View Map with Neighborhood Labels

Narrative

• According to the 2000 Population Census, the income of only 6.9 percent of St. Louis County residents fell below the federal poverty guideline that is only slightly more than half of the 11.6 percent below the poverty line statewide. However, Table 2 shows that is somewhat misleading. While the number of poor people in Missouri declined by more than 25,000 during the 1990s, the number of people below the poverty line in St. Louis County increased by more than 14,000. It was the number of children and the number of adults age 18-64 below the poverty line that increased by about 14,400 during the 1990s. The exception occurred among the senior population. The number of St. Louis County residents age 65 and older below the poverty line declined from 7,625 in 1990 to 7,259 in 2000. That offset the increase in the county by about 400.
• St. Louis County senior population (age 65 and older) below the poverty line was only 5.3 percent in 2000. That compares with 9.9 percent statewide. However, as indicated in Table 1, a somewhat higher percent of the population age 75 and older (6.7 percent) had an income below the poverty line.
• The proportion of the senior population with an income below the poverty line varies significantly among the Census Tract Neighborhoods. Table 1 shows that although only 5.3 percent of seniors have a poverty level income there are 17 of the 37 areas in which more than 5.3 percent are above the poverty line. The highest percentage of poor seniors is found in the Wellston/Pagedale Area with 15.4 percent, followed by the University City/Olivette South Area with 12.8 percent, the Normandy Area with 11.0 percent and Jennings and Maplewood/Richmond Heights each with just over 10 percent.
• There are, however, 16 of the 37 areas in which fewer than 4 percent of the seniors have less than a poverty level income.
• The income of seniors age 75 and older is generally less than younger seniors. Table 1 shows there are nine areas in which more than 11 percent of older seniors are poor. Among those the highest percentages are in the Wellston/Pagedale Area with 23.2 percent, and the Normandy Area with 17.8 percent. Between 11 and 13 percent of the senior residents of the remaining seven lowest income areas are poor.

Change in Poverty Rates
• As described above, the number of persons below the poverty line in St. Louis County increased by nearly 14,000 during the 1990s. The only age cohort in the county which declined during the 1990s was the senior population age 65 and older. The number of seniors with an income below the poverty line declined from 7,625 in 1990 to 7,259 in 2000 - a decline of 4.8 percent. That, however, was far less than the statewide 29.0 percent decline in number of seniors with an income below the poverty line from 1990 to 2000.
• Table 2 shows significant variation in change in senior poverty rates from 1990 to 2000 among the 37 Census Tract Areas. In 18 of the 37 areas there was a decline in the number of senior poor persons during the 1990s. The greatest decline in number of senior poor persons occurred in some of the areas having relatively large numbers of low income persons. These include Berkeley/Airport with a decline of 249, Normandy with a decline of 151, University City/Olivette North with a decline of 145, and Jennings with a decline of 110.
• There were 19 areas in which the number of poor seniors increased from 1990 to 2000. These 19 areas are not very consistently either relatively high or low income areas. The location of a nursing home in several of the relatively higher income areas may provide some explanation for an increase in number of senior low-income people. Included in this category would likely be the Ladue/Clayton, Lemay, Mehlville, Parkway North, Sappington/Concord and South Ballwin/Manchester Areas.

Maps

click map for larger version	click map for larger version
click map for larger version

Tables

Number and Percent of Persons in Poverty by Age Group, 2000	HTML	PDF
Change and Percent Change in Poverty Status by Age Group, 1990-2000	HTML	PDF

Graphics

• Population Age 65 and Older Below Poverty
• Population Age 75 and Older Below Poverty