A Socio-Demographic Profile of My Neighborhood, Research Paper Example

Biography: – I am African American, lower middle class, male, father of 1 child. I moved into the neighborhood because the rent is reasonable and easy access to mass transit. The majority of the neighborhood is mostly African American and Latino.

Demography: – My community district is Bronx 04 police precinct 44^th. It is located within the Bronx borough, which is situated most northerly of the five New York City boroughs. Significantly, this was the last of 62 counties to be incorporated into of New York State municipality. This borough is 42 square miles (109 km2), which makes it the fourth-largest of the five boroughs, third most dens populated and the fourth most populated. In the north can be found Manhattan and Queens, on the south is Westchester County. The Bronx happens to be the only borough situated on the mainland occupying a relatively small portion of Manhattan. Marble Hill neighborhood physically stands on the mainland. Rerouting of the Harlem River in 1897 has influenced this geographic predisposition (Wylie, 1987).

Bronx o4 community’s 1990 population figures read 119, 962; 2000, 139,362 showing an increase of 16.3%. In 2010 the population increase by a further 4.9% to 149, 441. In relation to the borough a 2010 United States census figures there were revealed that 1,385,108 people were living in the Bronx. Further analysis reveals that 53.5% of this population is Latino, Hispanic, or Spanish ancestry; 30.1% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 3.4% non-Hispanic Asian; 10.9% of the population was non-Hispanic White; 0.6% from some other races and 1.2% of two or more races. Social demographic analysts consider the Bronx a very diverse area and distinctly so among other communities within United States of America. They predict an 89.7% percent chance of any two residents, selected randomly to be of different races or ethnicity (Wylie, 1987).

The specific ethnic population distribution of Bronx 04 community is whites 1.3%; Blacks 32.3%; Hispanics 63.1% and Asian 1.5. When evaluated alongside the borough ethnic distribution clearly Bronx 04 has a very high Hispanic presence. Formerly, the entire Bronx borough was a densely white populated community with 98% of this ethnic group migrating to other borough where there were fewer blacks. There was a steady decline of whites emerging from the 1940s to 2012 when only 45.8% remained. A great percentage non blacks remaining were, however, Hispanics and not pure whites (Wylie, 1987).

Illustration comparing marital status between Bronx and United States (Gonzalez, 2004).

Bronx o4 age ranges are reflected in the overall estimates contained in Bronx borough itself. The age population distribution encompasses 18 years and under 29.8%; 18-24, 10.6%; 25 -44, 30.7%; 45 – 64, 18.8% and 65, and over 10.1%. The median age for people living in this community is 31 years. The ratio of females to males is 100:87.0. Language distribution among residents pertain to 46.29% (584,463) speak Spanish below age 5. Children at an older age could be considered bilingual because 44.02% (555,767) of them speak Spanish as a primary language at home Spanish at home and 2.48% (31,361) speak English (Wylie, 1987).

African languages account for 0.91% (11,455) while Italian, 0.87% (10,946); French, 0.90% (111,355). Significantly, other Indo-European languages such as Chinese were discovered to be spoken by at least 0.50% (6,610) of the Bronx population beyond the age five. Also, numerous Indic languages, 0.70% (8,836) was found to be spoken. Importantly, research confirmed that some 55.98% (706,783) of the Bronx’s population over the 5 age group communicated in the mother language, which as one other than English. Subsequently, the Bronx has evolved into a Garifuna-speaking community due to the Honduras and Nicaragua influence into the society (Wylie, 1987).

Education, Employment and Occupation: – There are several public schools located in the Bronx 04 providing compulsory education for the community. Private educational institutions’ attendance is optional for residents who can afford the costs. However, both private and public schools despite zoning rules do not confine student’s enrollment to persons living in the Bronx 04. Importantly, New York City Department of Education carefully, manages public noncharter schools within that borough (Gonzalez, 2004).

Some research in 2000 found that public schools enrollment amounted to 280,000 alone of the Bronx’s residents age 3 and over. These figures were taken was from a total pre-college enrolment of 333,100. Several public charter schools function alongside numerous private schools, which account for the different social strata of the society. They spread across independent élite schools with profound religiously affiliated managed by New York Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Jewish Rabbi/organizations. These figures are reflective of Bronx 04 neighborhood as well (Gonzalez, 2004).

Educational attainment: Bronx 04 educational attainment shows where 7.8 % of the population has attained bachelor’s degree level while 3.5 % hold a professional or graduate degree. When this is evaluated in context of Bronx borough performance it was discovered though a 2000 education census report that 62% of an 800,000 Bronx school population graduated high school; 14.6% had college education achieving bachelors and higher degrees. Even though these percentages were comparatively lower than other boroughs in New York it is commendable for the culture of this society. Actual figures for neighboring boroughs are Brooklyn and Staten Island 82.6% for high school graduates over 24, and college graduates Brooklyn and Manhattan 21.8% and 49.4% respectively (Gonzalez, 2004).

Forty eight point nine percent (48.9%) of Bronx 04 residents are employed, leaving 9.7% of the potentially employable population unemployed. The highest occupation service is 38.8%. As it relates to unemployment figures in Bronx 04 and the entire borough analysts contend that while there is a national hike in unemployment across the nation the Bronx seems to have exceeded normal current rates reaching 11.5%, which is higher than the national average. Despite this high unemployment rate the Bronx has a rich cultural heritage and over 50% of residents are business owners. The Jewish population manage stores in around the community which offers some type of employment for the wide cross section of unemployed (Gonzalez, 2004).

In United States of America today as many developed nations education does not always place a student at an advantage for employment above any other person in the community or job market. Except for here there are specific skills required as in health care many degrees are just invaluable. Consequently, to measure the Bronx 04 in relation to Bronx unemployment rate according to educational attainment would be a misrepresentation the national unemployment crisis.

Income and poverty: – Bronx 04 community/neighborhood residents experience a 35.1% below poverty level rate. The median income is $26,519 as against 27,611 for the entire borough. A median dollar value of $ 366, 400 was calculated. At the family level it was $30,682 in 2010. The median income of males was slightly higher at $31,178 as against $29,429 for females. Per capita income was calculated to be $13,959. Approximately twenty- eight percent of families living in the Bronx are below the poverty line. Over thirty percent of the total was below the poverty line. Unfortunately, forty one percent were less than18 years old twenty one 65 years and older (Gonzalez, 2004).

Housing: – Property prices in Bronx 04 are reflected in the cumulative property cost within the Bronx borough itself, which ranges from $500,000 to 10,000,000. Median gross rent in my neighborhood was calculated to be $1,323. Relatively this is the price range of properties within New York City. Manhattan, obviously, carries far higher property value ranging from 800,000 to 240,000,000. A total of 1,385,108 people lived in the Bronx during 2010. This showed an increase of 3.9% as of 2000. Relatively, this figure encompassed 463,212 households, and distinctly 314,984 families occupying the borough. At the time with very little variations in 2013 a population density of 31,709.3 per square mile, which is 12,242.2/km² existed in the geographic location. Altogether approximately 490,659 housing units contained this amount of people creating an average density of 11,674.8 per square mile (4,507.4/km²) in relation to households’ containment. Census projections for 2012 showed a population increase to 1,392,002 (US Census, 2013).

Bronx 04 community contains 26.1% of married couples, 36.1% female headed households with no husbands and 7.6 of homes had with wife only and no husbands. This is in relation 38% of 463,212 households found in the Bronx borough containing children under the age 18 in the home. Thirty one percent were married couples in a nuclear family unit; thirty percent were single female headed households with absent husband/father. Thirty two percent were either single male or female headed households with no children. Nine percent of households were found to contain persons over 65 years or older living alone. Twenty percent of households in the Bronx had persons 65 years and older living in them. Essentially, this created an average household size of 2.78 and family 3.37 respectively (US Census, 2013).

Crime: – The highest number of felony convictions in 2012 was 688 for Bronx 04; murder was 8 showing a 74.8% decrease. There was a significant increase in grand larceny by 38.7%. Significantly, the Bronx has been labeled one of the worse communities to live New York state. However, actual crime rate figures reveal a crime index of 20. Further, the rate per report shows murder 140 when compared to 14,612 for the entire nation; rape 319 compared to 83,425 for the entire nation; robbery 5,806 in relation to 354,396 for the entire United States of America and assault 8,967 compared to national figures 751,131. Crime analysts say that is Bronx is safer than 20% of cities in New York to live. As such it is a not just the worst single community in United States of America (Gonzalez, 2004).

Summary: – I do like the area in this Bronx 04 here I live even through there are many stories in the press and very damaging images about the community. Historically, the Bronx was one of the most productive black communities in United Sates of America. With segregation talking its toll in the society and marginalization emerging out of structured inequitable conditions the Bronx just like Harlem has been allowed to dwindle into poverty as blacks evolved into America’s history scapegoats.

Works cited

Gonzalez, Evelyn. The Bronx. Columbia University Press. 2004. Print

US Census. New York. United States Census Bureau. 2013. Print

Wylie, Jonathon. The Faroe Islands: Interpretations of History, University of Kentucky Press. 1987. Print