Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to examine the extent and trends of income inequality as well as the contribution of household and community level factors in explaining inequality within north and south in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach
The study employs both descriptive and regression methods. The study adopts the methodology by Fields (2002) to assess the importance of household and community attributes in explaining the level of inequality within north and south.

Findings
The findings of the study show that household characteristic such as urban location, no education, public and private formal economic activities, and not covered by National Health Insurance Scheme are major determinants of inequality within north and south. Specifically, within north, the 20-34 year group is the most prominent contributor to inequality. Within south, the most important determinant of inequality is the completion of Junior High School. The contribution of community level features show that, within north, access to banks is the most vital factor to inequality whilst within south, access to electricity and public transport are the most important community factors.

Practical implications
The study provides an understanding of the underlying household and community factors driving the observed inequality patterns within North and South. Policy options are identified for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Originality/value
The study uses the latest round of the Ghana Living Standards survey, GLSS 6 which covers new data on a nationally representative sample of 18,000 households in 1,200 enumeration areas.