Social and Economic Changes in American Indian Reservations: A Databook of the US Census and the American Community Survey, Third Edition 1990-2020

This databook presents fourteen indicators of population, income, poverty, labor, housing, and education for Indian reservations in the Lower 48 states in the US from 1990 to 2020. It also begins to investigate the variations within Indian Country, although a complete examination is beyond its scope. While reservation economic development has led to improvements in these indicators over the last three decades, gaps remain between American Indians on reservations and all people in the US. • Population: The American Indian population on reservations declined 4.3% from 2010 to 2020, surpassing the overall decline in the rural US population. • Income: Both Per Capita Income and Median Household Income for Indians on reservations excluding Navajo have increased from 2010 to 2020 by 11.6% and 7.8%, respectively. While encouraging, the actual dollar amounts compared to the United States overall show that parity is still a way off. • Poverty: Family and Child Poverty for Indians on reservations continues to decline with reductions from 2010 to 2020 of 13.86% and 8.71%, respectively. Yet, both poverty rate categories are still more than double the national average in 2020. • Labor: While tribes reduced Indian unemployment on reservations by nearly 35% from 2010 to 2020, a gap between reservation and national unemployment rates remains. The progress in job creation is encouraging, but labor force participation rates show declines for both Native men and women that outpaced the US. • Housing: Overcrowding on Indian reservations excluding Navajo declined over the last three decades, from 10.5% in 1990 to 6.0% in 2020. However, the national overcrowding rate in 2020 was 3.4%. • Education: Education levels for Indians on reservations have risen over time. The percentage of High School Graduates (or equivalent)now surpasses the national average. Although College Graduates have increased each decade, this group still falls short compared to the rest of the United States.