Race Matters: The Concentration of Payday Lenders in African-American Neighborhoods in North Carolina

While the payday lending industry frequently describes its typical customer in detail, discussion of race is noticeably absent. This report corrects that omission. Our analysis of North Carolina neighborhoods reveals a powerful relationship between the proportion of African-Americans in a neighborhood and the prevalence of payday lending stores. African-American neighborhoods have historically been disadvantaged by unfair lending practices. This study...