The Neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington - Case Study Example

Neighborhood Analysis I. Introduction The neighborhood examined in this case study exists in Tacoma, Washington. Its Exact boundaries are from South 23rd street to South. 9th street, and from the Foss Waterway to Market Street. In conducting the case study quantitative statistical data from the United States Census Bureau, as well as health information from the Pierce County Health Department was analyzed for information that pertained to the social and cultural dynamics of the neighborhood. The statistical data of the area was coupled with personal observational research I conducted in the region. I twice visited the region, once mid-day on a Saturday, and another time mid-day during the week. As a highly commercial region, I understood that the observations made during the week would be greatly different from that gathered during the weekend. While I had very few preconceived notions about the region, I was somewhat familiar with the area from having visited the convention center, as well as the Tacoma Art Museum on a couple of occasions. The exact observations were conducted by driving alone throughout the neighborhood, and then on the weekend investigation stopping and eating at one of the area establishments and walking proceeding to walk throughout parts of the area. My original impressions were that the area was not entirely affluent, but the quaint construction of its shops and amenable streets and vegetation made it an altogether attractive region within to shop and visit. II. Demographics and Social Class A large majority of the information in this section was gathered and analyzed from the 2000 United States Census Report. There was not a 2006-2008 report available, so it can be reasonably assumed the figures do not correspond exactly to the contemporary neighborhood; however, the census figures are a great tool in developing a general estimation of the neighborhood demographics and culture. Gender and Age According to the 2000 United States Census Report, the total population for the area being examined is 4,935, with 60% (2,975) of the residents male and 39.7% (1,960) female. The median age of the inhabitants is 37.4, slightly higher than the United States’ average age of 35.3. The great majority of these residents are adult age, with this section of the population constituting 92.3%. There is a reasonably high rate of senior citizens, as 16.4% of the residents are over the age of 65; this is notably higher than the 12.4% country average. Race 70% of the population is white, with 16.3% African American, and 4.9% Asian. The 2.7% Alaska or Native American population is significantly higher than the nation’s .9% average and can be attributed possibly to Washington’s proximity to Alaska relative to the rest of the country. The rest of the racial makeup of the population is comprised by 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, .06% pacific islander, 4.3% mixed race, and 1.3% a race not listed. In great part this seems like a typically majority white neighborhood. Education and Social Characteristics When considering the educational level of the neighborhood, the average level of attainment is slightly lower than the national average. While the vast majority of the population over the age of 25 (74.6%) have at least graduated from college, this figure is still below the national average of 80.4%. An even greater discrepancy is seen between the number of residents that have attained a bachelor’s degree, as the neighborhood average of 15.2% is notably lower than the national average of 24.4%; 5.1% have attained a degree higher than bachelors. There is a slightly higher veteran population of 17.4% when compared with the national average of 12.6%. This seems to be characteristic of the advanced age of many of the neighborhood’s residents. This may also be one of the primary reasons that the neighborhood exhibits an exceptionally disability rate when compared to the national average; indeed, the neighborhood’s 42.6% is strikingly larger than the national average of 19.3%. This also contributes to nearly 25% less of the population in marriages than the national average, as the advanced age of the population would causes a number of deaths that end marriages; however, only 7.4% of the population are widowed, indicating that there are higher divorce and overall non-marriage among the neighborhood inhabitants. Economic Characteristics The economic characteristics of the neighborhood are perhaps most revealing about its social class. While the lower amount of the population in the labor force (40.3%) against the national average (63.9%) can be understood as an extension of the population’s advanced age, the more specific economic indicators attest to the neighborhood’s reduced financial status compared to the rest of the nation. The median household income is significantly lower than the nation’s average, with a $15,847 to $41,994 difference. Similarly, one notices the difference in median family income, with a $24,543 neighborhood to $50,046 national average difference; this is also true of per capita income, with a neighborhood $17,443 to the $21,587 national average. Indeed, the most striking statistical are the exact amount of the neighborhood’s population below the poverty level, with the neighborhood average below the poverty level at 29.1% compared to the national 9.2% rate; this discrepancy is also reflected in the individual’s below poverty level with 1,327 members of the population below poverty level – percentage wise this is 36.1% for the neighborhood compared to 12.4% of the nation who is below the poverty line. While the economic status of the neighborhood is not entirely bleak, as its 5.4% unemployment rate is below the national average, even for 2000 standards, the overwhelming economic indication of the region is that it is financially poor. Social Class When determining the social class of the area the statistics as well as my qualitative visual analysis have revealed a number of observations. Statistically speaking, when consider the high percentage of the population below the poverty line the region is low-lower middle class. This indication was also echoed in by personal observations of the region; while the buildings and architecture of the region are far from decayed, the prestige one might associate with more affluent regions is not existence in this Tacoma area. Another key indicator is the types of shops and businesses existent in the area; even as there are a number of amenities, including Thai restaurants, and shopping outlets, and day spas, they are modest in nature, and by no means indicative of the expensive shopping areas one would find in upper economic regions. The exact types of employment of the neighborhood residents, and the reduced amount of college graduates is also indicative of the social status of the region: while nearly 30% of the residents occupied management or professional positions, an even greater majority – 40% -- were employed in service or sales position. While this is in part an extension of the overwhelming function of the area as a commercial region, it also speaks to the educational level of the neighborhood residents and the underlining social class of the region. III. Health When considering the health of the population it’s important to consider both statistical data and personal observations in making assertions. One of the most obvious health considerations of the neighborhood concerns the extremely high rate of disability among the residents, as the 42.6% figure is nearly twice the national average of 19.4%. While this was earlier surmised as an obvious extension of the advanced age of a large amount of the population, one might consider it from a different perspective that views the region as much unhealthier than the national average. While there is a notably higher 65+ section of neighborhood residents, the vast majority of the disability figures occur in between the 21-64 age range. The major disabilities that occur are employment and physically related, but a notably high amount are directly related to mental and sensory functioning. The Pierce County Health Board also offers a number of insightful statistics on the region’s overall health. While the region’s mortality rate has decreased over the past five years, it is still significantly higher than the rest of Washington state. While the amount of residents who smoked also dropped over the previous 5 years, the region’s smoker population exceeded the 12% goal of the 2010 Health People objective. The region did exhibit relatively strong numbers of residents who reported engaging in physical activity, with 81%; the 31% of youth who engaged in some leisure-time physical activity also exceeded the 30% goal of the 2010 Health People objective, however fell short of the 85% figure for vigorous physical activity, as only 50% of the youth population engaged in such activity. This may be due to weather restrictions, or the function of the region as overwhelmingly commercial. Another notable barometer of health is the high discrepancy the region demonstrated concerning the number of overweight residents, as only 37% of the population was at a healthy weight – significantly lower than the Health People 2010 goal of 85%. Considering access to health care, 86% of residents reported in 2003 to having some type of health coverage, while 9% reported to not having the financial means to procure a doctor of adequate health coverage; however, 96% of children were shown to have adequate health coverage. The county health report concluded, We have seen many indicators of improved population health...Years of healthy life. a global measure of community health and wellbeing. have also shown improvement over the previous decade. A young adult in 2000-2002 could look forward to almost four additional years of healthy life than he or she could in 1988-1990. Despite these successes, however, we face persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities, and we are on track for meeting only a few of the objectives delineated in Healthy People 2010. IV. Features of Healthy Living In observing the neighborhood it seemed for the most part like other lower-income areas, but the large amount of area medical facilities was clearly noticeable, as a minor sized medical district, consisting of the Franciscan Health System, Regence Blue Shield Building, the American Cancer Society, and other outlying medical facilities, are noted right along Market Street between 9th and 23rd street. One might also suspect that the high amounts of residents below the poverty lines could contribute to lower standards of health, as these residents don’t regularly have access to the health and nutrition requirements of more affluent populations. The neighborhood also contains a high number of scenic landscape architecture outlining many of the streets, most notably Market Street. Although the region is low on the economic scale the health benefits of the many vegetation lining these streets is notable. While there are no specific indicators, such as dilapidated buildings or smog that would deleteriously affect public health, one must note the lack of avenues for physical activity in the region that could contribute to exercise and subsequently health. While the Foss Waterway and ports are adjacent to the neighborhood, the water-outlet is utilized predominantly for sailing and commercial vessels, and the water doesn’t seem to be utilized for public recreation. Firemen’s Park, a small wooded area near the Foss Waterway is the areas only park, and its structure is such that in inhibits organized recreational activity, such as softball, football, or soccer. Ultimately, it seems that a healthy region would have more outlets for physical exercise. V. Housing Housing in the region is characterized by a number of demographic factors. 66.2% of the Population occupies a household, whereas 33.8% is living in a group quarters arrangement; this last figure is substantially above the national average of 2.8% and is an element of the high amount of senior citizens residing in the neighborhood. Significant differences between the national homeowner averages versus that of the neighborhood are also statistically evident; 5.1% of the neighborhood’s residents reside in owner occupied housing, a figure well below the national average of 66.2%. Conversely, 94.9% of the neighborhood population resides in renter-occupied housing, a figure substantially larger than the 33.8% national average. Vacant housing constitutes 12.1% of the housing in the region. These differences between the neighborhood and national average of owner and renter occupied housing clearly are indicative of the lower economic status of the region relative to the nation. However, also notable is that the median price for the homes is larger than national average; the neighborhood median home price being $129,800, compared to the national median of $119,600. While it’s difficult to determine the exact reason of this difference, one possible explanation is that the relative poverty and high number of renters in the region, has had a positive effect on the rise of home prices, as home-owners can more profitably rent them out to the residents. VI. Schools There are a number of schools in or near the neighborhood. While the relative structural condition of the school’s vary, in investigating them online and in person they seem to be consistent with similar middle class public and private school systems. While Bryant and Fife High School represent the lower end of the education spectrum, the region contains the Tacoma School of the Arts. The Tacoma School of the Arts contains first rate resources and a wonderfully constructed performance arts center. Other surrounding schools include Clover Park High School, the Holy Rosary School, and the Franklin Pierce School. VII. Social Service Agencies As the region is predominantly composed of commercial real estate there are a significant number of social service agencies. Perhaps the most prominent is the medical district along that was discussed earlier, which runs along Market Street. There are countless shops, restaurants, and shopping amenities throughout the region as well; some these include Starbucks, Pacific Grill Restaurant, Mad Hat Tea, Galanga Thai Cusine, Fujiya Japanese, Kantor Diamonds and Watermark Gifts. Some of the most prominent and notable social service agencies in the area include the Tacoma Art Museum, which is located near the water. There is also the Children’s Museum of Tacoma, the Rialto Theatre, the Tacoma Farmer’s Market, and the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Read More