Richmond Neighborhood Conditions
Although Richmond is a relatively small city, the variation between neighborhoods within the city is striking. In this section we use a series of 10 maps to analyze the data for each indicator: demographics, demographic change, and housing market conditions.
MAP 1: Renter Households
Parchester Village, Marina Bay Hilltop and El Sobrante Hills have Block Groups with only 40% or lower percentages of renter-occupied households. North Richmond, most of the central and south Richmond areas, and other areas have a higher concentration of renters than the city as a whole, with some areas above 80% renters.
MAP 2: Communities of Color Population
The category “communities of color” aggregates together many racial and ethnic groups in a way that we recognize can be problematic, but the indicator does allow a glimpse at dynamics between white community members and residents who are parts of groups affected by racial exclusion. Most of the Block Groups in Hilltop, Parchester Village, North Richmond, and the Iron Triangle have non-White population percentages that are higher than the average value for the city. Point Richmond, parts of Marina Bay, and El Sobrante Hills have percentages at or below 40% white.
MAP 3: African American Population
The percentage African American is broken out of the non-white population because of the well-documented history of African American communities being highly impacted by gentrification. In the city as a whole, the percentage that is African American is 24%. The percentage is higher in areas of Hilltop, Parchester Village, North Richmond, Iron Triangle, and South Richmond.
MAP 4: Adult Education Attainment
Adults with more than a bachelors degree in Richmond are highly concentrated in a few neighborhoods. In the Iron Triangle, fewer than one out of seven adults has a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Parchester, North Richmond, North and East, and parts of El Sobrante, the rates of adults without a bachelors degree are higher than the city average of 68.6%.
MAP 5: Low Income Households
Nearly all Block Groups in North Richmond, Iron Triangle and the Richmond Annex have percentages of low income households that are above 50%, higher than the city average. This is also true of nearly half of the Block Groups in the Hilltop and North and East neighborhoods. El Sobrante Hills, Point Richmond, and parts of Hilltop have 25% or lower rates of low income households.
MAP 6: Median Housing Value
Median housing value within Richmond varies widely from less than $100,000 to above $400,000. North Richmond, Iron Triangle, South Richmond and parts of North and East have Block Groups with median housing values at less than $100,000 or $200,000. El Sobrante Hills, Point Richmond, and parts of Richmond Annex have median values at $400,000 and above.
Demographic change in Richmond varies widely by neighborhood, and even among Block Groups within neighborhoods. The following four maps show the change in homeownership, household income, non-white population, and educational attainment at the Block Group level.
MAP 7: Change in Homeownership
The spatial pattern of homeownership rates within the city is rather random. One Block Group each in the Hilltop and North Richmond neighborhoods show the highest percentage gain. Right next to the Hilltop Block Group with the highest gain is an area with the most dramatic loss in homeownership. A couple of Block Groups in North and East and South Richmond also lost more than 25 percentage points in their homeownership rate.
MAP 8: Housing Value Appreciation
Housing values within Richmond neighborhoods have appreciated by more than 25% in some areas while falling by more than 25% in others. Parchester Village and areas of Hilltop, Marina Bay, and El Sobrante Hills have housing values that have risen by more than 25%. Areas of North Richmond, Iron Triangle, Belding Woods and North and East have housing values that lost up to, and in some cases more than, 25%
MAP 9: Change in Median Household Income
Changes in the household income at the Block Group level also show a varied pattern. Parchester Village and parts of North Richmond and El Sobrante Hills display high gains in median income from 2000 to 2013. Some of the Block Groups in and around Hilltop, in the Iron Triangle, and North and East show steep declines in household income.
MAP 10: Change in White Population
Most areas in the city have had no change in the percentage white population, or have had a slight loss in the percentage of white populations during the time period. Gains of 10% or more in the white population percentage are seen in areas along Interstate 80. However, this corridor also has areas that have lost 25% or more.