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Demographic Evolution of Cunningham Ridge: From White Majority to Moderate Diversity and Back
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Loading Content...
Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Cunningham Ridge, a neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, has undergone significant demographic changes over the past decade. In 2022, the neighborhood is classified as a "White Majority" community with 66% of the population identifying as white. This classification represents the latest stage in a series of demographic shifts observed since 2013. The neighborhood's population has remained relatively small, ranging from 265 to 329 residents throughout the studied period.
In 2013, Cunningham Ridge was categorized as "Low Diversity" with a 77% white majority. By 2017, it had transitioned to a "Moderate Diversity" classification, with significant Black (27%) and Hispanic (25%) populations alongside a reduced white population (47%). This shift represents a substantial change in the neighborhood's demographic composition over a four-year period.
From 2017 to 2019, Cunningham Ridge maintained its "Moderate Diversity" status, with a near-even split between white residents and the combined Black and Hispanic populations. However, from 2020 onwards, there has been a gradual trend back towards a white majority, culminating in the current "White Majority" status in 2022. This oscillation between diversity categories suggests that Cunningham Ridge could be classified as a "Transitional Community."
The demographic shifts in Cunningham Ridge correlate with changes in median income. As the neighborhood transitioned from "Low Diversity" to "Moderate Diversity" between 2013 and 2017, the median income increased slightly from $42,315 to $43,877. However, as the community began trending back towards a white majority from 2018 onwards, there was a decline in median income, dropping to $36,670 by 2022.
The demographic shifts observed in Cunningham Ridge reflect broader national trends of increasing diversity in urban areas, particularly the growth of Hispanic populations in many U.S. cities. However, the subsequent partial reversal of this trend in recent years is less typical and may reflect specific local factors.
The decline in median income since 2017, despite the return to a white majority, contrasts with national trends where median household incomes generally increased between 2017 and 2022. This suggests that Cunningham Ridge may be facing unique economic challenges that transcend its racial composition.
Cunningham Ridge exemplifies the complex nature of urban demographic change. Its transition from low diversity through moderate diversity and back to a white majority, coupled with counterintuitive economic trends, underscores the need for nuanced understanding of neighborhood dynamics in urban planning and policy-making.
