Loading Content...
Demographic Changes and Racial Composition in Duke Homestead: A Study of Moderate Diversity and White Plurality
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Loading Content...
Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Duke Homestead, a neighborhood in Durham, North Carolina, exhibits characteristics of a Moderate Diversity community with a White Plurality. As of 2022, the neighborhood has a population of 1,494 and a median income of $54,520. Duke Homestead is the former home of Washington Duke, founder of the American Tobacco Company, and now serves as a state historic site and tobacco museum.
Over the past decade, Duke Homestead has undergone significant demographic changes. In 2013, the neighborhood displayed a Moderate Diversity profile with a White Plurality (41% white, 26% black, 31% Hispanic). By 2015, it shifted to a White Majority (59% white), indicating Low Diversity. The community quickly transitioned back to Moderate Diversity with alternating White and Hispanic Pluralities in subsequent years.
The most notable shift occurred between 2019 and 2021, where the neighborhood experienced a significant decrease in the Black population (from 21% in 2018 to 7% in 2021) while the White and Hispanic populations increased. This period could be categorized as a Transitional Community phase. By 2022, the racial composition stabilized somewhat, returning to a more balanced Moderate Diversity profile with a White Plurality (47% white, 23% black, 28% Hispanic).
The demographic shifts in Duke Homestead have been accompanied by fluctuations in median income. From 2013 to 2015, when the White population increased, median income rose slightly from $68,999 to $69,480. As the community became more diverse in subsequent years, median income showed a general downward trend, reaching a low of $33,186 in 2020. As the community stabilized into a more balanced Moderate Diversity profile in 2021 and 2022, median income began to recover, rising to $54,520 in 2022.
The demographic changes in Duke Homestead reflect broader trends seen in many urban areas across the United States, where increasing diversity is becoming the norm. The neighborhood's transition from a predominantly White area to a more diverse community aligns with national trends of growing Hispanic populations in many cities.
The economic fluctuations, particularly the sharp decline in 2020 and subsequent recovery, mirror national patterns related to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact. The neighborhood's rapid recovery in median income post-2020 outpaces many similar communities, suggesting local factors contributing to its economic resilience.
Duke Homestead's evolution over the past decade showcases the dynamic nature of urban demographics and economics. The neighborhood's transition through various diversity categories, coupled with its economic fluctuations, illustrates the complex interplay between racial composition and economic well-being in American communities. As Duke Homestead continues to evolve, its historical significance combined with its increasing diversity may position it uniquely within Durham's cultural and economic landscape.
