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Demographic and Racial Analysis of Santa Rita Park: A Hispanic Majority Neighborhood in Tucson
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
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Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Santa Rita Park, a neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona, exhibits a Hispanic Majority demographic profile, with 71% of the population identifying as Hispanic in 2022. The neighborhood is categorized as "Low Diversity" due to the dominance of a single racial group. Economically, Santa Rita Park faces challenges, with a median income of $25,445 in 2022, which is below the national average. This neighborhood is one of Tucson's oldest barrios, with deep-rooted Hispanic cultural heritage.
Over the past decade, Santa Rita Park has maintained its status as a Hispanic Majority community. The Hispanic population declined from 79% in 2013 to 67% in 2020, before increasing to 71% in 2022. The White population gradually increased from 14% in 2013 to 20% in 2020-2021, before decreasing to 18% in 2022. The Black population increased from 3% in 2013 to 8% in 2020, settling at 6% in 2022. The Native American population doubled from 2% in 2013 to 4% in 2022. These shifts suggest a trend towards slightly increased diversity, though not enough to change the overall categorization from Low Diversity to Moderate Diversity.
The median income in Santa Rita Park has fluctuated over the years. From 2013 to 2016, it declined from $25,304 to $19,930. From 2016 to 2019, it increased to $25,510. From 2019 to 2022, there were slight fluctuations, ending at $25,445 in 2022. The population has generally decreased from 2,467 in 2013 to 1,915 in 2022, a decline of about 22%.
The economic trends correlate with demographic shifts in several ways. The period of lowest income (2015-2017) coincided with the highest percentage of Hispanic residents. As the white population percentage increased, there was a slight uptick in median income, though this relationship is not strong enough to draw definitive conclusions. The increase in Black and Native American populations coincided with periods of relative economic stability, though incomes remained low overall.
Santa Rita Park's demographic and economic trends reflect broader patterns seen in many urban Hispanic-majority neighborhoods across the Southwest. The slight decrease in Hispanic population percentage, coupled with increases in other minority groups, aligns with national trends of increasing diversity in urban areas. The persistent low median income is consistent with challenges faced by many predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods nationwide, often related to historical patterns of segregation and unequal access to economic opportunities. The fluctuation in population, with an overall downward trend, could be indicative of gentrification pressures or out-migration to suburbs, a phenomenon observed in many urban core neighborhoods across the U.S.
In conclusion, while Santa Rita Park has maintained its Hispanic Majority and Low Diversity status over the past decade, subtle shifts towards increased diversity are evident. The neighborhood continues to face economic challenges, with incomes well below national averages. These trends suggest a community in slow transition, balancing preservation of its Hispanic cultural identity with the forces of demographic and economic change affecting many urban neighborhoods across America.
