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Demographic Shifts in Bienville Neighborhood: From White Majority to Increasing Diversity
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Loading Content...
Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
The Bienville neighborhood in Semmes, Alabama, as of 2022, is classified as a "White Majority" community with moderate diversity. The white population constitutes 58% of the total, while the Black population accounts for 33%. Over the past decade, the neighborhood has undergone significant demographic changes and fluctuations in median income. Bienville is named after Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the French colonizer who founded nearby Mobile, Alabama.
From 2013 to 2022, Bienville transitioned from a "Low Diversity" community to one with "Moderate Diversity." In 2013, the neighborhood was categorized as "White Majority" with 74% white population. The white population percentage steadily decreased to 58% by 2022. Simultaneously, the Black population increased from 24% in 2013 to 33% in 2022. The Hispanic population grew from 0% in 2013 to 6% in 2022, indicating a trend towards increased diversity. The emergence of a small Asian population (3%) in 2022 further contributes to this diversification trend.
The median income in Bienville has exhibited significant volatility over the past decade. It peaked at $62,499 in 2017, then sharply declined to $23,051 in 2019. This decrease coincided with a population reduction from 1,609 in 2018 to 1,414 in 2019, suggesting a possible outmigration of higher-income residents. As the community became more diverse from 2019 to 2022, the median income showed signs of recovery, increasing from $23,051 to $26,453. This could indicate that the influx of new, diverse residents might be contributing to economic stabilization in the area.
The population has been generally declining since 2014, dropping from 2,207 to 1,010 in 2022. This substantial decrease in population, coupled with the income volatility, suggests that Bienville may be experiencing significant socio-economic challenges.
The demographic shifts observed in Bienville align with broader national trends of increasing diversity in suburban areas. However, the dramatic fluctuations in median income and population are more extreme than typical national patterns, suggesting that local factors may be playing a significant role in these changes.
The increase in diversity, particularly the growth of the Hispanic population, reflects similar trends seen in many Southern states. However, the sharp decline in overall population is atypical and may warrant further investigation into local economic conditions or policy changes that could be driving this trend.
Bienville is undergoing a significant demographic transition, moving from a predominantly white community to one with increasing diversity. This aligns with national trends, but the extreme economic volatility and population decline present unique challenges and opportunities for this historic Alabama neighborhood.
