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Demographic Shifts in Buffalo's First Ward: From Moderate to Low Diversity
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Loading Content...
Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
The First Ward neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, is characterized as a White Majority community with 72% of the population identifying as white in 2022. The neighborhood has undergone significant demographic and economic changes over the past decade. The median income in 2022 was $23,973, which is below the national median household income. The First Ward has historical significance as an area with Irish-American heritage and was formerly a center of Buffalo's waterfront industry.
Over the past decade, the First Ward has transitioned from a community with Moderate Diversity to one that now approaches Low Diversity. In 2013, the racial composition was 68% white, 15% black, and 14% Hispanic. By 2022, these percentages had shifted to 72% white, 11% black, and 12% Hispanic. The most significant change occurred between 2018 and 2022, when the white population increased from 61% to 72%.
The demographic shifts in the First Ward correlate with fluctuations in median income. The median income peaked in 2014 at $30,682 but decreased to $23,973 in 2022. This downward trend in income occurred simultaneously with the increase in the white population percentage. The population of the First Ward has also decreased from 1,778 in 2013 to 1,470 in 2022.
The demographic changes in the First Ward differ from national trends, which have generally shown increasing diversity across urban areas. While many U.S. cities have experienced growing minority populations and a decline in the percentage of white residents, the First Ward has seen the opposite trend.
The economic challenges faced by the First Ward, with its median income below the national average, reflect broader issues of urban poverty and economic disparity in post-industrial cities like Buffalo. The trajectory of increasing racial homogeneity amidst economic decline presents a case study that deviates from typical urban demographic patterns.
The First Ward's evolution over the past decade presents a complex picture of demographic and economic change. The shift towards a more homogeneous racial composition, coupled with economic challenges, suggests that the neighborhood is undergoing a unique transformation that warrants further investigation into local policies, economic factors, and social dynamics driving these changes.
