Demographics of My Youth

I have known since my youth that I was privileged to attend the schools I did. My kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school were all part of a small and "elite" school district centered in the heart of San Antonio, Texas. I was raised in a single parent household in one of the less historic and affluent areas of Alamo Heights (the "rich" neighborhood/city nestled within in the San Antonio city limits), so it was almost like me and my sisters were able to be privileged educationally whereas we were not in many other more obvious parts of our upbringing.

It was interesting keeping this experience and understanding in mind as I studied the demographics of 78209 in the year 2000. I began by comparing the demographics of San Antonio as a whole to the 2000 demographics of the United States as obtained from the 2000 U.S. Census. The following stuck out to me:

• A smaller percentage of the San Antonio(SA) population identifies themselves as white than the overall percentage of self identified while residents in the United States. 
• There are, on average, larger households in SA than across the US. 
• On average more residents rent homes in SA than the national average and less SA residents, on average, own their homes than the national average. 
• Far more residents, on average, speak a language other than English in their home as compared to the national average. 
• The median household income and median family income in SA averages to be $5,000 to $10,000 less than the national average. 
• There is a higher percentage of families in SA that fall below the poverty line than the national average. 

This information aligned with my experience and my observations of San Antonio from 2000-2005. From this information, it is very interesting to look at the demographics for Alamo Heights, which are at times very different from the city this neighborhood is surrounded by. Note the following: 

• The median age in Alamo Heights (AH) is almost 10 years older than the average in SA and 5 years older than the US average. 
• 86.6% of the population in AH identifies themselves as white. This is almost 20% higher than the percentage of white residents in SA. 
• 24.4 percent of the population in AH identify as Hispanic or Latino, which is 50% less than the percentage of residents who identify themselves as Hispanic of Latino in SA. 
• Households are on average smaller in AH than in SA. 
• A greater percentage of residents rent their homes in AH than in SA or the US. A smaller percentage are homeowners in AH than SA or the US. 
• 90.6% of residents in AH over the age of 25 have their high school diploma. This is 15% higher than the SA average. 
• Over 50% of AH residents over age 25 have their bachelor's degree or higher. This is over double the percentage of college graduates in the US, and it is 30% higher than the percentage of SA residents with this level of formalized education. 
• The median household and family income in AH is far greater than the national and SA averages. 
• The median family income in 1999 for AH residents is $10,000 higher than the family income average for the US, and it is $20,000 higher than the family income average for SA residents. 
• The percentage of AH residents below the poverty level is 7.7%, which is lower than the national average and half of that of SA residents below the poverty level, which is 14%

Taking all this is, it is obvious there are some inequities not only between my neighborhood and my city, but also between my city and my country. My neighborhood is, on average, filled with a higher percentage of residents who identify as college educated, white, financially well-off property renters than the country as a whole. This contrasts even more when compared to my city. San Antonio has a higher percentage of residents who identify as Hispanic/Latino, fall below the poverty line, have larger families, and speak a language other than English in their home. It is interesting to contrast these demographics and to see how a small neighborhood and the city around it could contrast so obviously.