Census Section

This chapter presents a detailed and concise summary of demographic information for the Alta Sita neighborhood, which was collected for the years of 1960, 1970, 1980, and 1990 from the United States Census Bureau.  

The information gathered for Alta Sita neighborhood is compared to trends within St. Clair County, East St. Louis, the Suburban Ring and Census Tracts 5010 and 5011.  St, Clair County data minus the data for the City of East St. Louis determined the Suburban Ring.  The value of comparing Alta Sita with the Suburban Ring lies in the fact that Alta Sita is on the edge of the City and that the nature of the Suburban Ring can be markedly different than the City itself or Alta Sita.  Alta Sita neighborhood is located within both Census Tracts 5010 and 5011 and represents one third of each tract.  Thus the data collected on the tract level is representative of Alta Sita and the region immediately surrounding it, but may not entirely capture the nature of Alta Sita specifically.  For a limited number of variables data was available at the Block Level and the aggregate of these data comprises an accurate portrayal of Alta Sita.  Block data was used to from each Census Tract and combined to calculate the Alta Sita neighborhood totals and percentages.

Population Data
Total Population 
Alta Sita, like East St. Louis, has experienced drastic declines in population since the 1960s, but the rates of decline have stabilized in the last decade within the neighborhood.  The overall population of the Metro East Region has remained stable while the suburban growth has balanced inner city decline between 1970 and 1990.  This shift in population from the inner city to the suburbs has left significant amounts of abandoned property in the City and in Alta Sita. 

Percent Change in Population
While East St. Louis appears to be experiencing an increasing rate of population loss, Alta Sita's and Tracts 5010 & 5011 out-migration rates appear to be slowing.  The increases in population rates further reflect the shift of population from the City to the County and Suburban Ring. Because of Alta Sita's declining population and recent signs of stabilization, the neighborhood presents a good opportunity for successful revitalization efforts.  Employing a multi-pronged community development strategy is needed to stem continued out-migration and further stabilize the population of the neighborhood and potentially attract new residents of Alta Sita. 

Percent of Population Under 18 Years of Age
Between 1970 and 1990, all comparison groups except for the City of East St. Louis have experienced continual and gradual decline in this age cohort.   However, minors still constitute a considerable proportion (~30%) of the population.  Plans for the revitalization of Alta Sita should contain programs that address issues of Youth Development (ie: public health, safety, education, cultural, recreational, and day care), as well as transportation to these activities.

Percent of Population Over 65 Years of Age
Growth in the elderly population of Alta Sita has outpaced that of the City and County with a 7% increase in Alta Sita between 1970 and 1990, while the City experienced only an increased of 0.3%.  This represents not only an aging of the population but also an enriching of the resources available to the neighborhood.  Elderly in the community possess knowledge and skills essential to successful community-building. They have the time to share these gifts with the next generation of Alta Sita residents. 

Percent African American
African Americans constitute a significant proportion of the population in the City and in Alta Sita they consistently represent greater than 97% of the total population over the last three decades.  This is contrasted with the low percentage of the African American population in the County and of the Suburban Ring. Whereas the African American population in East St. Louis has risen from 70% in 1970 to over 98% in 1990, Alta Sita appears to be one of the earliest middle-class and professional African American neighborhoods in East St. Louis and is proud to be the home to Joe May, Ike and Tina Turner and the Hudlin Brothers.  Any development or revitalization efforts must reflect the cultural and social values of this population group. 


Education and Employment
Total School Enrollment (K-12)
Total school enrollment declined significantly in the County, City and Alta Sita Study Area between 1970 and 1990 but is consistent with the population loss that the region experienced.  Efforts to reach area children and families must be coordinated through community-based organizations (i.e. churches, social service agencies, tenant associations) as well as schools.

Percent of Adults with a High School Education
Percentage of adults with a high school education has increased dramatically in Tract 5010, as it has in all of the comparison areas.  Tract 5011 has seen a precipitous drop between 1980 and 1990.  The cause of this unique occurrence in Tract 5011 has not been determined.  However, the increase on Tract 5010 is significantly less than the increases in the County and Suburban Ring.  These data suggest that while some progress has been made in the study area to increase graduation rates, the study area's school achievement levels still trail all comparison areas, placing Alta Sita residents at a competitive disadvantage in the work force.

Unemployment Rates
The Unemployment rates for Tract 5010 and 5011 are staggering and there is a growing "gap" in the unemployment rates for St. Clair County, its suburban ring and Alta Sita.  Whereas, Tract 5010's unemployment rate was 140% higher than the County in 1970, it has skyrocketing to 260% in 1990.  All comparison areas including the City of East St. Louis experienced declines in the unemployment rate while the study area of Tract 5010 and 5011 showed no such progress.  At this time, it is difficult to determine how much of this decline occurs in Alta Sita proper.  As a result, job training and placement programs as well as day care and transportation services are needed to help connect unemployed residents with available jobs.


Housing
Median Household Income
Alta Sita and East St. Louis households have much lower incomes than their Suburban counterparts but the relative "gap" appears to be narrowing for the Alta Sita study area.  The income for the study area as a percentage of the median income of the County is increasing, but is still only approximately half that of the County.  This data reinforces the importance of job generation, training and placement programs, particularly, in the context of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act.

Family Type by Percentage of all Households
Dramatic differences exist in dominant family types in St. Clair County, East St. Louis, and target area. The target area and East. St. Louis both have approximately one third of families that are married couple households whereas 73% of County families are married couple households.  These results in a high percentage of families that are single female-headed. These data help explain the significantly higher poverty rates of the target area.  As a result, emphasis must be placed upon educational programs that lead to "living wage" jobs for African American men as identified by Wilson as the major obstacle to stable families and socioeconomic mobility.

Percent of Families Below Poverty
East St. Louis and the Alta Sita area have poverty rates that are consistently 2-3 times greater than that of St. Clair County and the Suburban Ring.  Total number of families living below the poverty line has declined, but the percentage has only marginally declined.  A multi-pronged strategy that addresses the people, place, and behavioral dimensions of extreme poverty identified by Wilson in When Work Disappears is critical.


Percent of Female-Headed Households Living in Poverty
The key determinant of poverty level is single-parent household status. Two-thirds of female-headed households in the study area fall below the poverty line. As shown above in the discussion on family types, female-headed households is the dominant household type in the Alta Sita study area (60% of Households).  Again, emphasizes the need for employment and training programs.


Total Number of Dwelling Units
While Alta Sita and East St. Louis experienced significant loss in number of dwelling units between 1970 and 1980 (a decrease of nearly 20% in the housing stock), Alta Sita appeared to stabilize between 1980 and 1990 losing only 1.8% of its housing stock, while the City continued to hemorrhage dwelling units.  These data cause us to be cautiously optimistic regarding the possibility of stabilizing and expanding the residential housing stock of Alta Sita. 


Percent Owner-Occupied of Total Occupied Units
While the percentage of owner-occupied units in Alta Sita has slipped modestly from 70% in 1970 to 58% in 1990, it still approaches those of the comparison areas and outpaces the percentage change in East St. Louis as a whole.  A concerted effort must be made to maintain the homeownership base of the neighborhood.  First-Time Homebuyers Program involving the city of East St. Louis, area lenders, and the Federal Reserve Bank should be pursued.  The CRA and HMDA records of local lenders should also be monitored to ensure compliance with these federal laws.

Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units
Alta Sita's median housing values are higher than that of the City overall, but fall considerably below that of the County.  This may be a legacy of Alta Sita's "golden years" as an enclave for the City's professional class.  The disparity between Alta Sita and the study area of Tract 5010 and 5011 indicates that Alta Sita's housing stock has retained its value.  The neighborhood's housing stock represents a significant community asset, which can be used to advance ASNI's neighborhood revitalization efforts, perhaps in the form of a historic district.