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The Wells Neighborhood: A Study of Racial Demographics and Diversity Trends
CATEGORY
Demographics
DATA
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Loading Content...
Demographics
Population
Median Income
Racial Distributions
The Wells neighborhood in Mesa, Arizona, is characterized by low diversity with a significant White majority. In 2022, the White population comprised 78% of the total. The neighborhood shows signs of transitioning towards increased diversity. The Wells has experienced significant income fluctuations in recent years, with median income more than doubling between 2019 and 2020, followed by a sharp decline in 2022.
Over the past decade, The Wells has maintained a White majority status while gradually transitioning towards increased diversity. In 2013, the neighborhood exhibited extremely low diversity with 97% of the population identifying as White. By 2022, the White population decreased to 78%, indicating a slow but steady diversification trend.
The Hispanic population has shown the most significant growth, increasing from 2% in 2013 to 15% in 2022. This trend suggests The Wells may be evolving into a transitional community, particularly with respect to Hispanic integration. The Asian population has seen modest growth, from 1% to 3% over the same period. A small Black population (1%) and an increase in those identifying as two or more races (2%) emerged by 2022, further supporting the neighborhood's gradual shift towards greater diversity.
The median income in The Wells has experienced significant volatility over the past decade. From 2013 to 2019, the neighborhood saw a gradual increase in median income from $32,090 to $44,875. In 2020 and 2021, median income increased to approximately $99,000, followed by a sharp decline to $44,162 in 2022. These income fluctuations do not appear to correlate directly with demographic shifts. The extreme income changes might be due to data collection anomalies, changes in methodology, a temporary economic boom followed by a correction, or an influx and subsequent outflow of high-income residents.
The population of The Wells has remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 420 and 540 residents over the decade. This stability suggests that demographic changes are likely due to gradual resident turnover rather than large-scale population movements.
The gradual increase in diversity in The Wells aligns with broader national trends of increasing diversity in suburban areas. However, the pace of change in this neighborhood appears slower than national averages. The Hispanic population growth in The Wells is significant for the neighborhood but may be less pronounced compared to faster-diversifying areas in the Southwest. The income volatility observed in The Wells is unusual and not reflective of typical national or regional trends.
The Wells remains a predominantly White, low diversity community, but shows clear signs of gradual diversification, particularly with growth in the Hispanic population. The economic picture is unclear due to extreme income fluctuations, which require further investigation to understand their causes and impacts on the community's socio-economic fabric.
