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Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Wolf Creek, a neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio, exhibits a demographic profile characterized by low diversity and economic challenges. As of 2022, the neighborhood is classified as "Low Diversity" with a Black Majority comprising 73% of the population. Wolf Creek's median income in 2022 was $12,887, significantly below the national poverty line. This economic situation, combined with its racial composition, presents Wolf Creek as a case study in urban demographics and economic disparities.
Over the past decade, Wolf Creek has experienced a gradual transition in its racial composition while maintaining its status as a Black Majority neighborhood. In 2013, the neighborhood was categorized as "Low Diversity" with a Black Majority of 86%. This racial dominance persisted through most of the decade, peaking at 92% in 2014-2015. From 2018 onwards, a shift began to occur. The percentage of Black residents decreased from 92% in 2017 to 73% in 2022. Concurrently, there was a gradual increase in the White population, rising from 2% in 2015 to 23% in 2022. This trend suggests a slow transition towards a more diverse racial composition, though Wolf Creek remains in the "Low Diversity" category with a strong Black Majority.
The economic trajectory of Wolf Creek over the past decade has been marked by persistent poverty and minimal growth. Median income data from 2013 onwards shows a range between $10,431 and $13,901, with no consistent upward trend. This suggests a stagnant economic situation with little improvement in residents' financial well-being. The slight increase in racial diversity does not correlate with significant improvements in median income. This could indicate that incoming residents are not bringing substantially higher incomes to the neighborhood, or that economic opportunities remain limited regardless of demographic changes.
The population of Wolf Creek has fluctuated over the years, from a low of 411 in 2010 to a high of 541 in 2019, settling at 526 in 2022. These fluctuations do not seem to directly correlate with changes in median income, suggesting that population changes are not significantly impacting the overall economic status of the neighborhood.
Wolf Creek's situation is particularly stark when compared to national averages. The 2022 median income of $12,887 is drastically below the national median household income, which was around $70,784 in 2021. This places Wolf Creek residents in deep poverty, with incomes that are less than 20% of the national median. The racial composition of Wolf Creek also stands in contrast to national demographics. While the United States as a whole has been experiencing increasing diversity, Wolf Creek has maintained a strong Black Majority, though with recent signs of slight diversification.
The persistence of such low incomes and the slow pace of demographic change in Wolf Creek may indicate deeper structural issues affecting the neighborhood, such as limited access to economic opportunities, educational disparities, or historical patterns of segregation and disinvestment common in many urban areas across the United States. Wolf Creek presents a case of a neighborhood grappling with entrenched poverty and slow demographic change. While there are signs of increasing diversity, the economic situation remains challenging, highlighting the complex interplay between racial demographics and economic outcomes in urban America.