Loading Content...
Country Overlook, Wichita: Transition to White Majority Neighborhood (2013-2022)
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Loading Content...
Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Country Overlook, a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, currently presents as a "White Majority" community with moderate diversity. As of 2022, the white population constitutes 55% of the neighborhood, with significant representation from other racial groups. The median income of $42,151 in 2022 suggests a middle-class demographic. Country Overlook has a population of just over 2,000 residents.
Over the past decade, Country Overlook has undergone a notable demographic transition. In 2013, the neighborhood could be categorized as a "Black Plurality" community, with African Americans comprising 35% of the population, followed closely by whites at 46%. By 2022, this dynamic had shifted significantly, resulting in a "White Majority" classification.
The period from 2013 to 2019 saw the community oscillate between "Black Plurality" and "Moderate Diversity" categories, with neither white nor black populations consistently exceeding 50%. The years 2020 and 2021 marked a transition period, showing signs of increasing diversity with growing representation from Hispanic and multiracial groups.
A significant shift occurred in 2022, with the white population reaching 55%, establishing a "White Majority" for the first time in the recorded data. This change coincided with a decrease in the black population from 35% in 2020 to 24% in 2022, suggesting a potential outmigration of African American residents or an influx of white residents.
The median income in Country Overlook has shown considerable volatility over the decade. Starting at $35,958 in 2013, it peaked at $52,310 in 2021 before declining to $42,151 in 2022. This economic fluctuation appears to correlate with demographic shifts. The period of "Moderate Diversity" (2014-2018) saw a steady increase in median income, rising from $42,732 to $48,960. The transition years (2020-2021) witnessed both the highest ($52,310 in 2021) and one of the lowest ($37,707 in 2020) median incomes, coinciding with significant racial composition changes. The establishment of a "White Majority" in 2022 corresponded with a median income of $42,151, a decrease from the previous year but still higher than the 2013 figure.
The demographic shifts in Country Overlook align with broader trends observed in many American suburbs. The transition from a more diverse community to a "White Majority" could be indicative of gentrification processes or changing housing preferences among different racial groups. The economic volatility, particularly the sharp changes between 2020 and 2022, likely reflects the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The increasing representation of multiracial individuals (from 4% in 2013 to 10% in 2022) mirrors national trends, as the multiracial population in the United States has been one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in recent years.
Country Overlook has undergone significant demographic and economic changes over the past decade, transitioning from a diverse community with a Black plurality to a White majority area. These shifts, coupled with fluctuating income levels, suggest a neighborhood in flux, potentially influenced by broader urban development patterns, economic pressures, and changing social dynamics in Wichita and beyond.
