A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF WESTSIDE PARK
Part I of an Exploratory Study to Establish a Special Improvement
District on Springfield and South Orange Avenues, Newark, NJ
Report to the Corinthian Housing Development Corporation and New Community Corporation
May 11, 1998
Demographic and Economic Indicators
Population Indicators
In general, the city of Newark has experienced a decline in its population since the late 1950. The Central Ward and our study area are consistent with this trend. Table I illustrates the population loss that the city of Newark has been experience since 1950 and the change in the racial composition of the city. In 1950, the majority of the population was of whites, totaling 82.8%, while the Black population comprised only 17.1% of the total population of the city. Compared with the 1990 composition, the minority population of the city now is of whites, with 28.6%, while the Black population now account for the majority of the population with 58.5%. The composition of the Central Ward shows even a larger percentage of Blacks in comparison with the White population.
Table I: Population of Newark, 1950-1990
| Newark |
1950 |
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
| Population |
438,776 |
405,220 |
381,930 |
329,248 |
275,221 |
| Blacks |
74,965 |
138,035 |
207,458 |
191,745 |
160,885 |
| % Blacks |
17.1% |
34.1% |
54.3% |
58.2% |
58.5% |
| Whites |
363,149 |
265,889 |
168,382 |
101,417 |
78,771 |
| % Whites |
82.8% |
65.6% |
44.1% |
30.8% |
28.6% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Population 1950, 1960,1970,1980,1990 and the Project Community 1997 Research Project.
Table II provides a comparison of the racial composition of the population in the study area and the city of Newark.As shown, the population of the West Side Park neighborhood is predominantly African-American, with over 93% of the actual population. Comparing the percentage of African Americans in the Central Ward with the one of the city of Newark, which is of 58.5%, it shows a very large concentration of this population in the Central Ward. The population distribution of the study area also shows a skewed distribution of the White population, where only 2.3% of Whites reside in the Central Ward while the percentage of whites in the city of Newark is about 28.6%.
Table II: Percentage of Population Race Distribution, 1990
|
Newark |
Central Ward |
| Total Population |
275,221 |
46,271 |
| % of Total Population |
100% |
16.8% |
| % of African Americans |
58.5% |
93% |
| % of Whites |
28.6% |
2.3% |
| % of Other Minorities |
12.9% |
4.7% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Census of Population 1990
Income Indicators
The income distribution shows that the study area as the Central Ward is poorer than Newark. While Table III shows the distribution changes in the household median income of the city of Newark since 1950, Table IV shows the median income of Newark compared with the one from the Central Ward.
Table III: Evolution of Household Income in Newark, 1950-1990
| Newark |
1950 |
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
| Median Household Income |
16,058 |
20,395 |
20,855 |
16,049 |
21,650 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Population 1950, 1960,1970,1980,1990 and the Project Community 1997 Research Project.
Table IV: Household Income, 1990
|
Newark |
Central Ward |
Study Area |
| Median Household Income |
21,650 |
15,104 |
15,935 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Population 1990
Note: In U.S. dollars
What the Tables above reflect is the comparison of the median household income of the study area and the city of Newark. As shown, the median HH income of the city shows decreases and increases through the decades and that the median Household income of the study area is 75% of the city. What this can imply is that (1) the income level of the residents of the neighborhood is lower than the median of the city, (2) the types of goods and business that can succeed in the area due to the income level is of basic goods and not of luxury goods, and (3) there is no local source for capital reinvestment since the income level is low and the money is used mostly for expenses purposes. The types of businesses present at the neighborhood reflect the median household income of the area. The commercial revitalization of the neighborhood is directly affected by the health of the commercial properties and of the residents of the area, since the residents of the area are the main customers of the business in the area.
