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Demographic Analysis of North Park & Ridgecrest: A Predominantly Black Neighborhood in Jackson, Mississippi
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
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Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
North Park & Ridgecrest, a neighborhood in Jackson, Mississippi, exhibits a demographic profile characterized by low diversity with a predominantly Black population. As of 2022, the neighborhood has a population of 573 and a median income of $28,075. This area is part of a city that played a role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
Over the past decade, North Park & Ridgecrest has maintained its status as a low diversity neighborhood, with the Black population remaining the dominant racial group. From 2013 to 2018, the neighborhood exhibited an extremely low diversity profile, with the Black population comprising over 95% of residents. In 2019, a change occurred, marking the beginning of a transitional community phase. The Hispanic population emerged, constituting 16% of the total, while the Black population decreased to 84%.
This transition continued through 2020 and 2021, with the Hispanic population maintaining a significant presence (20% and 17% respectively) and the introduction of a small multiracial population (3% in 2021). By 2022, while still categorized as low diversity, the neighborhood showed signs of increasing diversity, with 88% Black, 10% Hispanic, and 2% multiracial populations.
The demographic shifts correlate with economic trends. The median income has shown a general upward trend, increasing from $22,891 in 2013 to $28,075 in 2022, representing a 22.6% increase over the decade. The emergence of the Hispanic population in 2019 coincided with a change in median income from $28,072 in 2018 to $27,353 in 2019, followed by further increases in subsequent years. The population has fluctuated, peaking at 1,243 in 2013 and declining to 573 by 2022.
The demographic changes in North Park & Ridgecrest reflect broader national trends of increasing diversity in urban areas. However, the neighborhood's continued low diversity status contrasts with many other urban areas that have seen more dramatic shifts towards high or moderate diversity. The income growth in the neighborhood, while positive, still places it below the national median household income. This suggests that while the area is experiencing some economic improvement, it still faces economic challenges compared to national averages.
The introduction of a Hispanic population aligns with national trends of growing Hispanic communities in various parts of the United States, including in the South. This gradual diversification, even within a historically Black neighborhood, reflects broader patterns of demographic change occurring across many American cities. While North Park & Ridgecrest remains a predominantly Black, low-diversity neighborhood, the subtle shifts in its racial composition and the correlating economic changes suggest a community in the early stages of transition.
