The Social Areas of Cincinnati

SES I is the area commonly thought of as the inner city.

Only 53 percent of the adults have a high school education.

Only one child in four in SES I lives in a two parent home.

The trend toward racial isolation continued. Other trends offer real hope.

SES II, with a median family income of $22,500, is an area where people struggle to make ends meet.

As with SES I, the area in 2000 was poorer, more African American and the two-parent family structure was disappearing.

SES II can by no means be called a slum.

The neighborhoods are heavy concentrations of families struggling to rise above the poverty they once knew.

SES II neighborhoods where families are struggling to rise above the poverty they once knew.

Family breakup in SES I and SES II, as contrasted with the maintenance of two parent homes in SES II and IV, are among the more alarming discoveries of this study. (Family breakup spread to SES III during the 1990s)

Changes in family structure mean that there is an increased demand for family and youth services.

School dropout rates range from 11% in the East End to 41% in Carthage.

SES III is not a fortified middle-class sanctuary.

SES III can be characterized as a series of middle class enclaves which border SES II or SES I areas on their central perimeter.

Residents of SES III are aware of their need to act positively to solve the problems that affect their own and nearby neighborhoods.

SES IV is the only social area to continuingly lose population.

The SES IV area changed between 1970 and 2000.

In SES IV the median family income was almost six times that of 1970, while in SES I it was only triple. As clearly as any statistic can, this illustrates the growing gap between the haves and have-nots in Cincinnati

Mt. Airy, Westwood, North Avondale-Paddock Hills, University Heights, and College Hill remain on the critical list.

Bond Hill experienced a high rate of decline in all three census periods.

Chapter 2

THE SOCIAL AREAS OF CINCINNATI

The Four Social Areas Described

One of the major purposes of this report is to take the great mass of 2000 census data and make it more useful for the purpose of analyzing the needs of various sections of the city.

In Chapter 1 we have described the process whereby the census tracts were ranked according to a complex index of social class and then grouped into four quartiles. Appendix II gives us the actual census tracts and their index numbers. The neighborhoods, their census tracts and overall SES index are shown in Table 2a. The quartiles or social areas themselves can be used as units of analysis, along with census tracts and neighborhoods.

Table 2b shows the summary statistics for the four social areas. Table 2c gives the average statistics. Note that the statistics in any given column in Table 2c merely give the average for all the tracts in that particular quartile. Table 2d gives city totals. Each table presents 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 data.

SES I: A High Problem Area

The Social Area Described

SES I is the area commonly thought of as the inner city. It is "worse off" on all the social indicators listed in Table 1a (see Appendix II for actual values). It is the white area in Figure 2. It includes all of Lower Price Hill, Linwood, North Fairmount-English Woods, Camp Washington, South Cumminsville-Millvale, Fay Apartments, Winton Hills, Over-the-Rhine, and tracts in East Price Hill, Westwood, South Fairmount, Northside, Roselawn, Avondale, Evanston, Walnut Hills, Mt. Auburn, and the West End. During the 1990s the East End moved up to SES II and, for the first time, single tracts in Westwood and Roselawn fell to SES I. Otherwise, the list of neighborhoods included in SES I has changed little since 1970. This area is 81 percent African American, and is known to have a large Appalachian population. There is also an emerging Hispanic presence. Six percent of the dwelling units are overcrowded. Only 32 percent are single family units but this is up from 22 percent in 1990. The unemployment rate is 18 percent (compared to 9% in 1970) and more than three-fourths of the workers are in blue collar or service occupations. Only 53 percent of the adults have a high school education. The median family income is $15,733. Fifty-three

(Click to enlarge)

percent of Cincinnati's families in SES I have incomes below the poverty level.

The number of households in poverty in SES I declined from 16,072 to 5,045 between 1990 and 2000. This rate of decline (68%) was much greater than the population decline (17%). The rapid rate of decline in the family structure indicator (percent of children under 18 in two parent homes) slowed dramatically. Between 1970 and 1990 it had declined from 71.4 to 27.3. Between 1990 and 2000 it dropped to 24.4. Still, this means that only one child in four in SES I lives in a two parent home.

The number of households on public assistance declined from 11,382 to 5,045 during the decade. The percentage of the population who are first generation immigrants went up for the first time since 1970, from .9% in 1990 to 2.4% in 2000. This was nearly identical to the 1970 rate of 2.5%. This is probably due to an increase in the Hispanic population. The percentage of first generation immigrants increased in all four quartiles but only slightly. As in previous decades, foreign immigrants are now likely to live in the upper SES quartiles. Percentages of immigrants are down in all four quartiles since 1970.

In summary the news from SES I has positive features. Statistics for the 1990s show a reversal of the trend for the inner city to become poorer, more unemployed and more welfare dependent. Even the trend toward single parent families slowed down somewhat. The percentage of single family dwelling units has increased steadily since 1970 when it was only 15%. In 2000 it was 32%. (This compares to an average of 46% in the other quartiles). Trends in previous decades presumably reflected changes which have affected most American inner cities - white flight, deindustrialization, and the movement of jobs and tax base to the suburbs. The trend toward racial isolation continued in the 90s.

If these positive trends continue and were not a temporary effect of the economic boom of the 90s, they offer real hope for improving the quality of life in the inner city. Progress on reducing crime, racial isolation, despair and drug addiction will also be necessary.

SES II: Second Stage Neighborhoods

The second quartile, (shown in pink in Figure 2) is comprised of neighborhoods on the inner rim of the western plateau and the Mount Airy-Northside slopes, Winton Place, Corryville, Bond Hill, Linwood, Carthage, Evanston-East Walnut Hills, sections of the West End and Mt.Auburn, and clusters in Avondale, Fairview-Clifton Heights, and Madisonville. The census tracts in SES II are usually contiguous to SES I areas. Twenty three percent of the city's population live in this area. Fifty percent of the population is African American. (This is up from 43 percent in 1990 and is higher than the city wide percentage of African Americans (42.8%).

Shifts in Composition

Over the decades, the composition of this area has changed somewhat in terms of which neighborhoods it includes, but this change is not dramatic. During the 80s, tracts in the CBD, Madisonville, and Walnut Hills moved upward to a higher quartile and Linwood moved from SES I to SES II. These movements reflect redevelopment efforts in the CBD and Walnut Hills and population change in Linwood. There was also movement in the other direction. During the 80s six census tracts moved from SES II down to SES I. These tracts were in the East End, East Price Hill, Evanston, Avondale, West End and Fay Apartments (one each). During the 90s the area changed further. In West Price Hill, tract 98.02 moved down from SES III and tract 97.04 moved up to SES III. Evanston had one tract shift from SES III to SES II. In Avondale 2 tracts moved to SES II from SES I and two moved in the opposite direction. Linwood move to the top of SES I.

Social Indicator Changes

With a median family income of only $30,190 most families in SES II struggle to make ends meet. In 1970 15 percent of the households had incomes below the poverty level. This rose to 18 percent in 1980, 24 percent in 1990, and 24 percent in 2000. In 1970 SES II was 41 percent African American. In 2000 this percentage was 50. In 1970 38 percent of Cincinnati's African Americans lived in SES II. This fell to 36 percent in 1980, 31 percent in 1990 and, in 2000, stood at 29 percent. The number of families decreased from 27,117 in 1970 to 17,811 in 2000. The family structure indicator was 73.5 in 1970 and fell to 34.7 in 2000. As with SES I, the area in 2000 was poorer, more African American and the two-parent family structure was disappearing.

Table 2a

Cincinnati Census Tracts and SES Quartiles
by Neighborhood, 2000

Neighborhood (Total Population)	Census Tract SES Index & (Quartiles)													SES Index for Neighborhood	SES Rank
Quartile 1
Fay Apartments	85.02													15	1
2,292	15 (1)
N. Fairmount - English Woods	86.01													15.4	2
4,565	15.4 (1)
S. Cumminsville-Millvale	77													15.4	2
3,914	15.4 (1)
Over-The-Rhine	9			10		11	16		17					15.64	4
7,831	3 (1)			23.6 (1)		25.4 (1)	10.8 (1)		15.4 (1)
Winton Hills	80													17.4	5
5,375	17.4 (1)
Lower Price Hill	91													19.2	6
1,182	19.2 (1)
Camp Washington	28													27.2	7
1,611	27.2 (1)
West End	2			3.01		3.02	4		8		14		15	28.46	8
8,022	14 (1)			10.4 (1)		22.2 (1)	49 (2)		47.8 (2)		39.8 (2)		16 (1)
S. Fairmount	87			89										29.4	9
3,360	21 (1)			37.8 (2)
Avondale	34			66		67	68		69					30.96	10
16,192	31 (1)			37.2 (2)		23.6 (1)	30.8 (1)		32.2 (2)
Walnut Hills	19			21		35	36		37					31.48	11
7,650	65.2 (3)			23.2 (1)		16.6 (1)	30 (1)		22.4 (1)
Linwood	47.02													35	12
1,089	35 (2)
Quartile 2
Sedamsville -Riverside	103													35.4	13
2,144	35.4 (2)
East Price Hill	92			93		94	95		96					38	14
18,091	34.2 (2)			38.2 (2)		27.8 (1)	41.6 (2)		48.2 (2)
Evanston	38			39		40								43.67	15
8,065	25.6 (1)			32 (1)		73.4 (3)
Corryville	32			33										43.9	16
3,830	35.4 (2)			52.4 (2)
East End	43			44										46.4	17
1,663	48.8 (2)			44 (2)
Mt. Auburn	18			22		23								46.87	18
6,477	68.4 (3)			41.8 (2)		30.4 (1)
Bond Hill	63			64										47.2	19
9,682	38 (2)			56.4 (2)
Northside	74			75		78	79							48.75	20
9,415	31.2 (1)			65.6 (3)		46 (2)	52.2 (2)
Winton Place	73													52.6	21
2,396	52.6 (2)
Carthage	61													53	22
2,412	53 (2)
Mt. Airy	83			85.01										54.9	23
9,006	75 (3)			34.8 (2)
Fairview - Clifton Heights	25			26		27								62.8	24
7,261	51.8 (2)			54.4 (2)		82.2 (4)
Quartile 3
University Heights		29	30											63.7	25
8,731		67 (3)	60.4 (3)
Roselawn		62.01	110											64.3	26
6,885		63.4 (3)	65.2 (3)
Sayler Park		105	106											53.2	27
3,283		69.4 (3)	65.6 (3)
Westwood		88	100.01		100.02		101	102.01		102.02		109		68.26	28
36,018		28.6 (1)	63.2 (3)		40.2 (2)		91 (4)	87.6 (4)		99 (4)		68.2 (3)
Evanston - E. Walnut Hills		41												68.8	29
1,787		68.8 (3)
Madisonville		55	56		108									69.93	30
11,330		56.6 (2)	71.6 (3)		81.6 (3)
Riverside - Sayler Park		104												70.4	31
1,530		70.4 (3)
West Price Hill		97	98		99.01		99.02	107						75.56	32
18,184		56.8 (3)	54.8 (2)		92.6 (4)		79.4 (3)	94.2 (4)
College Hill		81	82.01		82.02		84	111						75.68	33
16,459		72.4 (3)	78 (3)		69 (3)		69.8 (3)	89.2 (4)
Kennedy Heights		58												77	34
5,689		77 (3)
Hartwell		60												78	35
5,526		78 (3)

Quartile 4
CBD - Riverfront		6	7											81	36
3,149		77 (3)	85 (4)
N. Avondale - Paddock Hills		65												84	37
6,326		84 (4)
Pleasant Ridge		57.01	57.02		59									84.73	38
9,468		96.2 (4)	69.6 (3)		88.4 (4)
Oakley		52	53		54									85.6	39
11,205		96.2 (4)	95.6 (4)		65 (3)
Clifton		70	71		72									90.8	40
8,579		85 (4)	100 (4)		87.4 (4)
Mt. Washington		46.01	46.02		46.03									93.93	41
13,911		89.6 (4)	98.6 (4)		93.6 (4)
East Walnut Hills		20	42											95.6	42
3,704		93.8 (4)	97.4 (4)
Mt. Lookout - Columbia Tusculum		47.01												104.6	43
3,120		104.6 (4)
California		45												106.4	44
1,044		106.4 (4)
Mt. Adams		12	13											109.9	45
1,466		111.2 (4)	108.6 (4)
Hyde Park		49	50		51									110.13	46
13,620		112.4 (4)	109.6 (4)		108.4 (4)
Mt. Lookout		48												112.2	47
3,209		112.2 (4)

Table 2b
City of Cincinnati Summary Statistic for SES Quartiles, 1970-2000
SES Indicator		Quartile I	Quartile II	Quartile III	Quartile IV
Total Population	1970	86,549	116,935	95,902	155,481
	1980	71,824	89,799	111,612	116,682
	1990	78,141	98,954	94,269	92,132
	2000	64,284	81,339	96,066	96,059

Total Families	1970	18,712	27,117	22,982	41,132
	1980	6,229	20,434	26,420	29,235
	1990	17,895	23,250	20,720	21,506
	2000	14,336	17,811	21,550	21,307

Total Housing Units	1970	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1980	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1990	35,688	43,736	43,347	46,244
	2000	32,472	39,711	46,549	50,292

Percent Single Familiy Units	1970	15%	28%	40%	46%
	1980	19%	31%	41%	47%
	1990	22%	37%	41%	42%
	2000	16%	38%	45%	42%

Total African American Population	1970	47,602	47,943	15,440	13,993
	1980	42,376	46,695	21,206	19,252
	1990	59,632	42,212	25,040	11,037
	2000	51,774	40,601	36,720	12,896

Percent African American Population	1970	55%	41%	16%	9%
	1980	59%	52%	19%	16%
	1990	76%	43%	27%	12%
	2000	81%	80%	38%	13%

Percent White or Other	1970	40%	53%	84%	74%
	1980	39%	48%	79%	82%
	1990	24%	57%	73%	88%
	2000	20%	80%	62%	87%

Percent First Generation Immigrants	1970	3%	6%	9%	15%
	1980	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1990	1%	2%	4%	4%
	2000	1%	3%	5%	4%

Total Households Below Poverty	1970	6,423	4,063	1,790	1,696
	1980	7,176	3,761	2,213	1,454
	1990	16,072	9,423	5,868	3,637
	2000	11,745	8,387	6,109	4,198
Percent of Households Below Poverty	1970	34%	15%	8%	4%
	1980	44%	18%	8%	5%
	1990	53%	24%	14%	8%
	2000	45%	24%	14%	9%

Total Households on Public Assistance	1970	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1980	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1990	11,382	6,053	2,847	1,807
	2000	3,794	1,941	1,193	761

Public Assistance/Poverty Ratio	1970	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1980	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1990	71%	64%	49%	50%
	2000	32%	23%	20%	18%

Total Population 60 Years or Older	1970	13,346	20,686	15,930	31,075
	1980	10,432	15,186	19,200	27,212
	1990	11,082	16,829	18,743	18,674
	2000	8,043	10,508	16,997	17,323

Percent 60 Years or Older	1970	15%	18%	17%	20%
	1980	15%	17%	17%	23%
	1990	14%	17%	20%	20%
	2000	13%	13%	18%	18%

Total Population Under 16 Years	1970	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1980	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1990	26,367	24,664	16,511	15,446
	2000	20,889	19,343	19,134	15,516

Percent Population Under 16 Years	1970	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1980	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1990	34%	25%	18%	17%
	2000	33%	24%	20%	16%

Total Unemployed	1970	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1980	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1990	4,091	4,299	2,592	1,745
	2000	4,090	3,130	3,033	1,772

Unemployment Rate	1970	9%	6%	4%	3%
	1980	------¹	------¹	------¹	------¹
	1990	20%	9%	5%	3%
	2000	18%	8%	6%	3%

		Table 2c
City of Cincinnati Average SES Indicators by Quartile, 1970-2000

SES Indicator / Index		Quartile I	Quartile II	Quartile III	Quartile IV

Family Income Indicator	1970	$5,147	$7,444	$8,944	$11,482
(Median Family Income)	1980	$8,110	$13,231	$18,641	$22,946
	1990	$11,398	$22,568	$30,913	$44,779
	2000	$17,487	$30,190	$41,848	$73,723

Family Structure Indicator	1970	71.4%	73.5%	80.3%	83.1%
	1980	38.5%	59.0%	76.3%	79.7%
	1990	27.3%	50.5%	69.4%	82.0%
	2000	17.0%	34.7%	50.3%	75.4%

Occupation Indicator	1970	47.5%	38.1%	29.2%	18.6%
	1980	72.0%	56.3%	43.9%	30.5%
	1990	86.9%	79.8%	71.8%	57.3%
	2000	83.6%	74.3%	65.2%	48.9%

Education Indicator	1970	82.0%	68.4%	54.1%	37.6%
	1980	70.6%	53.5%	38.3%	24.3%
	1990	52.9%	38.5%	24.7%	14.6%
	2000	45.4%	30.3%	19.0%	11.4%

Crowding Indicator	1970	19.4%	11.8%	8.7%	3.3%
	1980	11.7%	6.2%	3.5%	1.5%
	1990	9.7%	4.1%	2.1%	0.9%

Shifts in Composition

Social Indicator Changes

City of Cincinnati Average SES Indicators by Quartile, 1970-2000