Blacks, Asian and Latino Americans are much more likely to prioritize financially taking care of family members than the population as a whole, according to Prudential Financial.

For instance, nearly 70 percent of foreign-born Asian Americans said they consider it a priority to take care of parents and other family members, and approximately 58 percent of domestically born Asian Americans agreed.

Only about 45 percent of the population as a whole said they prioritized family.

Likewise, blacks and Latinos placed a higher priority on family than the general population, according to a recent study by Prudential Financial, “The Cut: Exploring Financial Wellness Within Diverse Populations.”

The report, which included 3,013 people aged 25 to 70, reported on the differences in financial circumstances and feelings based on race, gender, sexual identity and caregiver status as part of the Prudential Wellness Census. The report reveals differences among the various populations with some “bright spots” for the traditionally underserved groups, Prudential said.

Some of the differences among the groups included the fact that Asian Americans had the highest median household income of the groups at $81,331, 19 percent higher than the median for non-Latino whites. “This could be due to foreign-born Asians skewing older as well as immigration regulations favoring highly-skilled immigrants,” Prudential said.

Asian Americans are also more likely to be employed than the general population, the report said.

For blacks, a difference is revealed in the percentage who are financially optimistic. Almost three-quarters of black Americans whose household incomes are above $60,000 annually are confident they will be able to meet their financial goals. So are two-thirds of lower-income black Americans with household incomes below $60,000. This made them significantly more optimistic than the general population, where only about two-thirds of all higher-income and about half of lower-income members felt the same way, Prudential said.

The optimism seems to be warranted for black Americans who are Gen Xers, the generation following baby boomers. Nearly half of the higher income blacks are part of Gen X.

Despite their optimism, the dream of home ownership for black Americans remains elusive, Prudential said. Only 33 percent of black Americans own their own homes, versus 58 percent of the population as a whole. Black Americans, who are understood to have been disproportionately impacted by risky subprime loans during the 2008 financial crisis, are generally more likely to live in big cities and suburbs, where higher housing costs may put homeownership even further out of reach, the survey aid.

Prudential also separated out those who considered themselves caregivers and found that, not only were they more likely to put other family members first, they also are more likely to have investments of mutual funds, bonds and individual stocks. They also are more likely to work with a financial advisor than the general population.

Just under half of all caregivers worked with at least one financial professional, compared to only one third of non-caregivers. This may be tied, at least in part, to the complications introduced by having to consider the financial welfare, not just of themselves, but also of those who are under their care, the survey said.

Thirty-eight percent of caregivers in the study do not think they will ever be able to retire versus only 25 percent of non-caregivers. Although caregivers for children with special needs were as likely as other caregivers and non-caregivers to have a defined contribution retirement plan, they were also the most likely to have taken a loan or hardship withdrawal from those plans.

Despite their crucial role in providing for their families, women still face a yawning wage gap with men. The average annual income for women was $52,521, compared with $84,006 for men, a difference of 37 percent. Women are earning about 63 cents for every dollar earned by men. Lower income levels mean less money is available for saving and investing, and it lowers future Social Security benefits.

Although they earn less, 54 percent of women reported they were the primary breadwinners in their household.

Men and women are about equally likely to carry mortgage debt, and in roughly the same amounts. However, 25 percent of women reported having student loan debt, with an average balance of $7,860, compared with only 18 percent of men, who have an average balance of $4,126.8

Among the LGBTQ community, only 27 percent said they have an employer-sponsored retirement savings account such as a 401(k), compared with 41 percent of the general population. Only 21 percent have an individual retirement account, versus 32 percent of non-LGBTQ respondents. In fact, only half of LGBTQ respondents surveyed have a basic banking product such as a checking, savings or money market account, or certificates of deposit. Two-thirds of the non-LGBTQ respondents own at least one of those products, the survey said.

The full report can be found here.