Takoma Park Data Explorer

About: This webpage allows Takoma Park residents and staff to learn more about their city through data. Data comes from the Census’s 2016-2020 American Community Survey. Each heading tab opens to a “Summary” sub-tab; click on other sub-tabs to see data-visualizations and detailed explanations. All graphics are interactive; you can click and double-click on legend items to hide or show them, and mousing over graphics will show data-values. The “Methodology” tab describes data sources and statistical significance. Code used to produce this webpage can be found on the City’s Github page. Similar web-maps can be found in the City’s interactive demographic map and in the City’s Social Vulnerability Index maps.

Please send any questions, comments, or feedback to Acting Planning Manager Alex Freedman at alexanderf@takomaparkmd.gov, Planning Intern Josh Cato at joshuac@takomaparkmd.gov, and Senior Policy and Data Analyst Dan Powers at danielp@takomaparkmd.gov.

Overall

Summary

Takoma Park is a diverse city with a population of 17,703. Of Takoma Park’s 6,619 households, 4,261 are family households–meaning they are rented or owned by a householder who lives with at least one family member–and 2,358 are nonfamily. The City’s three largest racial/ethnic groups are non-Hispanic white (43.85%), Black (36.06%), and Hispanic (11.37%). Almost a third of residents were born in another country; of those born in another country, 47.45% were born in Africa and 36.73% in Latin America. A little more than a third of residents speak another language at home, the most common being Spanish at 10.47% of all residents.

A little more than half of the city’s residents are homeowners, but there are substantial economic and racial disparities tied to homeownership. 81.39% of white residents own a home, compared to just 13.94% of Black residents. Renters earn much less than homeowners and are more-likely than owners to experience housing cost-burden (meaning they spend at least 30% of their income on housing). Renters’ median income is $46,588 compared to $158,500 for owners, and 46.54% of renters experience housing cost burden compared to 22.21% of owners.

Economic opportunity in Takoma Park is also stratified by race. 23.79% of Takoma Park households earn less than $35,000 annually, and 42.5% earn more than $100,000. White households in Takoma Park have a median income of $156,250, compared to a Black median income of $46,477, a Hispanic median income of $59,432, and a median income of households with a race of other of $56,691. Income gaps between white and Black residents in Takoma Park almost double those in Montgomery County, and almost quadruple Maryland; income gaps between white and Hispanic residents follow a similar pattern. Poverty rates for Black, Hispanic, and Asian residents range from 10.25% to 23.72%, and are about 3 times as high as white residents’ rate of 3.74%. Black residents under age 65 experience the highest unemployment levels at 6.7%, compared to 3.31% of white residents.

Access to education, broadband internet, and health insurance varies by race and age:

• Education: A higher share of the city’s residents have a graduate degree than Montgomery County or Maryland (37.22%) and a higher share have a graduate or bachelor’s degree than Maryland (58.7%), but a higher share did not complete high school (11%) than Montgomery County or Maryland. There are substantial racial disparities in educational attainment; 53.28% of the city’s Hispanic residents do not have a high school diploma compared to 2.07% of the city’s white residents, and 40.95% of the city’s Black population did not attend college compared to 7.61% of the city’s white residents.

• Internet: 92.29% of residents have access to broadband internet, but rates are lower for residents with a race of ‘other’ (62.5%) and Hispanic residents (73.43%). Residents 65 and older have lower rates of internet access than other age groups, with 78.67% having access to broadband internet.

• Health insurance: Across age-groups, more Takoma Park residents either don’t have insurance or have income-based insurance than Montgomery County or Maryland. Residents below 35 are especially likely to not have health insurance or use income-based insurance; 12.41% of 19-34 year old residents do not have health insurance and 26.33% of under 19 residents use income-based insurance, compared to city rates of 8.75% and 12.39% respectively. Racial disparities exist in health insurance access; only 1.61% of white residents do not have insurance, compared to 41.58% of residents with a race of ‘other’, 26.84% of Hispanic residents, and 11.39% of Black residents.

Demographics

Summary

Takoma Park is a diverse city with a population of 17,703. By race and ethnicity, 43.85% of residents are white (non-Hispanic), 36.06% Black, 11.37% Hispanic (of any race), and 4.69% Asian.

By age range, the largest share of the population are people between 40 and 49 (representing 16.72% of the population), 30 and 39 (13.12%), and 0 and 9 (15.73%).

30.6% of residents were born outside the US (a higher share than Maryland overall). 47.45% of foreign-born residents were born in Africa–more than double Maryland and Montgomery County’s shares–followed by 36.73% from Latin America. A majority of the population other than white (non-Hispanic) and multiracial-residents are foreign-born.

Of Takoma Park’s 6,619 households, 4,261 are family households–meaning they are rented or owned by a householder who lives with at least one family member–and 2,358 are nonfamily. Compared to Montgomery County, Takoma Park has a larger share of single-female family households, and a smaller share of married-couple households.

66.1% of residents’ primary language spoken at home is English, 10.47% Spanish, and 23.43% other languages.

The largest reported non-European country of ancestry for residents is Ethiopia, representing 55.71% of the 3,400 residents the Census reports as having sub-Saharan African ancestry. The three largest country of ancestry of people with a reported race of Asian are Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese (representing 330, 176, and 125 residents respectively).

5.66% of residents have a disability, a lower share than Montgomery County and Maryland. Rates of disability increase with age, from 0% of residents younger than 5 to 48.66% of residents 75 and older.

Race

Table of contents

1. Overall race

2. Age race

3. Sex race

Overall race

Most Takoma Park residents are persons of color, although non-Hispanic white people represent a plurality of the City’s residents at 43.85% (note: throughout this webpage, Hispanic white people are excluded from counts of white people, but Hispanic people of color are included in counts of people of color. White-Hispanic people represent 2.4% of Takoma Park’s population). The next largest groups of residents are Black residents at 36.06%, and Hispanic residents at 11.37%.

Age race

Different races have different age-distributions compared to the city overall:

• White residents tend to be older compared to the rest of the city. There are a lower share of white residents aged 25-34 (8.6%), and a higher share of residents aged 55-64 (18.1%) and 65-74 (9.9%).
• For Black residents, there are a lower share of residents 55-64 (8.3%), and a higher share of residents aged 25-34 (12.1%, although this difference is not statistically significant). The highest share of Black residents are aged 35-44 at 18.6%, but there is not a statistically-significant difference from the city’s overall percent of aged 35-44 year old residents (15.9%).
• For Hispanic residents, there are a higher share of residents aged 18-24 (13%), and a lower share of residents aged 55-64 (11.2%, although this difference is not statistically significant).
• Asian residents and residents with a race of ‘other’ mostly follow the City’s demographics, but there are a lower share of 0-9 Asian residents at 6.3%. For, residents with a race of ‘other,’ there are a higher share of residents between 18 and 24 (15.2%).
• Multiracial residents are mostly under 18–representing 54.8% of multiracial residents–with a lower share of residents 45-74 (14.5%) than the city’s overall demographics.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Sex race

There are not significant differences by race and sex from the overall population. Although not statistically significant, the Census estimates there are more female multiracial residents than male, at 55% of multi-racial residents, and more male residents with a racial category of ‘other’ than female at 52.8% of residents with a racial cateogrization of ‘other.’

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Age, sex, and families

Table of contents

1. Sex

2. Age

3. Household-type

4. Household living arrangements

5. Age by sex

Sex

52.25% of Takoma Park’s population are female, and 47.75% are male.

Age

Compared to Montgomery County and Maryland, Takoma Park has a slightly higher share of people aged 40-49 at 16.72% compared to 13.67% in Montgomery County and 12.64% in Maryland, and a slightly higher share of people aged 0-9 at 15.73% compared to 12.54% and 12.13% in Montgomery County and Maryland. The city has a slightly lower share of people over 70–representing 6.77% of residents compared to 10.38% in Montgomery County and 10.24% in Maryland–and a slightly lower share of people aged 20-29 than Maryland, representing 9.08% of residents compared to 13.1% in Maryland.

Household-type

The Census defines a household as all people in a housing unit. A housing unit is a separate living quarters, meaning occupants have a dedicated space or structure for them. A single-family house is a housing unit, and one apartment in an apartment building is a housing unit. A householder is the person renting or owning a housing unit (in the case of a couple, it could be either of the two).

Of Takoma Park’s 6,619 households, 4,261 are family households–meaning they are rented or owned by a householder who lives with at least one family member–and 2,358 are nonfamily. The largest share of households are married-couple householders (representing 3,082 households), followed by 1,909 householders living alone and 830 single-female family households.

Compared to Montgomery County, Takoma Park has a larger share of single-female family households at 12.54% compared to 11.13%, and a smaller share of married-couple households at 46.56% compared to 54.54%.

Household living arrangements

54.02% of married couples in Takoma Park have children, as well as 41.45% of cohabitating couples. Similar to Maryland and Montgomery County, a higher-share of single-female households have children than single-male households (23.38% compared to 10.62%), while a greater share of single-male households live with roommates (9.96% compared to 5.8%).

A higher share of married Takoma Park households have children (54.02%) than Montgomery County (45.85%) or Maryland (40.42%). A smaller share of single-woman households live with relatives in Takoma Park, at 13.37% compared to 20.84% in Montgomery County and 23.23% in Maryland.

Age by sex

The largest share of female residents in the City are aged 40-49 at 17.92% of female-residents and 9.37% of the population, followed by people aged 30-39 (representing 14.35% of the female-residents and 7.5% of the City’s population). The largest share of male residents are aged 0-9–representing 16.37% of males and 7.82% of the population–and 40-49, representing 15.4% of males and 7.35% of the population.

The biggest between-sexes differences by age are in people aged 30-49. There are 687 more female-residents between 30 and 39 than male (representing 32.27% of female residents compared to 27.18% of male residents).

Foreign-born residency, birthplace, and English proficiency

Table of contents

1. Birthplace

2. Foreign-born residents by birthplace

3. Race by birthplace

4. Ancestry

5. Languages spoken at home

6. Languages spoken at home by age

Birthplace

30.6% of Takoma Park’s residents were born in another country, about the same as Montgomery County but almost double Maryland’s 15.17%.

Foreign-born residents by birthplace

Although Takoma Park and Montgomery County have similar shares of foreign-born residents, the birthplaces of residents differ. 47.45% of Takoma Park’s foreign-born residents were born in Africa compared to only 16.2% of Montgomery County’s, while 36.58% of Montgomery County’s foreign-born residents were born in Asia compared to 10.02% of Takoma Park’s. Both places have similar shares of Latin-American born residents, representing around 36% of foreign-born residents.

Race by birthplace

In Takoma Park, a majority of residents of all racial/ethnic backgrounds other than white (non-Hispanic) and multiracial were born in another country. 50.86% of the city’s Black residents are foreign born, 62.97% of the city’s Hispanic residents, 64.94% of the city’s Asian residents, and 75.27% of residents with a race of ‘other.’ Most white and multi-racial residents of Takoma Park were born in another state, with out-of-state birthplaces representing 78.86% of white residents and 50.2% of multi-racial residents.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Ancestry

The Census reports 30 ancestry groups in Takoma Park with at least 50 people, and no ancestry group represents more than 19.21% of the population. The largest reported group in Takoma Park by the Census’s ancestry-categories are sub-Saharan African at 3,400 (representing 19.21% of residents), followed by Irish at 1,549 residents, German at 1,491 residents, English at 1,475 residents, and West Indian at 743 residents. Due to the small numbers involved and high margin of error, caution should be taken in reading too much into exact estimates.

Note: The above chart is limited to ancestry-groups with at least 50 residents in Takoma Park.

While the Census groups countries of ancestry for Arab, sub-Saharan African, and West Indian residents, the Census does make available disaggregated data by country of ancestry for these residents. A majority of residents of sub-Saharan African ancestry are Ethiopian (representing 1,894 residents and 55.71% of residents of sub-Saharan African ancestry); the only other individual country of ancestry with more than 50 residents is Nigeria at 96 residents. Most residents of West Indian ancestry are either Haitian (representing 257 residents and 34.59% of West Indian residents) or Jamaican (representing 224 residents and 30.15% of West Indian residents). No country of ancestry for Arab residents has at least 50 resident; the most Arab residents are of Jordanian ancestry at 29 residents.

Note: The above chart is limited to ancestry-groups with at least 50 residents in Takoma Park.

Separately, the Census reports ethnicity results for residents with a race of Asian. The largest share of Asian residents are ethnically Indian at 330 residents and 39.76% of Asian residents, followed by Chinese (non-Taiwanese) residents at 176 residents, and Vietnamese residents at 125 residents.

Languages spoken at home

33.9% of Takoma Park residents speak a language other than English at home, with 10.47% of residents speaking Spanish and the remaining 23.43% speaking another language. While lower than Montgomery County, both exceed Maryland’s rates of 8.3% Spanish and 10.71% another language respectively.

Languages spoken at home by age

By age, people aged 18-64 are less likely to speak English at home (at rates of 61%) than people under 18 or over 64 (75% and 79.2% respectively). People aged 18-64 are relatively more likely to speak another non-Indo European or Asian/Pacific Island language; 15.3% of people aged 18-64 spoke one of these languages at home, compared to 5.4% of people under 18 and 5% of people over 64.

Disability

Table of contents

1. Disability

2. Disability by age

3. Disability by race

4. Disability by type

5. Disability by type and age

Disability

The American Community Survey covers six types of disability: hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living.

996 persons in Takoma Park have a disability. This represents 5.66% of Takoma Park’s population, a lower share than Maryland’s 11.11% and Montgomery County’s 8.49%.

Disability by age

Consistent with expectations, the percent of people in an age group in Takoma Park with a disability increases with age, from 0% of residents less than 5 to 48.66% of people older than 75. A higher percentage of Takoma Park residents older than 75 have a disability than Montgomery County (42.39%) or Maryland (44.73%), and a lower share of residents aged 5-17 (2.36%) and 35-64 (2.58%) have a disability than Maryland (5.55% of 5-17 year-olds and 10.34% of 35-64 year-olds).

Disability by race

There appear to be some differences in disability-rates by race, but they are not different at a statistically significant level from the City’s overall rate (meaning we cannot conclude there is an actual difference at a level of 90% confidence). Despite this, we can assume there are differences in rates of disability by race compared to the City’s overall rate because differences in the larger sample of Maryland are statistically-significant.

There are some differences in rates of disability by race compared to Maryland and Montgomery County. A lower share of white Takoma Park residents have a disability (5.18%) compared to Maryland (12.26%) and Montgomery County (10.13%), and a lower share of Black residents have a disability (5.89%) compared to Maryland (11.92%).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Disability by type

The most common disabilities by type are ambulatory and independent-living disabilities. Respectively, 3.68% and 2.13% of Takoma Park residents have these disabilities.

At a statistically-significant level, Takoma Park residents overall are less likely than Maryland residents to have any type of disability. Compared to Montgomery County residents, Takoma Park residents are less likely to have cognitive disabilities, hearing disabilities, self-care disabilities, and independent-living disabilities.

Disability by type and age

Rates of most specific disabilities increase with age, although at different rates (for definitions of disability types, see the methodology or Census webpage). For instance, persons with ambulatory disabilities represent 0.53% of 5-17 year olds compared to 38.07% of people 75 and older, while persons with self-care disabilities represent 0% of 5-17 year olds and 8.18% of people 75 and older.

Note: Percentages in the ‘percent of persons with disability in age-group’ graph exceed 100 because people can have multiple disabilities.

Younger people with a disability are more likely to have cognitive disabilities, while older people with a disability are more likely to have ambulatory or other disabilities. 46.27% of 18-34 year olds with a disability have a cognitive disability, compared to 6.45% of 65-74 year olds with a disability and 14.33% of people 75+ with a disability.

People 75 and over in general are still more likely to have a cognitive disability than other groups because rates of all disabilities are higher among people 75 and over. 6.97% of people 75 and over have a cognitive disability, compared to 2.12% of people 18-34.

Race and Ethnicity

Summary

Racial demographics

Takoma Park is a diverse city with a population of 17,703. By race and ethnicity, 43.85% of residents are white (non-Hispanic), 36.06% Black, 11.37% Hispanic (of any race), and 4.69% Asian.

Housing

About half of Takoma Park’s population are homeowners (51.37%), but there are substantial disparities in homeownership by race. 76.56% of homeowners are white, and white residents have a homeownership rate of 81.39% compared to 13.94% for Black residents and 22.19% for residents with a race of ‘other.’

Given differences in homeownership by race, economic disparities between homeowners and renters are also racial disparities. 46.54% of renters are housing-cost burdened (meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs) and 16.74% severely cost burdened (spending greater than half their income on housing), compared to 22.21% of cost-burdened homeowners and 11.38% of severely cost-burdened owners.

Poverty, employment, and income

Substantial racial inequalities in income exist in Takoma Park. 23.79% of Takoma Park households earn less than $35,000 annually, and 42.5% earn more than $100,000. White households in Takoma Park have a median income of $156,250, compared to a Black median income of $46,477, a Hispanic median income of $59,432, and a median income of ‘other’ races of $56,691. Income gaps between white and Black residents in Takoma Park almost double those in Montgomery County, and almost quadruple Maryland; income gaps between white and Hispanic residents follow a similar pattern.

Racial disparities in income persist at the bottom and top of the income distribution, both exceeding inequalities in Maryland and Montgomery County. 46.02% of Takoma Park’s Asian households, 39.96% of its Black households, and 28.07% of its Hispanic households earn less than $35,000 a year, compared to 7.22% of its white households.

There are significant racial disparities in poverty by race. Black residents represent 36.06% of the city’s population but 49.1% of residents in poverty, and their poverty rate of 11.92% has a statistically significant difference from the city’s rate. White residents make up 43.85% of the city’s population but just 19% of those in poverty, with a statistically-lower poverty rate of 3.74%. Poverty rates for Hispanic residents (10.25%), and Asian residents (23.72%) also exceed white residents by a statistically significant degree.

Black residents under age 65 experience the highest unemployment levels by race at 6.7% (representing 206 total residents) compared to 3.31% for white residents under 65 (representing 148 residents).

Education, health insurance, and internet-access

There are significant gaps in educational attainment by race in Takoma Park, exceeding disparities in the County and state. 75.24% of residents with a race of ‘other’ and 53.28% of the city’s Hispanic residents do not have a high school diploma compared to 2.07% of the city’s white residents, and 40.95% of the city’s Black population have a high school degree or did not complete high school compared to 7.61% of the city’s white residents.

White and Asian residents of Takoma Park have the greatest access to broadband internet while residents with a race of ‘other,’ Hispanic, and Black residents have the least. 97.63% of the City’s Asian residents and 98.68% of its white residents have access to broadband internet, compared to 62.5% of residents with a race of ‘other,’ 73.43% of Hispanic residents, and 89.83% of Black residents. Rates of access for Asian Takoma Park residents exceed Asian residents of Montgomery County and Maryland, rates for white residents exceed Maryland, and rates for Hispanic/‘other’ residents fall-below Maryland and Montgomery County.

Residents with a race of ‘other,’ Black residents, and Hispanic residents have less access to health insurance than white residents and residents overall. Only 1.61% of white residents do not have any insurance, compared to 41.58% of residents with a race of ‘other’, 26.84% of Hispanic residents, and 11.39% of Black residents. Access to insurance for Black and ‘other’ residents fall below residents of the same race in Montgomery County.

Disparities in health-insurance access appear between white residents and most other races in the 19-64 year old age-range. Between 19 and 64, only 2.42% of white residents lack health insurance, compared to 63.42% of residents with a race of ‘other’, 41.71% of Hispanic residents, 16.26% of Black residents, and 8.99% of Asian residents. Black residents and residents with a race of ‘other’ between 19 and 64 in Takoma Park also have less access to health insurance than residents of the same race in Montgomery County and Maryland.

Racial demographics

Table of contents

1. Race overall

2. Race age

3. Race sex

4. Race birthplace

5. Race ancestry

6. Race disability

Race overall

Most Takoma Park residents are persons of color, although non-Hispanic white people represent a plurality of the City’s residents at 43.85% (note: throughout this webpage, Hispanic white people are excluded from counts of white people, but Hispanic people of color are included in counts of people of color. White-Hispanic people represent 2.4% of Takoma Park’s population). The next largest groups of residents are Black residents at 36.06%, and Hispanic residents at 11.37%.

Race age

Different races have different age-distributions compared to the city overall:

• White residents tend to be older compared to the rest of the city. There are a lower share of white residents aged 25-34 (8.6%), and a higher share of residents aged 55-64 (18.1%) and 65-74 (9.9%).
• For Black residents, there are a lower share of residents 55-64 (8.3%), and a higher share of residents aged 25-34 (12.1%, although this difference is not statistically significant). The highest share of Black residents are aged 35-44 at 18.6%, but there is not a statistically-significant difference from the city’s overall percent of aged 35-44 year old residents (15.9%).
• For Hispanic residents, there are a higher share of residents aged 18-24 (13%), and a lower share of residents aged 55-64 (11.2%, although this difference is not statistically significant).
• Asian residents and residents with a race of ‘other’ mostly follow the City’s demographics, but there are a lower share of 0-9 Asian residents at 6.3%. For, residents with a race of ‘other,’ there are a higher share of residents between 18 and 24 (15.2%).
• Multiracial residents are mostly under 18–representing 54.8% of multiracial residents–with a lower share of residents 45-74 (14.5%) than the city’s overall demographics.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Race sex

There are not significant differences by race and sex from the overall population. Although not statistically significant, the Census estimates there are more female multiracial residents than male, at 55% of multi-racial residents, and more male residents with a racial category of ‘other’ than female at 52.8% of residents with a racial cateogrization of ‘other.’

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Race birthplace

In Takoma Park, a majority of residents of all racial/ethnic backgrounds other than white (non-Hispanic) and multiracial were born in another country. 50.86% of the city’s Black residents are foreign born, 62.97% of the city’s Hispanic residents, 64.94% of the city’s Asian residents, and 75.27% of residents with a race of ‘other.’ Most white and multi-racial residents of Takoma Park were born in another state, with out-of-state birthplaces representing 78.86% of white residents and 50.2% of multi-racial residents.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Race ancestry

The Census reports 30 ancestry groups in Takoma Park with at least 50 people, and no ancestry group represents more than 19.21% of the population. The largest reported group in Takoma Park by the Census’s ancestry-categories are sub-Saharan African at 3,400 (representing 19.21% of residents), followed by Irish at 1,549 residents, German at 1,491 residents, English at 1,475 residents, and West Indian at 743 residents. Due to the small numbers involved and high margin of error, caution should be taken in reading too much into exact estimates.

Note: The above chart is limited to ancestry-groups with at least 50 residents in Takoma Park.

While the Census groups countries of ancestry for Arab, sub-Saharan African, and West Indian residents, the Census does make available disaggregated data by country of ancestry for these residents. A majority of residents of sub-Saharan African ancestry are Ethiopian (representing 1,894 residents and 55.71% of residents of sub-Saharan African ancestry); the only other individual country of ancestry with more than 50 residents is Nigeria at 96 residents. Most residents of West Indian ancestry are either Haitian (representing 257 residents and 34.59% of West Indian residents) or Jamaican (representing 224 residents and 30.15% of West Indian residents). No country of ancestry for Arab residents has at least 50 resident; the most Arab residents are of Jordanian ancestry at 29 residents.

Note: The above chart is limited to ancestry-groups with at least 50 residents in Takoma Park.

Separately, the Census reports ethnicity results for residents with a race of Asian. The largest share of Asian residents are ethnically Indian at 330 residents and 39.76% of Asian residents, followed by Chinese (non-Taiwanese) residents at 176 residents, and Vietnamese residents at 125 residents.

Race disability

There appear to be some differences in disability-rates by race, but they are not different at a statistically significant level from the City’s overall rate (meaning we cannot conclude there is an actual difference at a level of 90% confidence). Despite this, we can assume there are differences in rates of disability by race compared to the City’s overall rate because differences in the larger sample of Maryland are statistically-significant.

There are some differences in rates of disability by race compared to Maryland and Montgomery County. A lower share of white Takoma Park residents have a disability (5.18%) compared to Maryland (12.26%) and Montgomery County (10.13%), and a lower share of Black residents have a disability (5.89%) compared to Maryland (11.92%).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Housing

Table of contents

1. Race home ownership

2. Housing cost burden by home-ownership

3. Housing cost burden by home-ownership and income

Race home ownership

There are significant racial disparities in homeownership in Takoma Park. Despite representing 43.85% of the population, non-Hispanic white residents make up 76.56% of all homeowners, with a homeownership rate of 81.39%; the only other households with a homeownership rate above 50% are Asian homeowners, with a rate of 79.58%. By contrast, Black residents make up 65.02% of the city’s renters–despite representing 36.06% of the City’s population–with a homeownership rate of 13.94%. Households with a race of ‘other’ have a similarly low homeownership rate of 22.19%, and Hispanic residents have a homeownership rate of 39.33%.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Housing cost burden by home-ownership

46.54% of Takoma Park renters are housing-cost burdened–meaning they spend at least 30% of their income on housing costs–compared to 22.21% of Takoma Park owners. The share of severely cost burdened renters–meaning they spend more than half their income on housing–doubles the share of homeowners, at 16.74% of renters compared to 11.38% of owners.

Housing cost burden by home-ownership and income

Breaking down cost burden by income reveals that while low-income homeowners are most likely to experience severe cost-burdens (spending more than 50% of their income on rent), renters overall are much more likely to experience cost burden because renters generally earn much less than homeowners.

Up to income levels of $35,000, 83.6% of renters at least experience cost-burden (spending more than 30% of their income on rent), representing 30.6% of all renters. Additionally, 46.8% of renters with income-levels below $35,000 experience severe cost-burdens. 84.41% of renters with incomes below $10,000 are severely burdened, and 58.62% of renters with incomes between $10,000 and $20,000 are severely burdened.

A similar 82.4% of homeowners with incomes below $35,000 experience housing cost burden, and a higher 66.5% experience severe cost burden. However, cost-burdened homeowners with incomes below $35,000 represent 254 households–7.5% of all homeowners–compared to the 946 cost-burdened renter-households.

Poverty, employment, and income

Table of contents

1. Median income race

2. Income distribution race

3. Poverty race

4. Poverty by sex/race

5. Poverty by age/race

6. Unemployment race

Median income race

Racial disparities in household income exist throughout Takoma Park, Montgomery County, and Maryland; however, disparities are heightened in Takoma Park compared to either Montgomery County or Maryland. White households in Takoma Park earn a median income $109,773 higher than Black residents, $96,818 higher than Hispanic residents, and $99,559 higher than residents with a race of other. Income gaps between white and Black residents in Takoma Park almost double those in Montgomery County overall ($59,798), and almost quadruple those in Maryland overall ($27,583); income gaps between white and Hispanic residents follow the same pattern, being almost 1.5 times higher than Montgomery County’s and almost four times as large as Maryland’s.

These gaps exist both because people of color in Takoma Park earn less than Montgomery County and Maryland, and because white residents in Takoma Park earn more than in Montgomery County and Maryland. The median Black household in Takoma Park earns $46,477, compared to $78,246 in Montgomery County and $69,964 in Maryland; the median Hispanic household earns $59,432, compared to $79,981 in Montgomery County and $76,092 in Maryland. By contrast, the median white household earns $156,250 in Takoma Park, compared to $138,044 in Montgomery County and $97,547 in Maryland.

Note: Due to the lower number of NHPI, AIAN, and Asian residents in Takoma Park, the Census does not report data on their median income.

Income distribution race

Reviewing more granular household income data provides more insight into these disparities. 46.02% of Takoma Park’s Asian households, 39.96% of its Black households, and 28.07% of its Hispanic households earn less than $35,000 a year, compared to 7.22% of its white households By contrast, 68.61% of white households earned more than $100,000 a year, compared to 14.93% of Black households and 25.71% of Hispanic households; and 36.71% of its white households earn more than $200,000, compared to 2.22% of Black and 5.88% of Hispanic households. Income-disparities exist among Asian residents in Takoma Park (although the low number of residents and high margin of error suggest caution); 46.02% of Asian households earn less than $35,000 annually, but 40.48% earn more than $100,000. Although the low number of residents with a race of ‘other’ should caution over-interpreting the data, these residents show similar levels of income disparities to Black residents.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Poverty race

There are significant racial disparities in poverty rates. The most residents in poverty by race are Black (representing 741 total residents), followed by white (286) and Hispanic (204) residents. As discussed previously, the official poverty line undercounts the number of residents actually experiencing poverty, but the Census does not make race-disaggregated data available on residents’ income relative to the poverty line. The counts of residents in poverty discussed here undercount the number of residents actually experiencing poverty, even if we cannot know the exact count.

Shares of persons in poverty differ from population shares. Black residents represent 36.06% of the city’s population but 49.1% of residents in poverty, and their poverty rate of 11.92% has a statistically significant difference from the city’s rate of 8.69%. Asian residents make up 4.69% of the population but 12.6% of residents in poverty, with the City’s highest poverty rate of 23.72% that’s significantly higher than both the overall poverty line and white residents. White residents make up 43.85% of the city’s population but just 19% of those in poverty, with a statistically-lower poverty rate of 3.74%.

Residents of multiple races have a statistically-higher poverty rate than white residents at a 90% level of confidence, including Black residents and Asian residents (23.72%). Residents with a race of ‘other’ in the data have the highest estimate of their poverty rate at 13.45%, but the high margin of error of 13.56% means our estimate of these residents’ actual poverty rate at a 90% confidence level falls between -0.1% and 27.01%.

There is not a statistically significant difference between poverty rates of different races in Takoma Park vs Maryland or Montgomery County, except that white residents have a lower poverty rate of 3.74% than Maryland (6.14%), and Asian residents have a higher poverty rate than Maryland (7.21%) or Montgomery County (5.89%).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Poverty by sex/race

Estimates of poverty rates for women exceed men, although the magnitude of the difference varies by race. There are no differences that show up as statistically significant between sexes by race. However, it is reasonable to assume that poverty rates for women are higher even if we’re not sure how much because they’re higher in Maryland and Montgomery County. In Maryland, poverty rates for women are higher than men at a statistically-significant level for all races except Asian; in Montgomery County, for all but residents with a race of ‘other.’

There are not statistically-significant differences in poverty rates by race and sex between Takoma Park and Marlyand or Montgomery County, with a few exceptions. The poverty rate for Asian women in Takoma Park (20%) exceeds their poverty rate in Maryland (7.22%) and Montgomery County (6.21%). The 3.72% poverty rate for white men in Takoma Park and the 3.75% poverty rate for white women fall below the 5.4% rate for white men and 6.84% rate for white women in Maryland; and the 4.56% poverty rate for multiracial men in Takoma Park falls below the 9.61% poverty rate in Maryland, as does the poverty rate for white men (3.72% vs. 5.4%) and white women (3.75% vs. 3.75%).

Compared to white residents of the same sex in Takoma Park, female Asian, Black, Hispanic (with a poverty rate of 10.19%), and ‘other’ (16.05%) residents have a higher poverty rate than female white residents; and Black male residents have a higher poverty rate than white male residents. Compared to the city’s overall poverty rate of 8.69%, white male, white female, and multiracial male residents have a lower poverty rate; and Asian and Black female residents have a higher poverty rate. It is likely that poverty rates in the same-sex for other races are higher than white-residents even if they do not show as statistically significant in Takoma Park. In the larger sample of Maryland and Montgomery County, there are statistically-significant differences between white male residents and male residents of all other races, and between white female residents and female residents of all other races (except in Maryland, for Asian women).

Poverty by sex/race

Estimates of poverty rates for women exceed men, although the magnitude of the difference varies by race. There are no differences that show up as statistically significant between sexes by race. However, it is reasonable to assume that poverty rates for women are higher even if we’re not sure how much because they’re higher in Maryland and Montgomery County. In Maryland, poverty rates for women are higher than men at a statistically-significant level for all races except Asian; in Montgomery County, for all but residents with a race of ‘other.’

There are not statistically-significant differences in poverty rates by race and sex between Takoma Park and Marlyand or Montgomery County, with a few exceptions. The poverty rate for Asian women in Takoma Park (20%) exceeds their poverty rate in Maryland (7.22%) and Montgomery County (6.21%). The 3.72% poverty rate for white men in Takoma Park and the 3.75% poverty rate for white women fall below the 5.4% rate for white men and 6.84% rate for white women in Maryland; and the 4.56% poverty rate for multiracial men in Takoma Park falls below the 9.61% poverty rate in Maryland, as does the poverty rate for white men (3.72% vs. 5.4%) and white women (3.75% vs. 3.75%).

Compared to white residents of the same sex in Takoma Park, female Asian, Black, Hispanic (with a poverty rate of 10.19%), and ‘other’ (16.05%) residents have a higher poverty rate than female white residents; and Black male residents have a higher poverty rate than white male residents. Compared to the city’s overall poverty rate of 8.69%, white male, white female, and multiracial male residents have a lower poverty rate; and Asian and Black female residents have a higher poverty rate. It is likely that poverty rates in the same-sex for other races are higher than white-residents even if they do not show as statistically significant in Takoma Park. In the larger sample of Maryland and Montgomery County, there are statistically-significant differences between white male residents and male residents of all other races, and between white female residents and female residents of all other races (except in Maryland, for Asian women).

Poverty by age/race

The large margin of error with smaller-samples makes it difficult to compare estimates by age and race. For instance, the poverty rate estimate for Asian residents 75 and over is 100% but the margin of error is 177.1%, meaning that the actual value could be between 0% and 100%. Still, some statistically-significant racial disparities emerge for specific age groups:

• Age 60 and over, white residents have a statistically significant, lower rate of poverty than the city’s overall rate at the same age.

• Estimates of poverty for Black residents exceed white residents throughought the age spectrum, with statistically significant differences at all ages other than 18-59. Black residents aged 60-74 also have a statistically-significant higher poverty rate than the city’s overall poverty rate at that age (14.94%).

• Poverty rates for Asian residents over 75 jump to 100% (representing 35 residents). However, due to the large margin of error, the difference isn’t statistically significant compared to other groups. From age 60-74 though, Asian residents’ poverty rate of 54.91% exceeds white residents’ in that age range (3.75), as well as Asian residents in Montgomery County (6.15%) and Maryland (6.29%).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Unemployment race

By race, white residents’ unemployment rate falls below the city’s overall unemployment rate of 5.4% at a statistically-significant level. Between races, the low sample-sizes result in a high margin of error, meaning it is hard to tell whether differences in unemployment estimates actually exist or appear because of the particular group of residents the Census surveyed. However, in the larger sample of Montgomery County and Marlyand, there are significant differences in unemployment rates between Black and white residents, Hispanic residents and white residents, residents with a race of ‘other’ and white residents, and multiracial residents and white residents. Because estimates of unemployment rates for these groups in Takoma Park are similar to or higher than in Montgomery County or Maryland, it is reasonable to think unemployment rates for these groups are actually-higher than white residents in Takoma Park even if the differences do not show up as statistically significant.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Education, health, and internet-access

Table of contents

1. Education

2. Internet access

3. Health insurance

4. Health insurance by age

Education

Significant racial disparities exist in educational attainment in Takoma Park, especially for Black residents, Hispanic residents, and residents with a racial categorization of ‘other.’

• 53.28% of the city’s Hispanic residents do not have a high school diploma (658 total) compared to 2.07% of the city’s white population (118 total).
• 40.95% of the city’s Black population have a high school degree or did not complete high school (1,669 total), compared to 7.61% of the city’s white population (433 total).
• 75.24% of residents with a race of ‘other’ do not have a high school diploma (550 total); the low number of residents with a race of ‘other’ and the margin of error of 33.28% (meaning the actual percentage of residents without a high school degree could be between 41.96% and 100%) suggest some caution in interpreting this result, but even the lower bound of 41.96% or residents without a high school diploma would exceed all other groups except for Hispanic residents.
• Educational attainment for Asian residents exceeds the City’s overall rate and are similar to white residents through high school, but a lower share of Asian residents have a bachelor’s degree than white residents at 70.13% compared to 85.27%.

Note: To avoid misrepresenting percentage data, the above graph is limited to racial/ethnic groups with more than 30 residents in Takoma Park, omitting American Indians and Alaska Natives (30 residents, with a margin of error of 29 residents), and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (0 residents).

Comparing racial/ethnic groups with educational disparities in Takoma Park to the same groups in Montgomery County and Maryland overall reveal higher disparities in Takoma Park than the region and state. The proportion of Hispanic residents without a high school degree in Takoma Park exceeds Maryland and Montgomery County by 21.01% and 24.48% respectively. The share of Black residents without any college education is similar to the state’s, but exceeds the county’s by 15.04%. And although the large margin of error warrants caution, the share of residents with a race of ‘other’ without a high school degree exceeds Montgomery County’s by 38.8%. Finally, white residents in Takoma Park have higher levels of educational attainment than the state or region; 85.27% of white Takoma Park residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 45.86% of white people in Maryland and 72.79% in Montgomery County.

Internet access

White and Asian residents of Takoma Park have the greatest access to broadband internet, while residents with a race of ‘other,’ Hispanic, and Black residents have the least. 97.63% of the City’s Asian residents (784 total) and 98.68% of its white residents (7,571 total) have access to broadband internet, compared to 62.5% of residents with a race of ‘other’ (935 total), 73.43% of Hispanic residents (1,703 total), and 89.83% of Black residents (6,010 total). Most Black residents without broadband have access to a computer but not internet (7.2% and 6,010 total). Similar shares of Hispanic residents and residents with a race of ‘other’ can access a computer but not internet (12.28%/1,703 total Hispanic residents and 14.9%/935 total residents of another race), but a higher share of Hispanic and ‘other’ residents also do not have access to a computer (14.29% of/1,703 total Hispanic and 22.6% of/935 total ‘other’ residents, compared to 2.97% of/6,010 total Black residents).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Asian residents in Takoma Park have higher levels of broadband internet access than Asian residents in Montgomery County or Maryland, white Takoma Park residents have higher rates than Maryland, and residents with a race of ‘other’ and Hispanic residents have lower access than Maryland or Montgomery County. In Takoma Park, 97.63% of Asian residents have broadband access compared to 97.27% in Montgomery County and 96.24% in Maryland. 98.68% of white Takoma Park residents have broadband internet access, compared to 92.52% in Maryland. Only 73.43% of Hispanic residents in Takoma Park have broadband internet access, compared to 88.74% in Maryland and 91.14% in Montgomery County. The share of Takoma Park residents with an ‘other’ race-categorization who have broadband internet is 62.5% (with an upper estimate of 75.46% and a lower estimate of 49.54%), compared to 90.39% in Montgomery County and 86.55% in Maryland.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Health insurance

Statistically-significant racial disparities show up in access to health insurance between white residents and other residents, and exceed those in Maryland and Montgomery County:

• Residents with a race listed as ‘other’ in the ACS lack health insurance at the highest rates of any race/ethnicity; 41.58% of these residents do not have insurance (506 total), compared to the city’s overall rate of 8.75% and white residents’ rate of 1.61%.

• Both Hispanic and Black residents also have less access to health insurance than white residents at statistically-significant levels. 26.84% of Hispanic residents do not have health insurance (539 total), and 11.39% of Black residents do not have health insurance (723 total).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Gaps for Black residents in Takoma Park exceed gaps in Montgomery County and Maryland at statistically significant levels, as do gaps for residents with a race of ‘other.’ In Montgomery County and Maryland, 6.81% and 5.8% of Black residents don’t have health insurance, compared to 11.39% of Black Takoma Park residents. 41.58% of residents with a race of ‘other’ in Takoma Park do not have health insurance, compared to 27.35% of Montgomery County residents with a race of ‘other’ and 29.05% in Maryland.

Health insurance by age

Low estimate-totals make assessing the statistical significance of disparities in health insurance access by age and race difficult. Nonetheless, statistically significant disparities in access appear between white and people of color residents in the 19-64 year old age-range.

• 63.42% of residents with a race of ‘other’ between 19 and 64 (482 total) and 41.71% of 19-64 year old Hispanic residents (516 total) do not have health insurance, compared to 12.66% of all city residents and 2.42% of white residents.

• Statistically significant disparities also exist in health insurance access between between Black/Asian residents and white residents between 19 and 64. 4.87% of Black residents under 19 (91 total) and 16.26% of residents aged 19-64 (632 total) do not have health insurance, compared to 0.35% of white residents under 19 year-olds and 2.42% of 19-64 year olds. Asian residents aged 19-64 also have lower rates of health insurance access than white residents in the same age group, with 8.99% of Asian residents in this age range lacking health insurance.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Comparing locations by health insurance access, race, and age, residents with a race of ‘other’ and Black residents aged 19-64 in Takoma Park are less likely to have health insurance than in Montgomery County or Maryland. For residents with a race of ‘other’ between 19 and 64, 63.42% of Takoma Park residents lack health insurance compared to 40.36% in Montgomery County and 41.12% in Maryland. For Black residents in the same age range, 16.26% of Takoma Park residents lack health insurance compared to 9.05% in Montgomery County and 7.69% in Maryland. Hispanic residents under 19 have slightly more access to health insurance than in Montgomery County or Maryland, with 4.01% of Hispanic Takoma Park residents lacking health insurance compared to 5.89% of Montgomery County residents and 8.82% of Maryland residents.

Housing

Summary

About half of Takoma Park’s population are homeowners (51.37%), but there are substantial disparities in homeownership by race. 76.56% of homeowners are white, and white residents have a homeownership rate of 81.39% compared to 13.94% for Black residents and 22.19% for residents with a race of ‘other.’

Homeownership rates in Takoma Park increase with age through age 64 (from a low of 6.23% for 15-24 year olds to a high of 74.74% for 60-64 year olds) before declining. Homeownership rates for all age groups fall below Maryland and Montgomery County, especially for people aged 65 and older.

Given differences in homeownership by race, economic disparities between homeowners and renters are also racial disparities. 46.54% of renters are housing-cost burdened (meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs) and 16.74% severely cost burdened (spending greater than half their income on housing), compared to 22.21% of cost-burdened homeowners and 11.38% of severely cost-burdened owners.

Homeowners also earn more than renters, and homeowner-renter income disparities in Takoma Park exceed Montgomery County and Maryland. Renters in Takoma Park have a median income of $46,588, and homeowners $158,500; 38.87% of renters have a household income below $35,000, compared to 9.53% of homeowners. Additionally, 83.6% of renters earning below $35,000 annually experience housing cost-burden (spending more than 30% of their income on rent), representing 30.6% of all renters.

Housing

Table of contents

1. Home-ownership

2. Homeownership by race

3. Homeownership by age

4. Housing cost burden by tenure

5. Tenure by income

6. Income distribution by tenure

7. Cost-burden by tenure and income

Home-ownership

Approximately 48.63% of Takoma Park’s population are renters, higher than Maryland or Montgomery County.

Homeownership by race

There are significant racial disparities in homeownership in Takoma Park. Despite representing 43.85% of the population, non-Hispanic white residents make up 76.56% of all homeowners, with a homeownership rate of 81.39%; the only other households with a homeownership rate above 50% are Asian homeowners, with a rate of 79.58%. By contrast, Black residents make up 65.02% of the city’s renters–despite representing 36.06% of the City’s population–with a homeownership rate of 13.94%. Households with a race of ‘other’ have a similarly low homeownership rate of 22.19%, and Hispanic residents have a homeownership rate of 39.33%.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Homeownership by age

As in Montgomery County and Maryland, homeownership rates in Takoma Park generally increase with age before declining at older ages, from a low of 6.23% of 15-24 year-olds to a high of 74.74% of 60-64 year-olds. However, across age-groups, homeownership rates in Takoma Park are below rates in Montgomery County and Maryland. In particular, homeownership rates decline for residents aged-65 and above in Takoma Park; 58.22% of 65-74 year-old households in Takoma Park own homes compared to 82.1% in Montgomery County and 79.93% in Maryland, and 59.48% of 75-84 year olds in Takoma Park own homes compared to 78.78% and 79.09% in Montgomery County and Maryland respectively.

Housing cost burden by tenure

46.54% of Takoma Park renters are housing-cost burdened–meaning they spend at least 30% of their income on housing costs–compared to 22.21% of Takoma Park owners. The share of severely cost burdened renters–meaning they spend more than half their income on housing–doubles the share of homeowners, at 16.74% of renters compared to 11.38% of owners.

Tenure by income

Takoma Park has a substantial gap in income between renter and homeowner households. The median homeowner households earns $111,912 more than the median renter household annually, a wider disparity than in both Montgomery County ($74,364) and the state of Maryland ($55,582). This is because the median renter in Takoma Park earns less than in Montgomery County ($22,458 less) and Maryland ($6,258 less), and the median homeowner in Takoma Park earns more than in Montgomery County ($15,090 more) and Maryland ($50,072 more).

Income distribution by tenure

Housing data reveal differences in challenges experienced by renters and homeowners. 51.71% of homeowners in Takoma Park have a household income above $150,000, while only 13.98% of renters have a household income above $100,000. Conversely, 38.87% of renters have a household income below $35,000, compared to 9.53% of homeowners.

Cost-burden by tenure and income

Breaking down cost burden by income reveals that while low-income homeowners are most likely to experience severe cost-burdens (spending more than 50% of their income on rent), renters overall are much more likely to experience cost burden because renters generally earn much less than homeowners.

Up to income levels of $35,000, 83.6% of renters at least experience cost-burden (spending more than 30% of their income on rent), representing 30.6% of all renters. Additionally, 46.8% of renters with income-levels below $35,000 experience severe cost-burdens. 84.41% of renters with incomes below $10,000 are severely burdened, and 58.62% of renters with incomes between $10,000 and $20,000 are severely burdened.

A similar 82.4% of homeowners with incomes below $35,000 experience housing cost burden, and a higher 66.5% experience severe cost burden. However, cost-burdened homeowners with incomes below $35,000 represent 254 households–7.5% of all homeowners–compared to the 946 cost-burdened renter-households.

Poverty, employment, and income

Summary

Income

Substantial racial inequalities in income exist in Takoma Park. 23.79% of Takoma Park households earn less than $35,000 annually, and 42.5% earn more than $100,000. White households in Takoma Park have a median income of $156,250, compared to a Black median income of $46,477, a Hispanic median income of $59,432, and a median income of ‘other’ races of $56,691. Income gaps between white and Black residents in Takoma Park almost double those in Montgomery County, and almost quadruple Maryland; income gaps between white and Hispanic residents follow a similar pattern.

Racial disparities in income persist at the bottom and top of the income distribution, both exceeding inequalities in Maryland and Montgomery County. 46.02% of Takoma Park’s Asian households, 39.96% of its Black households, and 28.07% of its Hispanic households earn less than $35,000 a year, compared to 7.22% of its white households.

Poverty

8.69% of Takoma Park’s population is below the poverty line (1,509 residents), an additional 5.24% (909 residents) earn between 100% and 149% of the line, and an additional 11.55% (2,007 residents) earn between 150% and 199% of the line.

There are significant racial disparities in poverty by race. Black residents represent 36.06% of the city’s population but 49.1% of residents in poverty, and their poverty rate of 11.92% has a statistically significant difference from the city’s rate. White residents make up 43.85% of the city’s population but just 19% of those in poverty, with a statistically-lower poverty rate of 3.74%. Poverty rates for Hispanic residents (10.25%), and Asian residents (23.72%) also exceed white residents by a statistically significant degree.

By sex, poverty rates for female residents exceed men 9.59% to 7.71%. Female nonfamily households had the highest poverty rates by household type at 23.54%, and married-couple families the lowest at 2.63%. Poverty rates for female Black (13.49%), Hispanic (10.19%), and residents with a race of ‘other’ (16.05%) exceed poverty rates for white female residents (3.75%), and poverty rates for Black men (10.06%) exceed poverty rates for white men (3.72%).

By age, poverty rates for Takoma Park residents aged 18-59 and 60-74 exceeded poverty rates for Montgomery County (at 8.59% and 14.94% compared to 6.12% and 5.54%), while poverty rates for residents under 6 and between 12-17 fell below Montgomery County’s (3.07% for under 6 in Takoma Park compared to 8.78% in Montgomery County, and 3.63% for 12-17 residents compared to 7.98%).

Unemployment

Takoma Park has 535 unemployed residents under 65, for an unemployment rate of 5.4%.

Black residents under age 65 experience the highest unemployment levels by race at 6.7% (representing 206 total residents) compared to 3.31% for white residents under 65 (representing 148 residents).

Unemployment rates decline with age from a high of 21.98% at 20-21 to a low of 0 percent for people aged 60 to 61 and 65 to 69. No differences between Takoma Park and Maryland or Montgomery County are statistically significant.

Income

Table of contents

1. Income distribution

2. Median income by race

3. Income distribution by race

Income distribution

Takoma Park has a higher proportion of low-income households than Maryland or Montgomery County; a lower-proportion of high-income households than Montgomery County; and a higher proportion of very-high-income households than Maryland. 23.79% of Takoma Park households earn less than $35,000 annually (1,575 total), compared to 18.95% of Maryland households and 13.83% of Montgomery County households. 42.5% of Takoma Park households earn at least $100,000, compared to 55.36% of Montgomery County households. And 20.41% of Takoma Park households earn more than $200,000, compared to 13.43% of Maryland households.

Median income by race

Racial disparities in household income exist throughout Takoma Park, Montgomery County, and Maryland; however, disparities are heightened in Takoma Park compared to either Montgomery County or Maryland. White households in Takoma Park earn a median income $109,773 higher than Black residents, $96,818 higher than Hispanic residents, and $99,559 higher than residents with a race of other. Income gaps between white and Black residents in Takoma Park almost double those in Montgomery County overall ($59,798), and almost quadruple those in Maryland overall ($27,583); income gaps between white and Hispanic residents follow the same pattern, being almost 1.5 times higher than Montgomery County’s and almost four times as large as Maryland’s.

These gaps exist both because people of color in Takoma Park earn less than Montgomery County and Maryland, and because white residents in Takoma Park earn more than in Montgomery County and Maryland. The median Black household in Takoma Park earns $46,477, compared to $78,246 in Montgomery County and $69,964 in Maryland; the median Hispanic household earns $59,432, compared to $79,981 in Montgomery County and $76,092 in Maryland. By contrast, the median white household earns $156,250 in Takoma Park, compared to $138,044 in Montgomery County and $97,547 in Maryland.

Note: Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are excluded from the above chart because of the low number of these residents in Takoma Park.

Income distribution by race

Reviewing more granular household income data provides more insight into these disparities. 46.02% of Takoma Park’s Asian households, 39.96% of its Black households, and 28.07% of its Hispanic households earn less than $35,000 a year, compared to 7.22% of its white households By contrast, 68.61% of white households earned more than $100,000 a year, compared to 14.93% of Black households and 25.71% of Hispanic households; and 36.71% of its white households earn more than $200,000, compared to 2.22% of Black and 5.88% of Hispanic households. Income-disparities exist among Asian residents in Takoma Park (although the low number of residents and high margin of error suggest caution); 46.02% of Asian households earn less than $35,000 annually, but 40.48% earn more than $100,000. Although the low number of residents with a race of ‘other’ should caution over-interpreting the data, these residents show similar levels of income disparities to Black residents.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Comparing Takoma Park to Maryland and Montgomery County, non-white households in Takoma Park tend to earn lower incomes across the income spectrum, while white households in Takoma Park tend to earn higher incomes than Maryland households and slightly higher incomes than Montgomery County. The share of Asian Takoma Park residents earning less than $35,000 is 3.2 times higher than the share in Maryland, and 3.06 times higher than Montgomery County; and the share of Black residents earning less than $35,000 is 1.85 times higher than the share in Maryland, and 1.59 times higher than Montgomery County. For Hispanic residents in Takoma Park, the share is 1.51 times higher than Maryland, and 1.68 times higher than Montgomery County.

Poverty

Table of contents

1. Poverty

2. Poverty by race

3. Poverty by sex

4. Poverty by age

5. Poverty by household-type

6. Poverty by family-type

7. Poverty by race and sex

8. Poverty by race and age

9. Poverty by sex and age

Poverty

The ACS makes detailed data available on residents’ income relative to the poverty threshold. The official US poverty line for a family of four in 2021 is $26,500. The line underestimates actual poverty; it is outdated and does not account for costs other than food (e.g., housing, transportation, medical costs). A number of federal programs base eligibility on the poverty line; for example, households cannot earn more than 130% of the federal poverty line to qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Takoma Park has a similar poverty rate to Montgomery County and Maryland. 8.69% of Takoma Park’s population is below the poverty line (1,509 residents), compared to 6.59% of Montgomery County. An additional 5.24% (909 residents) of Takoma Park’s population earn between 100% and 149% of the poverty level (compared to 5.06% for Montgomery County), and an additional 11.55% (2,007 residents) earn between 150% and 199% of the poverty line (compared to 5.43% in Montgomery County). Given the outdated nature of US poverty measures, many of these residents are economically vulnerable.

Poverty by race

There are significant racial disparities in poverty rates. The most residents in poverty by race are Black (representing 741 total residents), followed by white (286) and Hispanic (204) residents. As discussed previously, the official poverty line undercounts the number of residents actually experiencing poverty, but the Census does not make race-disaggregated data available on residents’ income relative to the poverty line. The counts of residents in poverty discussed here undercount the number of residents actually experiencing poverty, even if we cannot know the exact count.

Shares of persons in poverty differ from population shares. Black residents represent 36.06% of the city’s population but 49.1% of residents in poverty, and their poverty rate of 11.92% has a statistically significant difference from the city’s rate of 8.69%. Asian residents make up 4.69% of the population but 12.6% of residents in poverty, with the City’s highest poverty rate of 23.72% that’s significantly higher than both the overall poverty line and white residents. White residents make up 43.85% of the city’s population but just 19% of those in poverty, with a statistically-lower poverty rate of 3.74%.

Residents of multiple races have a statistically-higher poverty rate than white residents at a 90% level of confidence, including Black residents and Asian residents (23.72%). Residents with a race of ‘other’ in the data have the highest estimate of their poverty rate at 13.45%, but the high margin of error of 13.56% means our estimate of these residents’ actual poverty rate at a 90% confidence level falls between -0.1% and 27.01%.

There is not a statistically significant difference between poverty rates of different races in Takoma Park vs Maryland or Montgomery County, except that white residents have a lower poverty rate of 3.74% than Maryland (6.14%), and Asian residents have a higher poverty rate than Maryland (7.21%) or Montgomery County (5.89%).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Poverty by sex

The estimated poverty rate for women in Takoma Park exceeds men 9.59% to 7.71%. There is not a statistically significant difference between Takoma Park’s poverty rate and Maryland or Montgomery County’s, although Takoma Park’s estimates are closer to Maryland’s female poverty rate of 9.88% and male of 8.09%. There are statistically-significant differences between female and male poverty rates in Maryland and Montgomery County; although the difference in Takoma Park is not statistically-significant, it is reasonable to assume that there is an actual difference in poverty rates between the sexes based on them holding-up in the larger sample of Maryland and Montgomery County.

Poverty by age

Residents less than age 6 and between 12 and 17 had a statistically lower poverty rate than the City’s overall rate of of 8.69%, and residents 60-74 had a statistically higher poverty rate. Children under 6 had a poverty rate of 3.07%, residents aged 12 to 17 had a poverty rate of 3.63%, and residents aged 60-74 had a 14.94% poverty rate.

Some age groups did have a statistically significant difference in poverty-rates compared to Montgomery County and Maryland. Takoma Park residents aged 60 to 74 had higher poverty rates than Montgomery County and Maryland, at 14.94% compared to 5.54% and 7.46 respectively. Residents aged 6-11 had a statistically lower poverty rate than Maryland at 4.53% compared to 11.89%; and residents under 6 and aged 12-17 had a lower poverty rate than Montgomery County or Maryland at 3.07% compared to 8.78% and 12.55% respectively for residents under 6, and 3.63% compared to 7.98% and 10.48% for residents aged 12-17.

Poverty by household-type

The largest number of householders in poverty in Takoma Park are female, nonfamily households (334 households), followed by male nonfamily households (215) and single-female family households (88).

Note: the City poverty rate of 8.69% differs from the household rate of 11.45% because the city rate applies to people, and the household rate to households.

Compared to the City’s household poverty rate of 11.45%, poverty rates for female nonfamily households (23.54%) and male nonfamily households (22.9%) are higher at a statistically significant level, and poverty rates for married couples are lower (2.63%). Poverty rates for female and male nonfamily households are also significantly higher than Montgomery County (12.67% and 9.88% respectively), and poverty rates for single-female family households (10.6% in Takoma Park) are lower than Maryland (16.3%).

Poverty by family-type

Family poverty rates in Takoma Park are highest for single women and single men living with children (at 11.85% and 17.39% respectively), and lowest for men without children living with family members (at 0%), and married families with and without children (at 0.95% and 4.66%). Married families with and without children have a significantly lower poverty rate than the City’s household-poverty rate of 11.45%, and single-female families with children have a significantly lower poverty rate than single-female headed families in Maryland of 23.47%.

Note: the City poverty rate of 8.69% differs from the household rate of 11.45% because the city rate applies to people, and the household rate to households.

Even though single-female families with children and single-male families with children have the same poverty rates, because there are not many single-male householder families with children in Takoma Park, the highest number of families in poverty in Takoma Park are 75 single-female families with children, followed by 65 married families without children, and then 40 single-male families with children.

Poverty by race and sex

Estimates of poverty rates for women exceed men, although the magnitude of the difference varies by race. There are no differences that show up as statistically significant between sexes by race. However, it is reasonable to assume that poverty rates for women are higher even if we’re not sure how much because they’re higher in Maryland and Montgomery County. In Maryland, poverty rates for women are higher than men at a statistically-significant level for all races except Asian; in Montgomery County, for all but residents with a race of ‘other.’

There are not statistically-significant differences in poverty rates by race and sex between Takoma Park and Marlyand or Montgomery County, with a few exceptions. The poverty rate for Asian women in Takoma Park (20%) exceeds their poverty rate in Maryland (7.22%) and Montgomery County (6.21%). The 3.72% poverty rate for white men in Takoma Park and the 3.75% poverty rate for white women fall below the 5.4% rate for white men and 6.84% rate for white women in Maryland; and the 4.56% poverty rate for multiracial men in Takoma Park falls below the 9.61% poverty rate in Maryland, as does the poverty rate for white men (3.72% vs. 5.4%) and white women (3.75% vs. 3.75%).

Compared to white residents of the same sex in Takoma Park, female Asian, Black, Hispanic (with a poverty rate of 10.19%), and ‘other’ (16.05%) residents have a higher poverty rate than female white residents; and Black male residents have a higher poverty rate than white male residents. Compared to the city’s overall poverty rate of 8.69%, white male, white female, and multiracial male residents have a lower poverty rate; and Asian and Black female residents have a higher poverty rate. It is likely that poverty rates in the same-sex for other races are higher than white-residents even if they do not show as statistically significant in Takoma Park. In the larger sample of Maryland and Montgomery County, there are statistically-significant differences between white male residents and male residents of all other races, and between white female residents and female residents of all other races (except in Maryland, for Asian women).

Poverty by race and age

The large margin of error with smaller-samples makes it difficult to compare estimates by age and race. For instance, the poverty rate estimate for Asian residents 75 and over is 100% but the margin of error is 177.1%, meaning that the actual value could be between 0% and 100%. Still, some statistically-significant racial disparities emerge for specific age groups:

• Age 60 and over, white residents have a statistically significant, lower rate of poverty than the city’s overall rate at the same age.

• Estimates of poverty for Black residents exceed white residents throughought the age spectrum, with statistically significant differences at all ages other than 18-59. Black residents aged 60-74 also have a statistically-significant higher poverty rate than the city’s overall poverty rate at that age (14.94%).

• Poverty rates for Asian residents over 75 jump to 100% (representing 35 residents). However, due to the large margin of error, the difference isn’t statistically significant compared to other groups. From age 60-74 though, Asian residents’ poverty rate of 54.91% exceeds white residents’ in that age range (3.75), as well as Asian residents in Montgomery County (6.15%) and Maryland (6.29%).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Poverty by sex and age

No differences in poverty rates appear as statistically significant in the data for Takoma Park, except poverty rates for women 60 and older exceed men; however, differences in the larger-samples of Montgomery County and Maryland show up as statistically significant in all age-groups 18 and over.

Unemployment

Table of contents

1. Unemployment

2. Unemployment by race

3. Unemployment by age

Unemployment

The total number of under-65 unemployed residents in Takoma Park is 535, for an unemployment rate of 5.4%. The rate estimate is higher than Montgomery County’s 4.6% or Maryland’s 5.2%, but the difference is not statistically significant at a 90% confidence-level (meaning we cannot conclude that Takoma Park’s unemployment rate is actually different from Montgomery County’s or Maryland’s).

Unemployment by race

By race, white residents’ unemployment rate falls below the city’s overall unemployment rate of 5.4% at a statistically-significant level. Between races, the low sample-sizes result in a high margin of error, meaning it is hard to tell whether differences in unemployment estimates actually exist or appear because of the particular group of residents the Census surveyed. However, in the larger sample of Montgomery County and Marlyand, there are significant differences in unemployment rates between Black and white residents, Hispanic residents and white residents, residents with a race of ‘other’ and white residents, and multiracial residents and white residents. Because estimates of unemployment rates for these groups in Takoma Park are similar to or higher than in Montgomery County or Maryland, it is reasonable to think unemployment rates for these groups are actually-higher than white residents in Takoma Park even if the differences do not show up as statistically significant.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Unemployment by age

As with Montgomery County and Maryland, unemployment rates in Takoma Park generally decline with age, with a high estimate in Takoma Park of 21.98% at 20-21 and a low of 0 percent for people aged 60 to 61 and 65-69. People aged 45 to 54 have a statistically-significant, higher unemployment rate in Takoma Park than Montgomery County at 5.6% compared to 2.91% in Montgomery County.

Education, health insurance, and computer-access

Summary

Education

Compared to Montgomery County and Maryland, Takoma Park has a larger share of people with both the highest and lowest-levels of educational attainment. 58.7% of the city’s population has a graduate or bachelor’s degree–exceeding Maryland–and 37.22% have a graduate degree, exceeding Montgomery County and Maryland. At the other end, 11% of residents did not complete high school–exceeding Montgomery County and Maryland–and 26.26% of residents’ highest level of educational attainment was a high school degree or less, exceeding Montgomery County.

There are significant gaps in educational attainment by race in Takoma Park, exceeding disparities in the County and state. 75.24% of residents with a race of ‘other’ and 53.28% of the city’s Hispanic residents do not have a high school diploma compared to 2.07% of the city’s white residents, and 40.95% of the city’s Black population have a high school degree or did not complete high school compared to 7.61% of the city’s white residents.

Internet access

92.29% of Takoma Park residents have access to broadband internet. Of those without broadband access, 4.4% have a computer but no internet, and 3.17% have no computer.

White and Asian residents of Takoma Park have the greatest access to broadband internet while residents with a race of ‘other,’ Hispanic, and Black residents have the least. 97.63% of the City’s Asian residents and 98.68% of its white residents have access to broadband internet, compared to 62.5% of residents with a race of ‘other,’ 73.43% of Hispanic residents, and 89.83% of Black residents. Rates of access for Asian Takoma Park residents exceed Asian residents of Montgomery County and Maryland, rates for white residents exceed Maryland, and rates for Hispanic/‘other’ residents fall-below Maryland and Montgomery County.

Takoma Park residents under 18 and between 18 and 65 have similar levels of access to broadband internet, while residents over 65 have much lower levels. 94.05% of under-18 residents have broadband access and 94.06% of residents 18-64 have access to broadband internet, while only 78.67% of 65 and over residents do. Levels of computer and internet access by age are similar between Maryland and Takoma Park, but Montgomery County residents aged 18-64 and over 65 especially have higher levels of internet access.

Health insurance

A higher share of Takoma Park residents do not have any health insurance than Montgomery County or Maryland, and a higher share rely on income-based healthcare programs than Montgomery County. 1,541 total and 8.75% of Takoma Park residents do not have any insurance, compared to 6.77% of Montgomery County residents and 5.93% of Maryland residents.

Compared to other age-groups, Takoma Park residents under 18 are most-likely to either be on Medicaid or other income-based programs, and 19-34 year-old residents are most-likely to not have any health insurance. 26.33% of residents under 19 (1,267 total) are on Medicaid or other means-tested programs, and 12.41% (343 total) of 19-34 year olds lack health insurance. Compared to Montgomery County and Maryland, a higher share of Takoma Park residents across all age-groups either do not have insurance or are on an income-based health insurance program.

Residents with a race of ‘other,’ Black residents, and Hispanic residents have less access to health insurance than white residents and residents overall. Only 1.61% of white residents do not have any insurance, compared to 41.58% of residents with a race of ‘other’, 26.84% of Hispanic residents, and 11.39% of Black residents. Access to insurance for Black and ‘other’ residents fall below residents of the same race in Montgomery County.

Disparities in health-insurance access appear between white residents and most other races in the 19-64 year old age-range. Between 19 and 64, only 2.42% of white residents lack health insurance, compared to 63.42% of residents with a race of ‘other’, 41.71% of Hispanic residents, 16.26% of Black residents, and 8.99% of Asian residents. Black residents and residents with a race of ‘other’ between 19 and 64 in Takoma Park also have less access to health insurance than residents of the same race in Montgomery County and Maryland.

Education

Table of contents

1. Education overall

2. Education by race

Education overall

Education levels are stratified in Takoma Park. The City has a higher share of its adult population with graduate degrees at 37.22% than either Montgomery County (31.96%) or Maryland (19.1%), and the 58.7% of its population with a graduate or bachelor’s degree exceeds Maryland. However, a larger share of Takoma Park’s population than Maryland or Montgomery County did not graduate from high school–11% compared to 9.44% and 8.64%–and a larger share of Takoma Park’s population concluded their education after or before completing high school than Montgomery County at 26.26% compared to 22.02%.

Education by race

Significant racial disparities exist in educational attainment in Takoma Park, especially for Black residents, Hispanic residents, and residents with a racial categorization of ‘other.’

• 53.28% of the city’s Hispanic residents do not have a high school diploma (658 total) compared to 2.07% of the city’s white population (118 total).
• 40.95% of the city’s Black population have a high school degree or did not complete high school (1,669 total), compared to 7.61% of the city’s white population (433 total).
• 75.24% of residents with a race of ‘other’ do not have a high school diploma (550 total); the low number of residents with a race of ‘other’ and the margin of error of 33.28% (meaning the actual percentage of residents without a high school degree could be between 41.96% and 100%) suggest some caution in interpreting this result, but even the lower bound of 41.96% or residents without a high school diploma would exceed all other groups except for Hispanic residents.
• Educational attainment for Asian residents exceeds the City’s overall rate and are similar to white residents through high school, but a lower share of Asian residents have a bachelor’s degree than white residents at 70.13% compared to 85.27%.

Note: To avoid misrepresenting percentage data, the above graph is limited to racial/ethnic groups with more than 30 residents in Takoma Park, omitting and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (0 residents).

Comparing racial/ethnic groups with educational disparities in Takoma Park to the same groups in Montgomery County and Maryland overall reveal higher disparities in Takoma Park than the region and state. The proportion of Hispanic residents without a high school degree in Takoma Park exceeds Maryland and Montgomery County by 21.01% and 24.48% respectively. The share of Black residents without any college education is similar to the state’s, but exceeds the county’s by 15.04%. And although the large margin of error warrants caution, the share of residents with a race of ‘other’ without a high school degree exceeds Montgomery County’s by 38.8%. Finally, white residents in Takoma Park have higher levels of educational attainment than the state or region; 85.27% of white Takoma Park residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 45.86% of white people in Maryland and 72.79% in Montgomery County.

Internet access

Table of contents

1. Internet access overall

2. Internet access by race

3. Internet access by age

Internet access overall

761 total and 4.4% of Takoma Park residents have a computer but no internet access, and 549 total and 3.17% more residents do not have a computer. Rates of internet and computer access mostly are similar to Montgomery County and Maryland, except that the percent of residents without a computer exceeds Montgomery County’s share of 1.62%.

Internet access by race

White and Asian residents of Takoma Park have the greatest access to broadband internet, while residents with a race of ‘other,’ Hispanic, and Black residents have the least. 97.63% of the City’s Asian residents (784 total) and 98.68% of its white residents (7,571 total) have access to broadband internet, compared to 62.5% of residents with a race of ‘other’ (935 total), 73.43% of Hispanic residents (1,703 total), and 89.83% of Black residents (6,010 total). Most Black residents without broadband have access to a computer but not internet (7.2% and 6,010 total). Similar shares of Hispanic residents and residents with a race of ‘other’ can access a computer but not internet (12.28%/1,703 total Hispanic residents and 14.9%/935 total residents of another race), but a higher share of Hispanic and ‘other’ residents also do not have access to a computer (14.29% of/1,703 total Hispanic and 22.6% of/935 total ‘other’ residents, compared to 2.97% of/6,010 total Black residents).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Asian residents in Takoma Park have higher levels of broadband internet access than Asian residents in Montgomery County or Maryland, white Takoma Park residents have higher rates than Maryland, and residents with a race of ‘other’ and Hispanic residents have lower access than Maryland or Montgomery County. In Takoma Park, 97.63% of Asian residents have broadband access compared to 97.27% in Montgomery County and 96.24% in Maryland. 98.68% of white Takoma Park residents have broadband internet access, compared to 92.52% in Maryland. Only 73.43% of Hispanic residents in Takoma Park have broadband internet access, compared to 88.74% in Maryland and 91.14% in Montgomery County. The share of Takoma Park residents with an ‘other’ race-categorization who have broadband internet is 62.5% (with an upper estimate of 75.46% and a lower estimate of 49.54%), compared to 90.39% in Montgomery County and 86.55% in Maryland.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Internet access by age

Takoma Park residents under 18 and between 18 and 65 have similar levels of access to broadband internet, while residents over 65 have much lower levels. 94.05% of under-18 residents have broadband access and 94.06% of residents 18-64 have access to broadband internet, while only 78.67% of 65 and over residents do. Of those over-65 without broadband internet access, 15.95% do not have a computer, and 5.38% have no internet access.

Levels of computer and internet access by age are similar between Maryland and Takoma Park, but Montgomery County residents aged 18-64 and over 65 especially have higher levels of internet access. 88.86% of Montgomery County residents over 65 have broadband internet access, compared to 78.67% of Takoma Park residents. Only 5.94% of Montgomery County residents over 65 do not have computers, compared to 15.95% of Takoma Park residents over 65. Additionally a slightly higher share of Montgomery County residents between 18 and 64 have broadband internet access (96.07%) than Takoma Park residents (94.06%).

Health insurance

Table of contents

1. Health insurance overall

2. Health insurance by age

3. Health insurance by race

4. Health insurance by race and age

Health insurance overall

A higher share of Takoma Park residents do not have any health insurance than Montgomery County or Maryland, and a higher share rely on income-based healthcare programs than Montgomery County. 1,541 total and 8.75% of Takoma Park residents do not have any insurance, compared to 6.77% of Montgomery County residents and 5.93% of Maryland residents. Additionally, 2,541 total and 14.43% of residents are on Medicaid (12.39% on Medicaid alone and 2.04% on both Medicaid and Medicare) compared to 12.06% of Montgomery County residents.

Health insurance by age

By age-range, younger Takoma Park residents are most-likely to either be on Medicaid or other income-based programs. 26.33% of residents under 19 (1267 total) are on Medicaid or other means-tested programs, compared to 18.38% of residents aged 19-34 (508 total), 5.83% of residents aged 35-64 (5.83 total), and 14.81% of residents aged 65 and older on both Medicaid and Medicare (299 total).

Compared to other age groups, 19-64 year old residents are most likely to not have any insurance. 12.41% of 19-34 year-old residents (343 total) and 12.75% of 35-64 year old residents (1,021 total) have no insurance, followed by 3.68% of under-19 residents (177 total).

Compared to Montgomery County and Maryland, a higher share of Takoma Park residents in all age-groups except under 19 either don’t have insurance, or are on Medicaid or another income-based health insurance program (although some are within the margin of error of Maryland). In particular, the share of Takoma Park residents over 65 that are on Medicaid and Medicare (14.81%) more than doubles the share of Maryland (6.04%) and Montgomery County (7.02%). Other statistically-significant differences include that in Takoma Park, 12.75% of 35-64 year olds have no health insurance compared to 6.96% of Maryland residents and 8.33% of Montgomery County residents; and 18.38% of 19-34 year olds are on income-based health insurance compared to 10.65% in Montgomery County.

Health insurance by race

Statistically-significant racial disparities show up in access to health insurance between white residents and other residents, and exceed those in Maryland and Montgomery County:

• Residents with a race listed as ‘other’ in the ACS lack health insurance at the highest rates of any race/ethnicity; 41.58% of these residents do not have insurance (506 total), compared to the city’s overall rate of 8.75% and white residents’ rate of 1.61%.

• Both Hispanic and Black residents also have less access to health insurance than white residents at statistically-significant levels. 26.84% of Hispanic residents do not have health insurance (539 total), and 11.39% of Black residents do not have health insurance (723 total).

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Gaps for Black residents in Takoma Park exceed gaps in Montgomery County and Maryland at statistically significant levels, as do gaps for residents with a race of ‘other.’ In Montgomery County and Maryland, 6.81% and 5.8% of Black residents don’t have health insurance, compared to 11.39% of Black Takoma Park residents. 41.58% of residents with a race of ‘other’ in Takoma Park do not have health insurance, compared to 27.35% of Montgomery County residents with a race of ‘other’ and 29.05% in Maryland.

Health insurance by race and age

Low estimate-totals make assessing the statistical significance of disparities in health insurance access by age and race difficult. Nonetheless, statistically significant disparities in access appear between white and people of color residents in the 19-64 year old age-range.

• 63.42% of residents with a race of ‘other’ between 19 and 64 (482 total) and 41.71% of 19-64 year old Hispanic residents (516 total) do not have health insurance, compared to 12.66% of all city residents and 2.42% of white residents.

• Statistically significant disparities also exist in health insurance access between between Black/Asian residents and white residents between 19 and 64. 4.87% of Black residents under 19 (91 total) and 16.26% of residents aged 19-64 (632 total) do not have health insurance, compared to 0.35% of white residents under 19 year-olds and 2.42% of 19-64 year olds. Asian residents aged 19-64 also have lower rates of health insurance access than white residents in the same age group, with 8.99% of Asian residents in this age range lacking health insurance.

Note: Due to the low number of NHPI residents in Takoma Park, they are omitted from the above chart.

Methodology

Methodology

Data sources

This webpage displays selected data from the 2016-2020 American Community Survey. The webpage was produced using RMarkdown. Data is downloaded from the Census using R’s tidycensus package. Block-group data in the racial demographics map as well as the shapefile come from NHGIS, cited below. Data will be updated periodically (potentially with additional visualizations), and with 2016-2020 data once the newest version of the American Community Survey is released. Updates are described at the bottom of the page.

Organization of race/ethnicity data

Race and ethnicity data are consolidated in the “Race and Ethnicity” tab, and repeat in each subject-area heading tab (e.g., race/ethnicity housing data can be found in the “Housing” sub-tab of the “Race and Ethnicity” heading-tab, as well as in the “Housing” heading-tab).

The ACS vs. the decennial Census

Decennial Census results for 2020 will be analyzed separately. This is because the 5-year ACS updates each year rather than every 10 years (allowing more regular update to this webpage), contains some different data than the decennial Census, reflects different data than the decennial Census (survey results from a 5-year period rather than just 2020), and is collected differently (e.g., using statistical sampling to generate estimates rather than trying to survey every household).

Race in the ACS

The ACS survey asks residents whether they are one or multiple of the following races: white, Black or African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and American Indian and Alaska Native. The Census also leaves a sixth option, “Some Other Race,” which people can fill in on their own (e.g., the Census reports that many Hispanic or Latino respondents listed “their race as ‘Mexican,’ ‘Hispanic,’ ‘Latin American,’ [or] ‘Puerto Rican’).

Households and families defined

The Census defines a household as all people in a housing unit. A housing unit is a separate living quarters, meaning occupants have a dedicated space or structure for them. A single-family house is a housing unit, and one apartment in an apartment building is a housing unit. A householder is the person renting or owning a housing unit (in the case of a couple, it could be either of the two).

Statistical significance and margins of error

Text descriptions of the data generally focus on statistically significant differences at a minimum 90% significance level. For a difference to be statistically significant at a 90% level means that we would expect the difference to appear in the data due to randomness or sampling no more than 10% of the time.

For a place as small as Takoma Park it can be difficult to assess whether differences in the data are ‘real,’ or due to chance or the particular sample of people that the Census surveyed. This is especially true for analyses involving smaller subgroups or deeper-breakdowns of the data. For example, Takoma Park has a very small population of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and populations of most groups become small when you break out data by race, age, and sex. Many interactive graphs have hover text showing whether there are statistically significant differences between the selected group and other groups, the level of confidence in a given difference, and/or the margin of error of the estimate.

For instance, in the plot below of internet access for residents 65 and over, hovering over Takoma Park’s broadband internet results shows “Margin of error: 7.19%” and “Significant Differences: Overall, MC.”

• The significant differences results means that we have at least 90% confidence that there are actual-differences–and not just observed differences–between broadband access for Takoma Park residents 65+ and broadband access for all residents in the city (“Overall”), and between broadband access for 65+ residents of Takoma Park and 65+ residents of Montgomery County (“MC”). We don’t see “MD” appear in the list of significant differences because we cannot have confidence at a 90% significance level that Takoma Park’s 65+ broadband-access rate of 75.97% is actually-different than Maryland’s 65+ access rate of 77.12%.

• The margin of error means that we are 90% confident that the actual level of broadband internet access of people 65 and over–not just the ‘observed’ estimate, which is what we see in the survey data–is between 68.78% and 83.16%. The margin of error suggests that Takoma Park’s rate could be either higher or lower than Maryland’s access rate due to randomness or sampling.

Reproducability and other analyses

Code used to produce this webpage and pre-process the data can be found on the City’s Github page. Similar information can be found in the City’s interactive demographic map and in the City’s Social Vulnerability Index maps.

Updates and citations

List of updates:

• 09/19/2022: Updated point of contact. Update to some MD and Montgomery County data.
• 08/25/2022: Update charts and text with 2016-2020 ACS data.
• 11/18/2021: Changed graph width options so resizes to screen and more mobile-friendly.
• 11/17/2021: Webpage public.
• 9/15/2021: Some language changes, esp. around statistical significance. Added disability by type graphs. Added poverty by sex graphs.
• 9/8/2021: Reformatted methodology. Moved map layers position.
• 9/2/2021: Uploaded webpage.

Steven Manson, Jonathan Schroeder, David Van Riper, Tracy Kugler, and Steven Ruggles. IPUMS National Historical Geographic Information System: Version 16.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS. 2021. http://doi.org/10.18128/D050.V16.0