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Demographic Changes in Turtle Ridge: A Study of Racial Composition and Income
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
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Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Turtle Ridge, a neighborhood in Irvine, California, demonstrates a White Majority demographic composition with a median income of $172,211 as of 2022. This community has undergone significant demographic and economic changes over the past decade.
In 2013, Turtle Ridge was categorized as a White Majority community, with 60% of the population identifying as white. Over the next decade, the neighborhood transitioned towards increased diversity. By 2020, it had shifted to a Majority-Minority community, with Asian and Hispanic populations growing significantly. This trend reversed in 2022, returning to a White Majority status, albeit with a more diverse composition than a decade earlier.
The most notable changes include an increase in the Asian population from 34% in 2013 to a peak of 44% in 2020, before declining to 27% in 2022. The Hispanic population grew from 3% in 2013 to 25% in 2021, then decreased to 13% in 2022. The white population fluctuated, reaching a low of 28% in 2020 before rebounding to 58% in 2022.
The median income in Turtle Ridge has fluctuated over the years but has generally remained high. Notable observations include a peak median income of $181,094 in 2015, coinciding with a period of White Majority status and lower diversity. A dip to $145,250 occurred in 2019, aligning with an increase in diversity and a shift towards Majority-Minority status. The income rebounded to $172,211 in 2022, correlating with the return to White Majority status.
Turtle Ridge's demographic shifts reflect broader trends seen in many California suburbs, where increasing diversity has been a common theme over the past decade. The recent reversal back to a White Majority is somewhat unusual and may be specific to this neighborhood's unique characteristics or local economic factors.
The high median income of Turtle Ridge significantly exceeds both the California state median ($84,907 in 2022) and the national median ($69,717 in 2022), positioning it as an exceptionally affluent area even within the generally wealthy city of Irvine.
The neighborhood's population has decreased from its peak of 5,966 in 2014 to 2,858 in 2022. This population decline, coupled with the demographic shifts, suggests potential changes in housing availability, cost of living, or other local factors that may be influencing who chooses to live in Turtle Ridge.
Turtle Ridge presents a case of a high-income neighborhood experiencing significant demographic fluctuations over a relatively short period. These changes reflect both local dynamics and broader regional trends, highlighting the interplay between race, economics, and community composition in modern American suburbs.
