Emerson Park Data Book

[ Data Book ]

I. Census and Supplemental Data for Emerson Park, East St. Louis, St. Clair County, and the Suburban Ring, 1960-1990

Contents

• Background
• A. Population
• B. Education
• C. Employment
• D. Housing

This chapter presents a detailed demographic profile of the Emerson Park study area using data extracted from the 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1990 United States Census. Population and housing trends within Emerson Park are compared to those of the City of East St. Louis, St. Clair County, and the Suburban Ring. The Suburban Ring figures are defined as the County minus the City figures.

The majority of the 1990 data reported in this chapter was retrieved from Census Tract 5041.01, where the Emerson Park neighborhood represents 80% of total figures. However, for a limited number of variables, data corresponding to the exact study area was available using Block Group data. Block Groups 1 through 4 of Tract 5041.01 and Block Group 5 of Census Tract 5004 represent Emerson Park. Unfortunately, very little data is collected by the U.S. Census Bureau for these smaller areas.

Tables 1.1 through 1.7 presents data collected using the Block Group approach, while tables 1.8 through 1.26 present data using the Census Tract approach. Tables 1.13 and 1.14 are from the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and are used to supplement Census employment figures.

Map 1.1
U.S. Census Bureau Block Groups in Emerson Park.
Tract 5004, Block Group 5 & Tract 5041.01, Block Groups 1-4.

Table 1.1
Total Population
Emerson Park/Selected Areas
1960-1990

Emerson Park and East St. Louis have experienced a dramatic loss in population in the period between 1960 and 1990. During this same time period, the population of St. Clair County has remained stable. Within the county, there has been a rather significant shift in population from East St. Louis to the suburban ring communities of Fairview Heights, Collinsville and Caseyville. As result of these trends, Emerson Park has experienced significant housing and commercial abandonment leaving approximately 60% of its building lots vacant and 19% of its standing building stock abandoned.

Table 1.2
Percent Change in Population
Emerson Park/Selected Areas
1960-1990

Emerson Park experienced a very small percentage loss in population between 1960 and 1970 at a time when the City of East St. Louis was experiencing significant population decline. In more recent decades, Emerson Park and the City have experienced increasing rates of population loss. The 41.6% population loss which Emerson Park experienced between 1980 and 1990, highlights the need for an aggressive and sustained neighborhood stabilization effort to halt the ongoing hemorrhaging of population from the neighborhood. This pattern of increasing rates of de-population is not reflected in the St. Clair County or the Suburban Ring figures. The Emerson Park and East St. Louis trends are distressing because these geographic areas were the target of sustained local, state and Federal revitalization efforts during this period which failed, as they have in many other metropolitan areas, to stem the tide of out-migration of residents and businesses.

Table 1.3
Percentage African American of Total Population
Emerson Park/Selected Areas
1970-1990

The percentage of African Americans in Emerson Park and East St. Louis increased dramatically between 1970 and 1980 due to high rates of out-migration among Caucasian residents of the city. By 1980, the populations of Emerson Park and East St. Louis were almost entirely African American. The percentage of the St. Clair population which is African American has remained unchanged during the past three decades at approximately one-quarter of the total. The percentage of the Suburban Ring population that is African American has, on the other hand doubled between 1970 and 1990. This figure now approaches the State percentage of 14%. Proposals developed for Emerson Park must reflect the strong cultural values and preferences of African American.

Table 1.4
Percent Minors of the Total Population
(Below 18 years old)
Emerson Park/Selected Areas
1970-1990

Approximately 40% of the population of all comparison groups were below the age of 18 in 1970. This percentage increased dramatically in 1980 and then fell in both Emerson Park and East St. Louis while the percentage consistently fell in St. Clair County, the Suburban Ring and the State of Illinois. Although 4 out of 10 residents of Emerson Park were minors in 1990, only 3 out of 10 residents in St. Clair County, the Suburban Ring and the State were minors. Future development plans for the Emerson Park area must address the educational, social service and commercial needs of this important segment of the local population. These plans should also tap into and mobilize the enormous vision, enthusiasm and energy of this critical age cohort. Special efforts should be made to involve youth leaders in the development of local improvement plans to give them a sense of ownership over these efforts.

Table 1.5
Age Cohort Breakdown of Minor Population
(Below 18 years old)
Emerson Park/Selected Areas
1990

An analysis of the age cohort breakdown of Emerson Park’s youth population shows 0 - 5 age group to be the largest cohort. This differs somewhat from the comparison group data in which the 6 - 11 group represents the largest group. This data emphasizes the need to focus on the full-range of human development programs for infants and young children, including pediatric health, education and child care services.

Table 1.6
Percent Elderly of Total Population
(65 years or older)
Emerson Park/Selected Areas
1970-1990

The elderly percentage of the Emerson Park population has declined significantly between 1970 and 1990 while the elderly percentage of the City of East St. Louis has remained fairly stable and that of St. Clair County, the Suburban Ring and the State of Illinois have increased. The decline in Emerson Park's senior citizen population may be explained by the combination of rising neighborhood crime rates and the opening of new senior citizen housing complexes in other East St. Louis neighborhoods and suburban St. Clair County. The declining elderly population in Emerson Park represents the loss of an important resource. In many older residential areas, senior citizens represent the heart of the local volunteer corps, non-profit boards of directors, and the leadership of community-based organizations.

Table 1.7
Families by Type
1990

An analysis of the data on Family Types reveals several startling findings. 15.2% of the Emerson park families are headed by a married couple, compared to 38.1% of East St. Louis families and 73.2% of St. Clair County families. 71.3% of Emerson Park families are female-headed, while the city percentage is 55.4% and the county is at 21.1%. Future plans for Emerson Park must address the particular challenges faced by the 31.3% of families in the neighborhood that are female-headed households with children.

Table 1.8
Total School Enrollment (K-12)
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980-1990

The number of school-age children in all comparison groups fell dramatically between 1980 and 1990. These percentage losses were consistent with but more extreme than the percentage losses in total population which these areas experienced. The one contradictory finding was the sharp drop in school age population in the Suburban Ring at a time when that area experienced a slight increase in population. The loss of school-age population in East St. Louis supports local school official’s decisions to close local neighborhood schools, such as Cannaday School in Emerson Park. These vacant structures present neighborhood organizations with both interesting development opportunities as well as major challenges.

Table 1.9
Percentage of Adults who are High School Graduates
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980 – 1990

The percentage of Emerson Park and other East St. Louis residents who are high school graduates have increased dramatically between 1980 and 1990. However, these percentages are still considerably lower than those of St. Clair County and the Suburban Area. The relative disadvantage Emerson Park and other East St. Louis residents encounter in the labor force due to their lower school attainments levels is clear when their high school graduation rates are compared to those of similarly-sized suburban communities such as Belleville and Fairview Heights. These areas boast high school graduation rates of 76.3% and 80.7% respectively.

Table 1.10
Percentage of Adults with Bachelor Degrees
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980 –1990

The percentage of Emerson Park residents holding bachelor degrees nearly tripled between 1980 and 1990. During the same period, the percentage of East St. Louis and St. Clair County residents holding bachelor degrees doubled. Despite solid gains in the percentage of residents holding college degrees, Emerson Park still trails comparable suburban communities, such as Fairview Heights and Belleville, whose college graduation rates are nearly double that of the neighborhood. National data shows a sharp drop in the percentage of currently available jobs for those with high school degrees and highlights the competitive disadvantage of Emerson Park workers compared to their suburban counterparts. Strategies to improve the competitive position of Emerson Park residents within the labor force remain central to EPDC's efforts to stabilize the neighborhood's housing stock and local retail services sector. Without adequate income produced by "living wage" jobs, Emerson Park residents will be unable to afford decent shelter or to support neighborhood-oriented retail proposed for the 15th Street MetroLink Station to be built in the next few years.

Table 1.11
Labor Force (Persons 16 years and older)
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980 – 1990

The labor force of each of the comparison areas declined dramatically between 1980 and 1990. Emerson Park’s labor force fell by 39%, which was consistent with the overall percentage drop in residential population. This percentage drop was much less dramatic than that experienced by East St. Louis as a whole and was consistent with the percentage drops in St. Clair County and the Suburban Ring labor forces.

Table 1.12
Unemployment Rates
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980 – 1990

Table 1.13
Unemployment Rates
Regional Counties
1997

Table 1.14
Percentage Change in Jobs
Regional Counties
1991 – 1996

Robust economic growth within the region, state, and the nation between 1980 and 1990 caused Emerson Park’s unemployment rate to decline from 30.7% to 20.6%. While this rate improved dramatically, it remained nearly fifty percent higher than that of the city as a whole, and nearly three times as high as St. Clair County and the Suburban Ring’s rates. Efforts to improve employment rates and median household income levels must include initiatives to stimulate local business activity, improve access to regional job growth centers, and raise the relative competitive position of Emerson Park job seekers through improved education and training.

Table 1.15
Median Household Income
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980 – 1990

Table 1.15a
Emerson Park Median Household Income as a Percentage of
East St. Louis and St. Clair County Median Household Incomes
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980 – 1990

Median household income in Emerson Park rose significantly from $5,828 to $6,738, a 15.6% increase between 1980 and 1990. During the same period, median household incomes increased 33% in East St. Louis, 39% in St. Clair County and 33% in the Suburban Ring. As a result of these trends Emerson Park Median Household Incomes as a percentage of City and County Median Incomes fell dramatically, widening the socioeconomic gap that already existed between central city residents and their suburban counterparts.

Table 1.16
Households below the Poverty Level
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas

1980 – 1990

The percentage of Emerson Park households living in poverty declined between 1980 and 1990. Despite this trend, the household poverty rate in Emerson Park has remained high at 66.5% in 1980, and 54.9% in 1990. The Emerson Park household poverty rate in 1990 is six times that recorded for Suburban St. Clair County. This data, along with the previously reported Median Household Income figures, emphasizes the need for focused job training, employment placement, employment services such as child care and transportation and economic development programs for Emerson Park families. Mode of Transportation data indicate that 66% of those employed use a private automobile or carpooling as their primary mode of travel to work whereas 94% of Suburban St. Clair County workers commute via a private automobile or carpooling.

Table 1.17
Female-Headed Households below Poverty
5041.01 Tract/Selected Areas
1990

The incidence of poverty in Emerson Park is particularly distressing among Female-Headed Households. In 1990, the rate of poverty among Female-Headed Households increased from 59% to 75%. Efforts to increase the employment rates and income levels of these households will require substantial increases in spending for local daycare and other support services.

Table 1.18
Percentage of Household Receiving Public Assistance
5041.01/Selected Areas
1990

As of 1990, 44% of Emerson Park households were receiving some form of public assistance. This figure was four times that of St. Clair County. This data, along with the previously reported Median Household Income, emphasize the importance of developing new job training and economic development programs to expand resident access to living wage employment. Local participation in such efforts will hinge on the provision of additional child care services. Travel Time to Work data presented later in this chapter (See Table 1.20) point out the importance of providing these services within the neighborhood given the modest number of local families with private automobiles.

Table 1.19
Percentage of Households Receiving Social Security
5041.01/Selected Areas
1990

The percentage of Emerson Park Households receiving Social Security Income is more than three times as large as the percentage of Emerson Park residents over the age of 65. It would appear that a considerable portion of Emerson Park non-senior households are receiving Social Security Income. Such benefits are most likely being paid through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program due to some form of recognized disability. In many cases, this is a function of long-term substance abuse which has gone untreated due to a shortage of local treatment facilities. This data highlights the need for expanded Twelve-Step and Abuse Programs in East St. Louis as well as additional residential treatment facilities.

Table 1.20
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1990

75% of Emerson Park residents travel 30 minutes or less to get to their job. This is in sharp contrast to East St. Louis residents and St. Clair County at 48.3% and 68.8% respectively. This indicates a critical need to focus on local employment generation and transit-oriented development to expand job opportunities for local residents who tend to be most interested in nearby employment situations.

Table 1.21
Mode of Transportation to Work
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1990

Emerson Park residents appear to be much more dependent on public transportation for access to employment than other residents of the region. Whereas 29% of Emerson Park residents use public transportation as their primary mode of transportation, only 14% of East St. Louis and 3% of St. Clair County residents are public-transport dependent. Efforts to assist Emerson Park’s unemployed to secure living wage jobs must include local business development and improved information regarding employment opportunities accessible by means of Bi-State buses currently serving the neighborhood and future Metrolink train routes.

Table 1.22
Total Dwelling Units
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980 – 1990

An examination of recent housing trends reveals dramatic differences for Emerson Park, East St. Louis, St. Clair County and the Suburban ring. During the past decade, Emerson Park lost 47.3% of its entire housing stock while East St. Louis lost 17.2% of its dwelling units. St. Clair County, on the other hand, saw its housing stock increase by 6.1% while the Suburban Ring saw the number of dwelling units increase by 11.8%. The collapse of the Emerson Park housing market has led many long-time homeowners to refrain from investing into their existing homes fearful that declining housing prices may prevent them from recapturing the value of these investments in the future. Potential new investors have been discouraged from purchasing land and/or homes within Emerson Park due to skyrocketing building and property abandonment and East St. Louis’s very high property taxes. Local lenders have been hesitant to provide home mortgages or improvement loans to individuals wishing to purchase property in Emerson Park given these trends. Significant public intervention in the form of substantial subsidies for housing rehabilitation and new construction will be necessary to stabilize the Emerson Park housing stock and residential population.

Table 1.23
Percent Change in Number of Occupied Dwelling Units
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1980 – 1990

One of the most disturbing factors related to housing trends in Emerson Park is the increasing ratio of housing loss. The percentage loss in the number of housing units increased in Emerson Park from 5.9% in the 1960s, 23.3% in the 1970s and 48.9% in the 1980s. While East St. Louis showed a similar increase in the percentage loss in the number of housing units, St. Clair County showed an initial increase followed by a small decrease in the number of units. The Suburban Ring showed a continuously increasing percent in the number of housing units albeit at a declining rate. Again, this data highlights the need for a dramatic increase in housing investment to stabilize the area.

Table 1.24
Percent Owner-Occupied of Total Occupied Units
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1960 – 1990

The percentage of owner-occupied units within Emerson Park fell dramatically between 1960 and 1990 while it has remained relatively stable for East St. Louis, St. Clair County and the Suburban Ring. Between 1960 and 1980, this percentage fell from approximately one-half to one-quarter of total occupied units. While this percentage increased from 27.3% to 31.7% between 1980 and 1990, this apparent improvement in the home-ownership rate appears to be less reflective of the strength of this segment of the housing market and more a function of the near total collapse of the neighborhood’s multi-family public housing market.

Table 1.25
Percent Renter-Occupied of Total Occupied Units
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1960 – 1990

The percentage of renter-occupied units within Emerson Park has remained remarkably stable as it has in East St. Louis, St. Clair County and the Suburban Ring. While this percentage has not changed significantly during the past decade, the types of renter-occupied units found in the neighborhood has shifted. The East St. Louis Public Housing Authority has dramatically reduced the number of multi-family units it maintains within Emerson Park. Many former owner-occupied units are now being rented by new residents who have been unable to accumulate the necessary down payments required by most mortgages or have been rejected for mortgages by local lenders due to credit problems or bankers’ concerns regarding the neighborhood’s instability.

Table 1.26
Percent of Income Used for Rent
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1990

The average Emerson Park renter spends 35.1% of his/her household income on rent while those living in St. Clair County spend 28.6% of their household income on rent. The percentage of household income devoted to rent by Emerson Park residents exceeds that recommended by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In order to reduce the number of Emerson Park households which are "housing poor" aggressive steps must be made to a) increase median household incomes, b) lower monthly operating costs through low-cost energy conservation techniques, and c) dramatically reduce property taxes for local property owners thereby reducing pressure on rents.

Table 1.27
Median Household Costs with Mortgage
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1990

The costs of home-ownership, inclusive of a mortgage, are prohibitive for those Emerson Park residents whose incomes hover around the neighborhood average. For families whose incomes approach the neighborhood household median of $6738.00, more than three-quarters of their household income would be required to cover average home-ownership costs including a mortgage. The average St. Clair County family, on the other hand, would be required to spend 28% of their monthly income on home-ownership costs with a mortgage. While the average Emerson Park resident would be required to spend more than 2 1/2 times the maximum percentage of their income recommended by HUD to become homeowners, St. Clair County residents on average would be required to spend slightly less than the maximum percentage of their income suggested by this agency.

Table 1.28
Median Household Costs without Mortgage
Tract 5041.01/Selected Areas
1990

According to the 1990 Census, the average Emerson Park household would spend nearly 50% of their monthly household income on home-ownership costs without a mortgage. Therefore even if you could give the average Emerson Park resident a home, free and clear of a mortgage, the monthly operating expenses represented by utilities and property taxes would still require them to spend 20% more of their income on housing than the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends them to spend. St. Clair County residents, on the other hand, would only be required to spend 9% of their income on monthly housing costs provided they had no mortgage. This figure is one-third of the maximum recommended percentage of household income which HUD suggests. It is clear from this data that many Emerson Park residents cannot be successfully housed through mortgage subsidies alone. Even when you eliminate a mortgage, a significant portion of Emerson Park residents would be unable to afford home-ownership because their incomes are too small to cover monthly utility costs and property tax payments.

Document author(s) : Cathy Klump
Last modified: 13 October 1999, Deanna Koenigs