From WBEZ Chicago:
New census data confirms the continuation of Chicago neighborhoods’ gentrification
By Esther Yoon-Ji Kang
Saturday, Mar. 19, 6 a.m. CTParts of Chicago witnessing the fastest growth in median household income are also areas where the white population grew and Latino population shrank in the last 10 years, according to a WBEZ analysis of new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday.
… The five ZIP codes where the median household income increased by 30% or more were 60608, 60642, 60618, 60647 and 60616. They include neighborhoods such as Pilsen, Logan Square, the Lower West Side, Noble Square, Irving Park and the Near South Side. All five ZIP codes gained white residents while losing Latino population between the two five-year periods.
In other words, although “gentrification” is usually discussed in terms of whites moving into black neighborhoods, at least in Chicago (a fairly representative big city), what is rather happening is that whites are moving into Hispanic neighborhoods, presumably due to the lower murder rates:
The 60608 ZIP code, the area that includes Pilsen and parts of Bridgeport and McKinley Park, saw the largest increase in median household income, more than 43%. The median household income there increased from $39,976 to $57,183 (adjusted for inflation) in a decade’s span. That ZIP code also saw its Latino population decrease by 17% and its white population increase by 28%.
So not a super-fast change over 10 years, but noticeable.
… Betancur said Latino residents who once lived in these areas are now moving to near and far suburbs like Berwyn, Cicero, Aurora, Naperville and Waukegan. He said they seek manufacturing jobs that are no longer available in the city. He also said renting houses in the suburbs is cheaper than doing so in the city.
Not the direst of fates…
