By Jeremy Rhodes
The first wave of data releases from the 2020 US Census is here, and many of the demographic shifts that we’ve seen across the country and the state are mirrored in our Waco community. In this series of posts, I am presenting some of the demographic changes we see in McLennan County from 2010 to 2020.
The first post presented numbers regarding general population growth and decline. The second post showed an overview of racial and ethnic changes in the county. The third post expanded on the racial/ethnic changes in McLennan County since 2010. In this post, we will look at some of the changes to the housing landscape in Waco since 2010.
This first map shows the number of housing units in each area, as well as the change in housing units since 2010. The orange areas saw a decline in total housing units, with darker shades indicating a larger decline. The green areas saw an increase in total housing units, with darker shades indicating a larger increase. The top number shows the total number of housing units in that area, while the bottom number shows the change in number of housing units since 2010.
Most of central Waco and north Waco saw little change in total number of housing units from 2010 to 2020. The largest growth in housing units was seen in China Spring, with an addition of 1131 housing units, and Hewitt, with an addition of 1,000 units. Only six census tracts saw declines in the number of housing units since 2010. One of the historic East Waco tracts (tract 15) saw the largest decline in housing units, with a loss of 141 households. Most of the county saw moderate to robust housing growth.
The second map is similar to the first. The coloring is the same, with green shades indicating growth in housing units since 2010, and orange shades indicating decline in housing units since 2010. The black number in each tract is different in this map; it displays the number of residents per household in that area. Most of the county has between two and three people per household. Notable exceptions include downtown Waco and historic East Waco, where there are fewer than two residents per housing unit.
There are two outlier tracts that should be explained. In the northwest of the map, you will see a tract with 17 people per household. That tract is the airport, and we should not think too much about housing and population data for that tract. The other outlier is the tract containing Baylor University, which has a “persons per household” of 149.6. Although the Census Bureau does not consider dorms to be housing units, I cannot be certain how they obtained such a high number while excluding dorms from consideration.
If you have any questions about this, or if you would like Jeremy to give an overview of these changes to your group, staff, or organization through Zoom or in person, please contact Jeremy Rhodes at jeremy@prosperwaco.org.
Jeremy Rhodes, Ph.D., is director of research and community impact for Prosper Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
By Jeremy Rhodes
The first wave of data releases from the 2020 US Census is here, and many of the demographic shifts that we’ve seen across the country and the state are mirrored in our Waco community. In this series of posts, I will present some of the demographic changes we see in McLennan County from 2010 to 2020.
The first post presented numbers regarding general population growth and decline. The second post showed an overview of racial and ethnic changes in the county. This post will expand on the racial/ethnic changes in McLennan County since 2010.
I made a series of maps that show us which parts of Waco have experienced growth and decline for some of the major racial and ethnic groups from 2010-2020, using census tract boundaries. For each of these maps, the orange areas showed decline for that group, while the green areas showed increases for that group. The black numbers represent the percentage of the residents in that tract who identify with that racial or ethnic group, according to 2020 census numbers.
As I mentioned in the previous post, the Census Bureau advises caution when comparing the racial and ethnic composition of 2010 to that of 2020. According to their website, “data comparisons between the 2020 Census and 2010 Census race data should be made with caution, taking into account the improvements we have made to the Hispanic origin and race questions and the ways we code what people tell us.”
The first map shows us Waco’s Latino population. Almost the entire map is green, indicating numerical growth in almost every census tract. “Percent Latino” declined in 4 census tracts, but increased everywhere else in the county. Even areas with a relatively small Latino population, such as China Spring, Speegleville, Woodway, and Hewitt, showed increases.
The next map shows Waco’s population who identify as White alone, non-Hispanic. It’s almost the complete opposite of the Hispanic map. Whereas the map of Latinos is almost entirely green, the map of Whites is almost entirely orange. Four census tracts in the interior of Waco show modest increases in percentage of the population that is White, but those are all tracts that already have a low percentage of Whites.
Everywhere else in the county shows declines in percentage of the population that is White. It should be noted that the orange areas do not necessarily represent a decline in the number of White people in that area, just a decline in the percentage of the population that is White. Many of the orange areas on each of these maps have more people in them from those groups, just a lower share of the population. It should also be noted that most of the orange areas on this map are a dark orange, indicating a decline of more than 5 percentage points since 2010.
The next map shows the growth and distribution of Black residents in Waco who identify as only Black, non-Hispanic. Unlike the maps for Latinos and Whites, this map shows a mixed story. The tracts are split evenly between those that show growth in percentage Black and those that show decline. East Waco showed a decline in percentage Black, but these areas are still the places in Waco with the highest percentage of African Americans.
The next map shows the growth and distribution of Asians in Waco, which includes folks who identify with East Asian cultures such as those of China and Korea, Southeast Asian cultures such as those of Vietnam and Indonesia, and South Asian cultures such as those of India and Pakistan. Similar to the story for Latinos, most of Waco has seen an increase in the percentage of residents who identify as Asian. Most of the areas of Central Waco have seen modest increases in percent Asian, though the numbers remain small. In most Waco census tracts, less than 2% of the residents are Asian. The notable exceptions include areas near Baylor University, and the Hewitt/Woodway areas.
The final map shows the percentage of Waco residents who identify with more than one racial identity. All areas have shown growth, and the shade of green shows the amount of growth for that census tract. The areas with the darkest shade of green, mostly within the city limits, have each seen increases of at least 10 percentage points. As I mentioned in the previous post, the increase in multiracial people is caused by 3 reasons.
- Improvements in the census questions allow for a more accurate count
- Reduced stigma for interracial couples has led to more pairings, and more biracial children
- Interracial people are more willing to identify as such than in the past
If you have any questions about this, or if you would like Jeremy to give an overview of these changes to your group, staff, or organization through Zoom or in person, please contact Jeremy Rhodes at jeremy@prosperwaco.org.
Jeremy Rhodes, Ph.D., is director of research and community impact for Prosper Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
By Jeremy Rhodes
The first wave of data released from the 2020 US Census is here, and many of the demographic shifts that we’ve seen across the country and the state are mirrored in our Waco community. In this series of posts, I am presenting some of the demographic changes we see in our county from 2010 to 2020. The first post presented numbers regarding general population growth and decline. This second post will show an overview of racial and ethnic changes in the county.
The census website advises caution when comparing the racial and ethnic composition of 2010 to that of 2020. According to their website, “data comparisons between the 2020 Census and 2010 Census race data should be made with caution, taking into account the improvements we have made to the Hispanic origin and race questions and the ways we code what people tell us.”
With that caveat in mind, from 2010 to 2020, the U.S. saw the most dramatic growth among two racial and ethnic groups: Latinos and multiracial people. The U.S. saw a 23% increase in Latinos, while the state of Texas saw a 21% increase in Latinos. In McLennan County, the Latino population increased by 23.6%, or an addition of 13,116 people. Multiracial Americans also saw significant growth throughout much of the United States. In McLennan County, multiracial people now make up 11.8% of the population, which is an increase of 428.6%.
The following table shows a more detailed racial and ethnic makeup for the county, in comparison to Texas and the entire U.S.
The tremendous growth of multiracial people is caused by multiple factors. The most obvious factor has to do with lessening stigma against interracial relationships. As we come to see more and more interracial pairings, we will have more biracial children being born.
Second, the Census Bureau has improved the way they ask the race/ethnicity question by creating two separate questions for race and ethnicity, which experts believe will provide a more accurate portrait of how people identify (this change is expected to also improve our count of Latinos in America).
Third, there is evidence that multiracial individuals are more willing to identify as such than in the past. For example, a person who has one Black parent and one Latino parent is now less likely to choose between those two identities, and more likely to identify as both.
The next post in this series will display maps that show where we have seen the growth and decline for specific racial/ethnic groups in Waco. If you have any questions about this, or if you would like Jeremy to give an overview of these changes to your group, staff, or organization through Zoom or in person, please contact Jeremy Rhodes at jeremy@prosperwaco.org.
Jeremy Rhodes, Ph.D., is director of research and community impact for Prosper Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
By Jeremy Rhodes
The first wave of data releases from the 2020 US Census is here, and many of the demographic shifts that we’ve seen across the country and the state are mirrored in our Waco community. In this series of four posts, I will present some of the demographic changes we see in McLennan County from 2010 to 2020. This first post will be an overview of the changes in the data reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.
In all, McLennan County saw an increase of 10.9% from 2010 to 2020. The county added an additional 25,673 residents, with a 2020 population of 260,579. Of the McLennan County residents, 53.1%, or 138,486 people, live in the city of Waco. This rate of growth is lower than the Texas growth rate of 15.9%, but higher than the total U.S growth rate of 7.4%.
The map shows where we saw growth and decline in McLennan County from 2010-2020. The coloring shows the change in total population. Green areas showed increases in total population, while red areas showed decreases. The numbers represent the total 2020 population for that area. The geographic boundaries are census tracts according to the established 2019 boundaries.
The highest growth rates appear along the outskirts of the Waco city limits, in communities such as China Spring, Speegleville, Woodway, Hewitt, Robinson, and Bellmead. Areas that saw population decline over this time include East Waco, downtown Waco, and the 10 to 15 blocks on either side of the 25th/26th St. corridor, running from I-35 in the southeast to Park Lake Dr. in North Waco. Those areas are also characterized by lower populations than the rest of the city.
In the next posts, we will begin exploring the changing racial and ethnic dynamics of McLennan County. If you have any questions about this, or if you would like Jeremy to give an overview of these changes to your group, staff, or organization through Zoom or in person, please contact Jeremy Rhodes at jeremy@prosperwaco.org.
Jeremy Rhodes, Ph.D., is director of research and community impact for Prosper Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
By Wendy Ellis
United Way of Waco-McLennan County launched its Annual Campaign on Friday, Aug. 27. This yearly tradition is a community-wide effort made possible with over 100 businesses, as well as thousands of local individuals who give personally to support the programming impacting residents in and around McLennan County. In its 98-year history, United Way has raised over $100 million through its campaigns.
Funds raised through the Annual Campaign support United Way’s grant making, which provides funds for projects aimed at improving health, education, and financial stability for area residents, and support for safety-net services programming. Local nonprofits are invited to apply each year for funding. In addition to grant support, the Annual Campaign provides resources for United Way’s child well-being movement, a community-wide effort to understand and improve the quality-of-life indicators for both families and their children.
United Way provides the mechanism for individuals to easily and effectively give through their workplace and support numerous local nonprofits through one simple donation process. Whether it be $5 per paycheck, or $25,000 a year, our local workforce continues to unite in support of their community. It is United Way’s privilege to sustain this bridge between the businesses and individual employees who want to give and the nonprofit who serves on the frontlines of addressing the most challenging hurdles our communities face. We are proud to help put local dollars to work supporting local people.
In 2020, the top five workplace campaigns were by H-E-B, Texas Farm Bureau, Caterpillar, Atmos Energy, and Central National Bank. Dan Ingham, our resource development chair and VP of marketing & communications for The First National Bank of Central Texas, Dan Ingham said:
“It has been my experience that the employee wants to know that their dollars are making a difference, and United Way makes that happen. The grant process is rigorous and ensures the nonprofits eligible to receive funds are truly making a positive impact in our communities. I’m proud to be part of such an important effort. United Way’s ability to collect thousands of individual donations to support dozens of local nonprofits is a unique service we’re proud to offer for McLennan County and the surrounding areas.”
There are currently 43 local organizations that are eligible to receive funding from grants or designations through United Way . The opportunity to participate in this year’s campaign will continue through the end of the year. To learn more about how you and your business can get involved or to view the full list of partnering agencies from 2020, visit UnitedWayWaco.org.
United Way of Waco-McLennan County strengthens the community by mobilizing resources to measurably improve lives. We envision a community where all people have the education, health and financial stability needed to achieve their full potential.
Wendy Ellis is chief executive officer for United Way of Waco-McLennan County.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
By Susan Menninger Krause
Did you know that walking is one of the easiest, least expensive, most accessible ways to improve your health?
Walking will help you maintain a healthy weight, lose body fat, improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones and muscles, improve balance and coordination, and increase energy. It also can help prevent or manage conditions such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. And walking can also improve your mood, cognition, memory, and sleep.
It’s not complicated. There’s no pressure. No elaborate or pricey equipment or memberships are necessary. You control your schedule, your distance, where you go, and who you go with. Just put one foot in front of the other and join “Let’s Walk Waco” this fall.
If you’re looking to start or continue your walking journey, join the “Let’s Walk Waco” community-wide challenge. This walking challenge is sponsored by the Live Well Waco Coalition and the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District. This free eight-week program begins Sept. 20 and runs through Nov. 15. Registration begins Aug. 30.
You can create a team of your friends, neighbors, family, or co-workers or join a team and get the chance to meet and make new connections. Anyone can join, and McLennan County residents who log their miles may win prizes along the way.
For information on how to register, create, or join a team, visit our website. There you will also find information about community center parks and indoor walking opportunities, City parks and trails, frequently asked questions, and other helpful tips and resources. Come join the fun and “Let’s Walk Waco.”
Susan Menninger Krause is manager of parks and rec facilities and programs for the City of Waco Parks and Recreation. Susan formerly was branch executive director at Waco Family YMCA. Before coming to Waco, she worked 16 years at Greater Joliet Area YMCA near Chicago. Susan holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Dallas and a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of North Texas. She and her husband, Ken, have two sons, Zachary and Tyler, both are in college.
Act Locally Waco also has an informal group of walkers called Waco Walks. There is more information on our Waco Walks web page.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
By Cindee Millard
Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum Complex will host a community dialogue Oct. 2 titled, “Human Genome Editing: Framing Our Biological Future.” The dialogue is part of a three-year research project funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Arizona Science Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and Boston Museum of Science chose Mayborn to host, facilitate, and participate in the dialogue at the museum, 1300 S. University Parks Dr., beginning at 10 a.m.
Forum participants will include people from Central Texas. The goal is to create conversations between experts and community members that both will find valuable and informative. During this citizen dialogue we will take part in discussions that will solicit input that will be used to feed into global negotiations about our futures with human genome editing.
We are looking for individuals with a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints representing the diversity of our community. No prior knowledge is required. There are no incorrect answers and every viewpoint is welcome.
Interested persons may apply no later than Sept. 19 and will receive notification if accepted to be a part of this day long community forum. Those selected will receive lunch and a $100 gift card for participation in this project. Masks will be required for all participants. You must be at least 18 years old to apply.
Apply online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HGE-Waco. If selected, you will receive a confirmation email by Sept. 21, with more information.
Please note that this forum may be moved to a virtual format to comply with Baylor University’s COVID protocols. Registrants will be informed via email.
NIH, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. This project on Human Genome Editing has completed a literature review, interviewed experts in the field, developed workshops for future scenarios, and conducted stakeholder workshops. The public forum will be the next step to completion of this project.
The Mayborn Museum, Baylor University, and Waco were chosen because of their central location, non-metropolitan cross section of the U.S. population, their association with public deliberation initiatives, and their experience in gathering diverse community voices in public forums. Only two other locations in the United States have been funded to participate: Boston Museum of Science and Arizona Science Center.
The Mayborn Museum will benefit from this collaboration by receiving national visibility and by helping to add to the fulfillment of their strategic plan goal of building relationships with communities that represent a diversity of backgrounds, ages, and cultures to increase accessibility and relevance.
For more information: cindee_millard@baylor.edu or 254-710-1733.
Cindee Millard, a native Wacoan and Baylor University graduate, is public & community engagement manager for Mayborn Museum Complex. For more than 10 years Cindee has worked with nonprofits and community organizations collaborating in projects and programs to provide relevant museum programming to diverse audiences. Millard lives in Waco with her husband, Mike.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
Iazzetti will replace Sykes who was first elected to the board in 1999.
By Josh Wucher
Following interviews in closed session Tuesday, Aug. 31, the Waco ISD Board of Trustees voted to appoint Emily Iazzetti to represent Trustee District 5, which includes the neighborhoods between Richland Mall and the lake as well as some areas near Baylor University. Iazzetti was appointed to serve until next May when voters will elect a trustee to a new three-year term.
The mother of two students at Lake Air Montessori, Iazzetti is passionate about Waco ISD. She has led the PTA at her children’s school, helped plan the Waco ISD Education Foundation’s annual fundraising event, supported the Waco ISD Women’s Empowerment Summits held in partnership with the Junior League of Waco, and served on the advisory committee for the district’s gifted and talented program. More recently, she was a member of the community advisory committee that studied the district’s facilities needs and recommended replacing four existing schools with new buildings. A former television news anchor, Iazzetti is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media at Baylor University.
In her letter to the board, Iazzetti wrote: “I am interested in serving on the board, because I believe we are all responsible for the success of our schools. … I have appreciated the work this board has done to increase teacher retention, and I would like to be part of the team laying the groundwork for continued improvement.”
The board received letters from four voters who live in Trustee District 5 and interviewed two of them during tonight’s closed session.
“Being a school board member is a volunteer position,” said Angela Tekell, board president. “It was inspiring to hear from people who want to give their time and their talents in service to our kids at this critical moment for Waco ISD. I am looking forward to the perspective that Iazzetti will bring to the board and know that she will be a voice for the families in our community.”
Iazzetti will be sworn in at the board’s next meeting on Sept. 9.
The vacancy that Iazzetti was appointed to fill was created by the resignation of Allen Sykes last month. He was first elected to the school board in 1999 and was the board’s longest serving member. In his resignation letter, Sykes told trustees that other commitments were “making it increasingly difficult to allocate sufficient effort to fulfill the requirements entrusted to me.”
Iazzetti joins the board just weeks after its members voted unanimously to ask voters to consider a $355 million bond package to replace Waco High, G.W. Carver Middle, Tennyson Middle and Kendrick Elementary with new schools built in the same location as the existing campuses. If approved in November, the bond program is projected to increase the district’s tax rate by 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. For the average homeowner in Waco ISD, that is approximately $117.62 per year or $9.80 per month.
Joshua Wucher is Waco ISD’s executive director for communications.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
By Josh Wucher
Last week, Waco ISD Superintendent Susan Kincannon announced that face masks would be required inside all schools and other district buildings starting today (Monday, Aug. 30). The following are some of the responses that the district has received from families and employees:
Tracy N., Dean Highland Elementary School parent: “As a parent and healthcare worker, I appreciate this very much. Thank you for keeping my family safe, and I’ll do the same for yours.”
Brittany R., Mountainview Elementary School parent: “It is so comforting knowing I can drop my child off at school knowing she is being protected by those I entrust her to every day. Every child deserves access to a safe and healthy learning environment, and you all have made the courageous decision to provide that here in Waco!”
Erin S., Hillcrest PDS parent: “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking this step to protect our children, families, and community!”
Megan W., Cedar Ridge Elementary School parent: “We know navigating the legal, ethical, and political environments has not been easy this past year, but as new Waco ISD parents last year, we felt we could steadfastly rely on information and decisions you and the Waco ISD Board made and implemented. We greatly appreciate the mask requirement and look forward to another great year!”
Emma P., Waco High School teacher: “THANK YOU, thank you, thank you for protecting the teachers and students alike by instituting this mask order. It will go a long way in helping stop the spread of this disease!”
LouAnna A., Waco High School employee: “Thank you so much for doing this!!! We sure want to be with our students in the safest way possible. Thank you!”
Marilissa Y., Bell’s Hill Elementary teacher: “I’m sure this decision was not an easy one. Thank you for making it. I know you are doing the right thing. I applaud you for caring about our students. This is the best way we can protect those that can’t be vaccinated yet.”
Joshua Wucher is Waco ISD’s executive director for communications.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.
Editor: Act Locally Waco is sharing a series of blog posts — Faith Doing Good — about local religious groups working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Sarah Skelton
Mosaic Waco has led by example that doing good in a community doesn’t mean changing everything about the community.
The multicultural Christian church in East Waco opened its doors for the first time two years ago and immediately started partnering with existing programs such as Restoration Haven and the local elementary schools.
“It’s not charity, it’s justice,” said Pastor Slim Thompson. “The Bible talks about justice all over. And so what we’re doing is actually what is right by people.
“It’s not right for people to live in poverty. It’s not right for people to have to wonder where their meals are going to come from. And it’s on us as Christians to go like, ‘That’s my brother, that’s my sister. I’m not OK with that.’ Just like if it was your literal brother or sister. I’ll do whatever I can to help them out. We just have to see our connection is much deeper than just actual family.”
Aside from the Bible, Thompson has centered the church on the philosophies of John Perkins and Jemar Tisby. They are both civil rights activists who want to see an end to racism.
“[Perkins] talks about when you move into a new community, you don’t really want to ask what can we do to fix it or change it. Instead, let’s ask what is it doing well and let’s serve them and let’s join in on that,” Thompson said.
Mosaic Waco’s congregation recognized the school systems and nonprofits such as Restoration Haven were already serving the community. Following Perkins’ idea the church started working with these organizations.
Before the pandemic, church members would volunteer in surrounding elementary schools by leading after-school clubs and reading with students. COVID-19 unrooted this idea in the spring and caused the schools and church to be more proactive.
“When kids go home for a week — like they have often — I’d say most kids get excited there’s no school for a week. Well, when you’re dependent on breakfast, lunch and dinner that also means you have no food for a week,” Thompson said.
To overcome this problem, the church worked with the school to pack students’ backpacks with bread, peanut butter, and jelly. Now the students can still eat when they are off of school for a week.
The founder and president of Restoration Haven, is an active Mosaic Waco church member. The nonprofit and church partnered together to provide necessities such as toiletries to East Waco families.
Many of the items Restoration Haven provides go to residents in Estella Maxey Place. Mosaic Waco is passionate about helping the families in this apartment complex. Once or twice a month, church volunteers invite children living in the apartments to play games and attend a Bible lesson.
The church welcomes everyone and especially residents of East Waco to join them every Sunday at 10 a.m. The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but Mosaic Waco created a successful method to gather while obeying social distancing rules with their drive-in service.
“People can stay in their cars and listen through a radio and it just gives people who may not feel comfortable worshipping in person a place to go,” Thompson said. “Because it’s hard to sing out loud when you’re watching a TV.”
Sarah Skelton is majoring in Journalism on the public relations track at Baylor University.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at ferrell@prosperwaco.org.