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Demographic Changes in Parkwood: Transition from White Majority to Moderate Diversity
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
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Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Parkwood, a neighborhood in Shoreline, Washington, exhibits characteristics of a Moderate Diversity community with a White Majority. As of 2022, the white population represents 55% of the residents, with a Black population of 21% and an Asian population of 14%. The neighborhood has experienced demographic shifts over the past decade, alongside economic growth. Parkwood is located near the Puget Sound and features a mix of mid-century and newer homes.
Over the past decade, Parkwood has transitioned from a community with a clear White Majority to one of Moderate Diversity. In 2013, the neighborhood was categorized as Low Diversity, with whites comprising 55% of the population and no other group exceeding 12%. By 2022, while maintaining a White Majority, the community has become more diverse.
The Black population has increased from 9% in 2013 to 21% in 2022. This shift suggests Parkwood may be approaching a Transitional Community status. The Asian population has also grown, fluctuating between 12% and 21% over the decade. These changes indicate a trend towards increasing diversity, potentially driven by factors such as changing housing policies, economic opportunities, or broader demographic shifts in the Seattle metropolitan area.
The demographic shifts in Parkwood have occurred alongside economic growth. The median income has risen from $86,474 in 2013 to $105,691 in 2022, an increase of about 22%. This growth suggests that the increasing diversity has not come at the expense of economic prosperity. The years of greatest diversity (2019-2022) also saw the highest median incomes.
The population has remained relatively stable, growing from 3,642 in 2013 to 3,836 in 2022. This stability, combined with rising incomes and increasing diversity, might indicate that the neighborhood is becoming more attractive to a wider range of middle to upper-middle-class families from diverse backgrounds.
The trends observed in Parkwood align with broader patterns seen in many suburban areas near major cities on the West Coast. The increasing diversity, particularly the growth in Black and Asian populations, reflects similar changes in other parts of the Seattle metropolitan area and other tech-centric regions.
The economic growth in Parkwood outpaces the national average, which is characteristic of many areas in the Pacific Northwest that have benefited from the tech industry boom. The median household income in Parkwood ($105,691 in 2022) is higher than the national median ($70,784 in 2021), indicating that this neighborhood is particularly affluent.
The stability in population size, despite increasing diversity and rising incomes, suggests that Parkwood may be experiencing some level of gentrification or housing market pressure. This could be leading to a turnover in residents rather than significant population growth, a pattern seen in many desirable suburban areas near major cities.
Parkwood exemplifies a suburban neighborhood in transition, moving from a predominantly white, upper-middle-class enclave to a more diverse, yet still affluent community. This evolution reflects broader trends of increasing diversity in American suburbs, particularly those near major urban centers with strong economic growth.
