Brick Township, NJ has a reputation to be proud of. Yes, we are the safest city, we live sheltered little lives where our biggest complaint is the overbearing police presence (yes, officer I was doing 5 over the limit, sorry, I know that's an unsafe speed-- yes I realize that this is the safest city, I'll try to obey the limit next time).
Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to compare the people of NJ's safest city with those of NJ's poorest city. This is demographic data only, but one can draw conclusions as to the meaning of it all. For one state to display polar opposite demographics for its cities is confounding.
If the state wants to homogenize the well-being of all it's citizens, (i.e. it's constitutional responsiblity) it should concentrate upon improving areas that need it, instead of focusing upon areas like the "safest city".
All data is culled from US Census reports for 2000.
DATA:
--Brick has 76,000+ residents, with the females outnumbering males by about 3,000.
--Camden has 79,000 residents and more who are unregistered because of illegal alien status.
CONCLUSIONS:
The cities are roughly similar in size of population.
DATA:
--95 percent of Brick's population is white. A miniscule 1 percent is black.
--17 percent of Camden's population is white. The majority is black, 53 percent.
Let's compare these two sets with statewide estimates and nationwide estimates:
New Jersey: 76.6 percent of residents are white
14.5 percent of residents are black
USA: 80.2 percent of citizens are white
12.8 percent of citizens are black
CONCLUSIONS:
Despite the fact that the statewide figures for black vs. white population seem comparable, there is a glaring disparity in the distribution of both in the two cities. One city is almost exclusively white, why and how does something like this happen? The other is mostly black and hispanic, with whites making up the minority, again why?
DATA:
--Brick median income: $52,092 per year
--Camden median income: $23,421 per year
--NJ median income: $55,146 per year
CONCLUSIONS:
Brick is just under the statewide average in income, while Camden is less than half the median.
DATA:
--Brick, percent of residents with high school degree: 86 percent
--Camden percent of residents with high school degree: 51 percent
--Brick percent of residents with BA degrees or higher: 19 percent
--Camden percent of residents with BA degrees or higher: 5 percent
NJ percent of residents with high school degrees: 82 percent
NJ percent of residents with BA degree or higher: 30 percent
CONCLUSIONS:
If education is the answer then we'd better be asking some questions.
Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to compare the people of NJ's safest city with those of NJ's poorest city. This is demographic data only, but one can draw conclusions as to the meaning of it all. For one state to display polar opposite demographics for its cities is confounding.
If the state wants to homogenize the well-being of all it's citizens, (i.e. it's constitutional responsiblity) it should concentrate upon improving areas that need it, instead of focusing upon areas like the "safest city".
All data is culled from US Census reports for 2000.
DATA:
--Brick has 76,000+ residents, with the females outnumbering males by about 3,000.
--Camden has 79,000 residents and more who are unregistered because of illegal alien status.
CONCLUSIONS:
The cities are roughly similar in size of population.
DATA:
--95 percent of Brick's population is white. A miniscule 1 percent is black.
--17 percent of Camden's population is white. The majority is black, 53 percent.
Let's compare these two sets with statewide estimates and nationwide estimates:
New Jersey: 76.6 percent of residents are white
14.5 percent of residents are black
USA: 80.2 percent of citizens are white
12.8 percent of citizens are black
CONCLUSIONS:
Despite the fact that the statewide figures for black vs. white population seem comparable, there is a glaring disparity in the distribution of both in the two cities. One city is almost exclusively white, why and how does something like this happen? The other is mostly black and hispanic, with whites making up the minority, again why?
DATA:
--Brick median income: $52,092 per year
--Camden median income: $23,421 per year
--NJ median income: $55,146 per year
CONCLUSIONS:
Brick is just under the statewide average in income, while Camden is less than half the median.
DATA:
--Brick, percent of residents with high school degree: 86 percent
--Camden percent of residents with high school degree: 51 percent
--Brick percent of residents with BA degrees or higher: 19 percent
--Camden percent of residents with BA degrees or higher: 5 percent
NJ percent of residents with high school degrees: 82 percent
NJ percent of residents with BA degree or higher: 30 percent
CONCLUSIONS:
If education is the answer then we'd better be asking some questions.