Demographic Profile of Seniors in PSA 1-A - Detroit Area Agency on ...

Table 13. Ratio <strong>of</strong> Income to Poverty <strong>in</strong> Region 1-A by Community, 1999
Region
Total Persons
65+
Persons Less than _ % <strong>of</strong> Poverty
50 75 100 125 150
Region 1-A Total 110,917 6,300 10,684 19,299 26,533 33,004
<strong>Detroit</strong> city 95,695 5,779 9,829 17,762 24,511 30,423
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te city 887 4 11 17 30 48
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te Farms city 1,730 18 18 25 25 43
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te Park city 1,326 8 8 25 36 60
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te Shores 661 13 21 21 29 33
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te Woods city 3,039 19 58 85 101 124
Hamtramck city 2,606 174 250 471 670 828
Harper Woods city 2,694 65 116 192 284 399
Highland Park city 2,279 220 373 701 847 1,046
Percent by Ratio to Poverty
Region 1-A Total 5.7 9.6 17.4 23.9 29.8
<strong>Detroit</strong> city 6.0 10.3 18.6 25.6 31.8
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te city 0.5 1.2 1.9 3.4 5.4
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te Farms city 1.0 1.0 1.4 1.4 2.5
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te Park city 0.6 0.6 1.9 2.7 4.5
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te Shores 2.0 3.2 3.2 4.4 5.0
Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>te Woods city 0.6 1.9 2.8 3.3 4.1
Hamtramck city 6.7 9.6 18.1 25.7 31.8
Harper Woods city 2.4 4.3 7.1 10.5 14.8
Highland Park city 9.7 16.4 30.8 37.2 45.9
the region with one-third (30.8 percent) <strong>of</strong> its seniors fall<strong>in</strong>g below the poverty threshold,
and almost half fall<strong>in</strong>g below 150 percent. One <strong>of</strong> ten seniors <strong>in</strong> Highland Park lives on
an annual <strong>in</strong>come that is less than half the poverty threshold. While Hamtramck has the
second highest share <strong>of</strong> very poor seniors (6.7 percent), <strong>Detroit</strong> surpasses it for overall
poverty (18.6 vs. 18.1 percent, respectively). Both cities have a third (31.8 percent) <strong>of</strong>
their seniors liv<strong>in</strong>g below the150 percent threshold. Harper Woods falls well beh<strong>in</strong>d the
others with 14.8 percent below 150 percent, while none <strong>of</strong> the five Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>tes even
approaches 6 percent.
The Census Bureau’s special tabulation also provides counts <strong>of</strong> persons 60+ at or below
150% <strong>of</strong> poverty by community with<strong>in</strong> Region 1-A (see Table 14). While the counts add
little to the discussion, they do serve to re<strong>in</strong>force the way need is distributed <strong>in</strong> the region.
<strong>Detroit</strong> accounts for 92.4 percent <strong>of</strong> all seniors at or below 150%, with Highland Park and
Hamtramck account<strong>in</strong>g for another 5.5 percent. Such concentrations make more ref<strong>in</strong>ed
geographic analysis that follows critical for determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g target<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> dim<strong>in</strong>ish<strong>in</strong>g service
dollars and programs.
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