Our Economic Stats
Fooling around on the US Census site I found data on Truxton Circle, aka Census Tract 46.I think one of the tools we need in judging what kind of businesses the neighborhood can and will support is data on what kind of neighborhood we are. The problem with the census is that it occurs every 10 years. Truxton was a different place back in 2000 and the census does not reflect 2005, but the 2000 data is all we have, so suck it up.
I'm looking at the demographic highlights and this is where I can find economic and housing info. There are 1,347 housing units, of those 1081 are occupied, with 45.7% owner occupied and 54.3% renter occupied. Quoting housing prices may not mean as much because a little over 1/2 the housing are rentals. The median income in our area is $33,142, per capita income is $16,452, with 18% of families under the poverty level and 24% of individuals under the poverty level.
The income levels mean very little until you can compare them with other areas. The median income for the whole city is $40,127. But compared to Logan Circle, Census Tract 50, with a median household income $33,257, we're not that bad. Yet our per capita income of $16K sits well below Logan's $26K.
I could try to play with the Census data a bit more, but it tells me something I already know. We are not as rich as we think we are.
posted by Mari @ 10.6.05
4 Comments:
Given that we all want retail, but the neighborhood isn't a good draw for "outside" retailers, do you think a Co-op market would work here? They've been operating in Takoma, and Mt. Ranier, and Greenbelt - do you think enough people in Eastern Shaw would volunteer to make a go of it?
- JM
Possibly.
I remember a co-op in Cambridge, MA I would visit that was not too far from the Whole Foods, so the two cam operate in the same neighborhood (thinking of the whole 'Shaw'" neighborhood. But to get it to run you need a dedicated group of founders to run the place until a large enough group of volunteers can be found.
A co-op seems like a small enough enterprise that may have a go. Also I'm thinking co-ops typically have things that crackheads don't like stealing. "What no meat?! Tofu? I ain't eating no m*f*ing tofu. What's wrong with this rice, why is is brown?" Yep, perfect.
As far as volunteers go, I don't know if we are too far from Howard and Galudette (ms) to draw upon those students who may want their health food cheap and would be willing to work and have flexible hours. But nothin' ventured, nothing gained.
We have a group on H Street that is trying to do the whole co-op thing. I believe their goal is to have a store front in the next year or two. Could happen & would certainly be welcome, but I have heard we may also get some Harris Teeter type place in a mixed development at 3rd & H (across from the Abdo condos the Post and WBJ keep fawning over). And didn't I recently read that you can now buy meats at the Takoma Co-op. You really have to get people behind that kind of development to make it work, but yeah unless your crackheads are into Pirate's Booty, you may be onto something.
I'd definitely shop and volunteer there. Mt. Pleasant has had a co-op for years. It is small and seems manageable.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home