DrBanneker
Space is the Place
So last October I did a thread on the highest income majority Black counties: https://www.thecoli.com/threads/top-10-highest-income-majority-near-majority-black-counties.998764/
There weren't too many surprises there though the ranks have changed some over the years. There are a lot of articles about the richest Black counties, neighborhoods, etc. all over the Internet. What I noticed though was not much about which upper middle class areas are growing (or shrinking) the fastest. In other words, where are people actually actively moving to? So I ran some Census data over the last few weeks and found some tentative answers. Note these are fast growing regions, not necessarily the richest ones. A lot of places like PG County, De Soto near Dallas, Harris County (Houston), many inner ATL suburbs, and NOVA aren't really seeing Black population growth like in the past (though many are still growing at lower rats) even though Black folks continue to move to the South and Maryland.
The info below are not counties or even towns but a collections of "census tracts" which is basically a collective area of a bunch of neighborhoods in a region. This makes it more focused than just counties or towns which can have a wide range of incomes (like PG and DeKalb counties). Analysis isn't perfect and if you see something "wrong" pipe up but most of it seems reasonable.
I show where they are, income and also the "living wage". MIT has a living wage calculator which shows the "comfortable" wage for a given family in a county. It can be higher than many expect. Note the living wage numbers are for 2 parents + 2 kids. Living wage for singles is obviously much lower.
At the end I show some areas shrinking too.
Including past commenters: @Human Torch @Yinny @Spade @MoveForward @Stuntone @BigMan @MajesticLion @Wink Beaufield @Laidbackman @UncleTomFord15 @Secure Da Bag @daemonova @Suge Shot Me @Gloxina @Peachstate @invalid @Uachet @get these nets @Rollie Forbes
1. Henry County, GA: McDonough,GA/Flippen area near Eagles Landing
2010 Black percentage: 21%
2020 Black percentage: 44%
Median Black Household Income: $91k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Henry County): $117k (with 2 child childcare costs) $97k without childcare costs
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 39%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 47%
Henry County is the #3 highest income Black county behind PG and Charles in the DMV and has concentrated well-off areas to prove it. A lot of this is recent educated migrants to the ATL area or people who grew up in ATL but want more bang for their buck than the inner suburbs. A lot of people were shocked Henry County was high on that list but areas like the first two on the list show why. McDonough and Stockbridge in Henry County, GA are the fastest growing upper middle income Black areas in the country by a nice margin.
McDonough, GA
Eagles Landing Neighborhood
2. Henry County, GA: east of Stockbridge, GA
2010 Black percentage: 24%
2020 Black percentage: 50%
Median Black Household Income: $100k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Henry County): $117k (including childcare costs) $97k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 43%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 52%
Bellah Landing neighborhood, Stockbridge, GA
3. Baltimore County, MD: Owings Mill/Garrison/Pikesville, MD
2010 Black percentage: 40%
2020 Black percentage: 60%
Median Black Household Income: $100k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Baltimore County): $112k (including childcare costs) $93k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 45%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 54%
I don't know Baltimore County well but I am wondering if these are people tired of the high prices in the DMV as well as more recent arrivals. Owings Mill and Garrison are the fastest growing areas after Henry County. Besides southern Waldorf (shown later), the DMV overall isn't seeing the huge growth in Black areas like the past. They are saturated or just growing with normal region population growth.
I also think it is strange that MD would have a similar cost of living than Henry County but pricing, especially housing, is going nuts everywhere.
Owings Mill, MD
Owings Mill Neighborhood
4. Shelby County, TN: Cordova, TN
2010 Black percentage: 25%
2020 Black percentage: 50%
Median Black Household Income: $93k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Shelby County): $98k (including childcare costs) $80k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 47%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 58%
This seems to be the happening spot in the Memphis metro area for higher income recent arrivals or just people moving from other parts of Memphis. It is the fastest growing area in the South outside of Georgia.
Cordova, TN
Countrywood Neighborhood
5. Charles County, MD (south of Waldorf, St. Charles HS area etc.)
2010 Black percentage: 55%
2020 Black percentage: 70%
Median Black Household Income: $125k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Charles County): $121k (including childcare costs) $99k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 52%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 63%
Yeah, we all know Waldorf. Sucked in some of the well-heeled from PG County and other parts of the DMV. Really remote but one of the most well-off Black areas in the country by a comfortable margin. The largest growth for high income is in the southern part of Waldorf in the St. Charles High School area. Not sure how good the school is but the neighborhoods are seeing their income and Black population jump.
St. Charles H.S.
6. Douglas County, GA (south of Douglasville, GA, Chapel Hills area)
2010 Black percentage: 31%
2020 Black percentage: 50%
Median Black Household Income: $100k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Douglas County): $114k (including childcare costs) $93k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 44%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 54%
The other fast growing high income area of the ATL is Douglas County. If you can't stand to be far from Six Flags but right on I-20 to go into town, Douglasville and Lithia Springs are for you. Similar demographics to Henry County which is south of the city; Douglasville is to the west.
Douglasville, GA
Chapel Hills Neighborhood
7. St. Louis County, MO (parts of Florrisant, Old Jamestown, Lewis & Clark township)
2010 Black percentage: 50%
2020 Black percentage: 60%
Median Black Household Income: $100k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (St. Louis County): $116k (including childcare costs) $90k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 43%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 56%
I never knew about these places so maybe some STL natives can comment....reasonably high incomes and see share of Black population growing. I would assume these are transplants from other parts of St. Louis or Missouri but I can't say much.
Old Jamestown, MO
8. Cuyahoga County, OH (South Euclid in Cleveland area)
2010 Black percentage: 33%
2020 Black percentage: 50%
Median Black Household Income: $80k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Cuyahoga County): $108k (including childcare costs) $83k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 40%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 52%
Cleveland made this list...yeah I am shocked too. In particular the South Euclid area. My guess is people moving in from Shaker Heights or other parts of the region since the Midwest is net losing Black folks in many areas. Maybe @EndDomination can comment?
9. Cook County, IL (Olympia Fields/Flossmoor/Bloom Township)
2010 Black percentage: 42%
2020 Black percentage: 54%
Median Black Household Income: $95k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Cook County): $121k (including childcare costs) $93k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 35%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 46%
OK @invalid, you win. Here is your spot which is the most robust Black area of Cook County (other areas are shrinking). Seems like this has long been a middle class Black enclave and you can comment more on it?
Olympia Fields Country Club
10. Hinds County, MS (parts of Raymond, MS)
2010 Black percentage: 30%
2020 Black percentage: 40%
Median Black Household Income: $95k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Hinds County): $91k (including childcare costs) $81k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 52%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 59%
I am not trying to move to Mississippi (Planters Bank huh
) but it seems Raymond has seen some movement. Has one of the biggest bangs for the buck cost of living wise too. I assume new arrivals, people moving out of Jackson and maybe retirees too?
Raymond, MS
11. Hillsborough County, FL (Ruskin, south of Tampa)
2010 Black percentage: 20%
2020 Black percentage: 31%
Median Black Household Income: $91k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Hillsborough County): $105k (including childcare costs) $87k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 43%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 52%
Ruskin, FL
I wasn't sure to include this but I have love for Broward County so I snuck it in here. Hardly majority Black but is growing a lot. Basically a suburb south of Tampa.
There weren't too many surprises there though the ranks have changed some over the years. There are a lot of articles about the richest Black counties, neighborhoods, etc. all over the Internet. What I noticed though was not much about which upper middle class areas are growing (or shrinking) the fastest. In other words, where are people actually actively moving to? So I ran some Census data over the last few weeks and found some tentative answers. Note these are fast growing regions, not necessarily the richest ones. A lot of places like PG County, De Soto near Dallas, Harris County (Houston), many inner ATL suburbs, and NOVA aren't really seeing Black population growth like in the past (though many are still growing at lower rats) even though Black folks continue to move to the South and Maryland.
The info below are not counties or even towns but a collections of "census tracts" which is basically a collective area of a bunch of neighborhoods in a region. This makes it more focused than just counties or towns which can have a wide range of incomes (like PG and DeKalb counties). Analysis isn't perfect and if you see something "wrong" pipe up but most of it seems reasonable.
I show where they are, income and also the "living wage". MIT has a living wage calculator which shows the "comfortable" wage for a given family in a county. It can be higher than many expect. Note the living wage numbers are for 2 parents + 2 kids. Living wage for singles is obviously much lower.
At the end I show some areas shrinking too.
Including past commenters: @Human Torch @Yinny @Spade @MoveForward @Stuntone @BigMan @MajesticLion @Wink Beaufield @Laidbackman @UncleTomFord15 @Secure Da Bag @daemonova @Suge Shot Me @Gloxina @Peachstate @invalid @Uachet @get these nets @Rollie Forbes
1. Henry County, GA: McDonough,GA/Flippen area near Eagles Landing
2010 Black percentage: 21%
2020 Black percentage: 44%
Median Black Household Income: $91k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Henry County): $117k (with 2 child childcare costs) $97k without childcare costs
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 39%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 47%
Henry County is the #3 highest income Black county behind PG and Charles in the DMV and has concentrated well-off areas to prove it. A lot of this is recent educated migrants to the ATL area or people who grew up in ATL but want more bang for their buck than the inner suburbs. A lot of people were shocked Henry County was high on that list but areas like the first two on the list show why. McDonough and Stockbridge in Henry County, GA are the fastest growing upper middle income Black areas in the country by a nice margin.
McDonough, GA
Eagles Landing Neighborhood
2. Henry County, GA: east of Stockbridge, GA
2010 Black percentage: 24%
2020 Black percentage: 50%
Median Black Household Income: $100k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Henry County): $117k (including childcare costs) $97k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 43%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 52%
Bellah Landing neighborhood, Stockbridge, GA
3. Baltimore County, MD: Owings Mill/Garrison/Pikesville, MD
2010 Black percentage: 40%
2020 Black percentage: 60%
Median Black Household Income: $100k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Baltimore County): $112k (including childcare costs) $93k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 45%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 54%
I don't know Baltimore County well but I am wondering if these are people tired of the high prices in the DMV as well as more recent arrivals. Owings Mill and Garrison are the fastest growing areas after Henry County. Besides southern Waldorf (shown later), the DMV overall isn't seeing the huge growth in Black areas like the past. They are saturated or just growing with normal region population growth.
I also think it is strange that MD would have a similar cost of living than Henry County but pricing, especially housing, is going nuts everywhere.
Owings Mill, MD
Owings Mill Neighborhood
4. Shelby County, TN: Cordova, TN
2010 Black percentage: 25%
2020 Black percentage: 50%
Median Black Household Income: $93k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Shelby County): $98k (including childcare costs) $80k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 47%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 58%
This seems to be the happening spot in the Memphis metro area for higher income recent arrivals or just people moving from other parts of Memphis. It is the fastest growing area in the South outside of Georgia.
Cordova, TN
Countrywood Neighborhood
5. Charles County, MD (south of Waldorf, St. Charles HS area etc.)
2010 Black percentage: 55%
2020 Black percentage: 70%
Median Black Household Income: $125k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Charles County): $121k (including childcare costs) $99k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 52%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 63%
Yeah, we all know Waldorf. Sucked in some of the well-heeled from PG County and other parts of the DMV. Really remote but one of the most well-off Black areas in the country by a comfortable margin. The largest growth for high income is in the southern part of Waldorf in the St. Charles High School area. Not sure how good the school is but the neighborhoods are seeing their income and Black population jump.
St. Charles H.S.
6. Douglas County, GA (south of Douglasville, GA, Chapel Hills area)
2010 Black percentage: 31%
2020 Black percentage: 50%
Median Black Household Income: $100k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Douglas County): $114k (including childcare costs) $93k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 44%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 54%
The other fast growing high income area of the ATL is Douglas County. If you can't stand to be far from Six Flags but right on I-20 to go into town, Douglasville and Lithia Springs are for you. Similar demographics to Henry County which is south of the city; Douglasville is to the west.
Douglasville, GA
Chapel Hills Neighborhood
7. St. Louis County, MO (parts of Florrisant, Old Jamestown, Lewis & Clark township)
2010 Black percentage: 50%
2020 Black percentage: 60%
Median Black Household Income: $100k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (St. Louis County): $116k (including childcare costs) $90k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 43%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 56%
I never knew about these places so maybe some STL natives can comment....reasonably high incomes and see share of Black population growing. I would assume these are transplants from other parts of St. Louis or Missouri but I can't say much.
Old Jamestown, MO
8. Cuyahoga County, OH (South Euclid in Cleveland area)
2010 Black percentage: 33%
2020 Black percentage: 50%
Median Black Household Income: $80k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Cuyahoga County): $108k (including childcare costs) $83k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 40%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 52%
Cleveland made this list...yeah I am shocked too. In particular the South Euclid area. My guess is people moving in from Shaker Heights or other parts of the region since the Midwest is net losing Black folks in many areas. Maybe @EndDomination can comment?
9. Cook County, IL (Olympia Fields/Flossmoor/Bloom Township)
2010 Black percentage: 42%
2020 Black percentage: 54%
Median Black Household Income: $95k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Cook County): $121k (including childcare costs) $93k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 35%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 46%
OK @invalid, you win. Here is your spot which is the most robust Black area of Cook County (other areas are shrinking). Seems like this has long been a middle class Black enclave and you can comment more on it?
Olympia Fields Country Club
10. Hinds County, MS (parts of Raymond, MS)
2010 Black percentage: 30%
2020 Black percentage: 40%
Median Black Household Income: $95k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Hinds County): $91k (including childcare costs) $81k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 52%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 59%
I am not trying to move to Mississippi (Planters Bank huh
) but it seems Raymond has seen some movement. Has one of the biggest bangs for the buck cost of living wise too. I assume new arrivals, people moving out of Jackson and maybe retirees too?Raymond, MS
11. Hillsborough County, FL (Ruskin, south of Tampa)
2010 Black percentage: 20%
2020 Black percentage: 31%
Median Black Household Income: $91k
MIT Cost of Living Index Comfortable Living Salary for 2 working parents + 2 children (Hillsborough County): $105k (including childcare costs) $87k (without childcare costs)
percent of Black households over MIT COL index with childcare: 43%
percent of Black households over MIT COL index without childcare: 52%
Ruskin, FL
I wasn't sure to include this but I have love for Broward County so I snuck it in here. Hardly majority Black but is growing a lot. Basically a suburb south of Tampa.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/B53C2KNEWZB7BO3ORQK7VYRVVM.jpg)
