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Demographic Analysis of Central Neighborhood, Helena: Low Diversity with Subtle Racial Shifts
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
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Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
The Central neighborhood of Helena, Montana exhibits a low diversity demographic profile, with a White majority of 89% as of 2022. This categorization aligns with the "Low Diversity" definition. Economically, the area has seen fluctuations in median income over the past decade, with the most recent figure at $62,131 in 2022. Helena's Central neighborhood is known for its historic architecture and proximity to the state capitol building, which likely influences its demographic and economic characteristics.
Over the past decade, the Central neighborhood has consistently maintained its status as a "Low Diversity" area. The White population has remained the dominant racial group, consistently comprising over 75% of the total population. There have been subtle shifts within this category. The White population percentage decreased slightly from 93% in 2015 to 89% in 2022, indicating a minor trend towards increased diversity. There has been a gradual increase in the Hispanic population, from 2% in 2013 to 7% in 2020, before declining to 2% in 2022. The Black population has shown a small but steady increase from 1% in 2013 to 3% in 2022. The percentage of residents identifying as two or more races has doubled from 2% in 2013 to 4% in 2022.
These changes are not substantial enough to shift the neighborhood out of the "Low Diversity" category, but they suggest a slow trend towards increased diversity, potentially indicating the early stages of a "Transitional Community". The median income in the Central neighborhood has shown considerable fluctuation over the past decade. There was a significant drop from $53,720 in 2013 to $44,564 in 2016. This was followed by a sharp increase to $57,726 in 2017. Since then, there has been a general upward trend, reaching $62,131 in 2022.
These economic shifts appear to correlate with the subtle demographic changes. The period of lowest median income (2015-2016) coincides with the highest percentage of White residents (93%). As the community has slowly diversified, there has been a general upward trend in median income. This could suggest that increased diversity might be associated with economic growth in this neighborhood.
The trend towards increased diversity, albeit slow, aligns with broader national trends of increasing diversity in many urban and suburban areas. The economic fluctuations seen in this neighborhood may reflect broader economic trends, such as recovery from the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent economic growth.
The population of the Central neighborhood has remained relatively stable over the decade, increasing from 4,341 in 2010 to 4,612 in 2022. This modest growth, combined with the slow increase in diversity and rising median income, suggests a neighborhood that is gradually evolving while maintaining its core characteristics.
In conclusion, while the Central neighborhood of Helena remains categorized as "Low Diversity," subtle demographic shifts and economic fluctuations over the past decade hint at a slowly evolving community. These changes, though minor, may be early indicators of broader socio-economic trends that could reshape the neighborhood's character in the coming years.
