Whats your location like? (New York, Buffalo: 2013, apartment complex, loan)

[BuffaloTransplant]

I borrowed this from a post by chthankgod, because a lot of peoplewon't look in the NY State section. It is a ranking on Zip Codes and education of people and salaries therein , with a rank vs. nationally.

While itwas an ego piece for Washington DC, it might be of interest to people wanting to come to Buffaloand the area -- simply to get an overview of the locale by checking the location zip

(Thanks to Chthankgod for posting it before )


Washington: A world apart | The Washington Post


Note: there are anomolies the Post does NOT take into account: My zip posts as a 75 and the next town as a 39; this is not valid -- because the next town counts in it 2 prisons (where the income and education is pulling the town down)

Elmwood Village posts a 63 and is the only place in the city I found over 60.

[Linda_d]

I'm going to disagree with the idea that this is a new trend. The wealthy have never wanted to live cheek-to-jowl with the poor, and the poor have always lived on the "wrong side of the tracks". For example, in 1894, there was a **** approximately where the Skyway is today to protect the harbor and canals from lake storms. On the lake side of that **** was a shanty town. How often did those people see anybody else?

The difference between today and earlier in US history is that urban areas today are so much larger, both population-wise and area-wise, that the mixing of economic classes can't take place the way they did when a higher percentage of people lived in small towns and cities were smaller. In large cities like NYC, Chicago or Boston, rich and poor people were just as isolated from each other in the 1960s as they are today. In small towns and small cities, rich and poor frequently shared the same institutions, primarily schools and churches.

The real anomaly in American history is the period between WW II and about 1980 where there was broad-based prosperity based primarily on mass numbers of unionized, blue-collar jobs that required little skill. Before that, throughout American history, people who worked for others in shops and factories were always lower class and generally poor. It was the astute farmers, shopkeepers, and business owners who became middle class or wealthy not their employees.

I will also add that the line "doctors used to marry nurses" and "lawyers used to marry secretaries" assumes that nurses and secretaries were from lower/working classes. They weren't. They were generally from middle class families, but were limited by the restrictions placed on women.

[ckhthankgod]

This is another good website for information, that can pinpoint down to the census block: USA.com : Location information of the United States

Here are examples of census block groups(essentially streets in an area or a development) in the area: Census Block Group 009501-2 in Erie County, New York

Census Block Group 004500-2 in Erie County, New York

Census Block Group 014903-1 in Erie County, New York

[genoobie]

I think even census blocks are too large. On the street that I live on there are a number of professionals etc. One block over there are a number of working class families. In either case, I think maps like this are good because they serve to reinforce traditional American values of creating exclusive neighborhoods while fostering the illusion of class mobility and supporting a meritocracy. Interestingly the 14214 zip marginally ranks above the Depew zip even though the # of college grads is nearly double. I think that's a pretty good indication that college grads don't make what they used to and perhaps a shift in that paradigm that education is a "path" to class attainment in our meritocracy.

[genoobie]

Also interestingly, aside from DC which is anomalous because of highly paid lobbyists, most urban areas have concentrated areas of poverty and low educational levels, these are surrounded by wealthier, more highly credentialed educational areas. This is probably an outgrowth of a "service" industry to include doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc., all in place to 'serve' a necessitated underclass. Yep, that's America.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by genoobie

I think even census blocks are too large. On the street that I live on there are a number of professionals etc. One block over there are a number of working class families. In either case, I think maps like this are good because they serve to reinforce traditional American values of creating exclusive neighborhoods while fostering the illusion of class mobility and supporting a meritocracy. Interestingly the 14214 zip marginally ranks above the Depew zip even though the # of college grads is nearly double. I think that's a pretty good indication that college grads don't make what they used to and perhaps a shift in that paradigm that education is a "path" to class attainment in our meritocracy.

I will say that the thing I like about the second website is that you may find some interesting information. Like the second census block group I posted, it shows that there are middle class predominately minority/Black neighborhoods in the city/area, as the median household income is just above the state(just under $57,000) and national(just under $53,000) median household figures.

Also, like BuffaloTransplant mentioned, institutions or other things can skew the numbers. For instance, off campus college students are counted in poverty percentages or may drag down income figures. An apartment complex that is low/lower income can do the same. If it has a lot of older/retired folks, it could make it look more lower income than it is. So, there is more likely a margin of error to some degree in terms of the numbers.

[Linda_d]

Lots of good posts here pointing out the limitations of the statistical data.

BTW, the word that was filtered out of my post was a "DXXE": a four letter word for an embankment for controlling or holding back the waters of the sea or a river.

[VA Yankee]

Originally Posted by Linda_d

Lots of good posts here pointing out the limitations of the statistical data.

BTW, the word that was filtered out of my post was a "DXXE": a four letter word for an embankment for controlling or holding back the waters of the sea or a river.

Why filter the word? **** is used to hold back the waters, Dyke is a derogatory slang used towards females.

Must we be so pc that legitimate words are avoided because they "might" offend someone???

[VA Yankee]

/\

I stand corrected! I see now where the filtering of this site blocks the non-derogatory word and allow the inappropriate slang....I have to report this....

[Linda_d]

Originally Posted by va yankee

/\

i stand corrected! I see now where the filtering of this site blocks the non-derogatory word and allow the inappropriate slang....i have to report this....

rotflmao!!!