Seventy million, or 30 percent of, Americans have no emergency savings, according to the survey.
Source: NeighborWorks America
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