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Community report

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The scores on ACT Rochester's recently released community report card probably won't shock you. Most people know that the nine-county Rochester region, overall, is doing better than the state in certain areas — the economy, education, health, and housing. | But when the report focuses on the city, it exposes stark disparities involving race and ethnicity. | For example, third grade English Language Arts scores on state tests show that 61 percent of white students in the region are proficient at reading and writing, compared to 34 percent of white students in city schools. | But only 35 percent of African-American third graders in the region are proficient at reading and only 23 percent from city schools. | And an interesting thing happens when you look at a comparison of rent as a percent of income by race and ethnicity. | About 12 percent of a white person's income goes to rent in the Rochester region, and about 34 percent of their income goes to rent in the city. | But African Americans struggle, with 45 percent of their income going to rent for those living in the region. And 49 percent of their income goes to rent if they live in the city.