The state of Illinois failed miserably. A new study found it to be the worst state in the nation in terms of economic inequality among Americans of different racial backgrounds.

The new research – conducted by WalletHub, a personal finance website – shows Illinois is close to the bottom in terms of racial economic inequality. Its ranking is particularly abysmal on the median annual income difference between whites and blacks, JustTheNews reports.

According to researcher Jill Gonzales, the Democrat-run state has the fifth largest gap in the median annual income between its white and black residents.

She points out, in terms of the labor force participation rate, Illinois is also ranked with the fifth biggest racial gap; its situation on unemployment is even worse – as its gap there is the second largest.

To paint further an already sufficient bleak picture, WalletHub’s survey ranked the Prairie State 40^th in the US in the poverty rate, 46^th in the nation in the homeless rate, and 49^th with respect to the share of unsheltered homeless.

The report notes Illinois even set up a special state government agency to tackle the issue of “equity,” a woke, Marxist notion.

Thus, the so-called Illinois Office of Equity is tasked to improve “diversity, equity, inclusion” as well as “accessibility” in its communities,  state agencies, and legislators.

Other Midwestern states have also received low rankings in the racial economic inequality study. Wisconsin was ranked the second worst after Illinois, while Iowa came in third.

The three US states with the highest racial economic equality, according to WalletHub, are Alaska, followed by Arizona, and New Mexico.

The results from the research have been taken up by Democrats as an opportunity to tout their far-left political ideology. Some insisted there have been historical, social, and structural factors causing the wealth gap variations among states nationwide.

The report quotes Virginia Union University professor Terrell Strayhorn as noting that black Americans were long denied education and ownership opportunities, while the gaps are exacerbated by tax codes, mandatory sentencing, and income disparities.