Introduction to Newark
Professor Barr
Honor Seminar: Topics in Urban
Economics
Newark’s Neighborhoods Map
Newark’s Wards Map
Political Structure
 5 wards: North, South, East, West and
Central.
 9 council members are elected on a
nonpartisan basis for terms of 4 years:
– one council member from each of 5 wards
– and 4 council members on an at-large basis.
 The mayor is also elected for a term of 4
years.
 Next Mayoral election 2006.
Time Line: 1666-1900
 1666: Newark is founded 1666 by
Connecticut Puritans led by Robert Treat.
 1815: Seth Boyden moves to Newark.
 1831: Construction of Morris Canal.
 1836: Incorporated as City.
 Mid-late 18th c: Newark becomes industrial
powerhouse and home to many European
Immigrants.
Time Line: 20th Century
 1902: John Cotton Dana becomes head of Newark Public
Library.
 1910 – 1950s: Large Black migration from South.
 1928: Newark Airport begins operation.
 1930s: Population peaks at more than 440,000.
 1960s: Newark becomes ‘majority minority’ city.
 1967: Riots.
 1970: Ken Gibson elected Newark’s first black Mayor.
 1986: Sharpe James first elected Mayor.
 1997: NJPAC.
 1990s: Newark’s economic and business climate begins to
rebound (The ‘Newark Renaissance’).
 2000: Population bottoms out at about 273,000.
Newark’s Population Growth
Newark's Population, 1830 - 2003
500
Thousands of People
400
300
200
100
0
1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2003
Year
Newark’s Growth vs. Other Cities in Area
Population of NYC, Philadelphia and Newark, 1790 - 2003
9.0
Millions of
People
NYC
6.0
NYC annexes Brooklyn
3.0
Philadelphia
Newark
0.0
1790
1840
Source: census.gov
1890
1940
1990
Year
Job Growth
Job Growth (Loss), 1949-1996
Source: 1997 Development…
More job growth
Population Ranking: Selected Cities
Note: 239 Cities with >=100,000 people
City
State
2000 Pop.
Rank
New York
NY
8,008,278
1
Los Angeles
CA
3,694,820
2
Chicago
IL
2,896,016
3
Houston
TX
1,953,631
4
Philadelphia
PA
1,517,550
5
Detroit
MI
951,270
10
Boston
MA
589,141
20
Newark
NJ
273,546
63
Jersey City
NJ
240,055
72
Paterson
NJ
149,222
138
Elizabeth
NJ
120,568
182
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Density Rankings: Selected Cities
City
Persons per
Sq. Mile
Rank
New York, NY
26,404
1
Paterson, NJ
17,765
2
San Francisco, CA
16,632
3
Jersey City, NJ
16,111
4
Cambridge, MA
15,837
5
Boston, MA
12,172
10
Newark, NJ
11,494
13
Elizabeth, NJ
9,883
18
Percent Black or African American
City
Gary, IN
Detroit, MI
Birmingham, AL
Jackson y, MS
New Orleans, LA
Newark, NJ
Paterson, NJ
New York, NY
Jersey City, NJ
Elizabeth, NJ
% Black
84.0
81.6
73.5
70.6
67.3
53.5
32.9
26.6
28.3
20.0
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
12
47
64
58
85
Rank of City % Renters, 2000
City
% Renters
Rank
Newark, NJ
76.2
1
Hartford, CT
75.4
2
Jersey City, NJ
71.8
3
New Haven, CT
70.4
4
Elizabeth, NJ
70.3
5
New York, NY
69.8
6
Paterson, NJ
68.5
7
2000 Unemployment
City
Fresno, CA
Salinas, CA
Stockton, CA
Brownsville, TX
McAllen city, TX
Newark city, NJ
Jersey City, NJ
Elizabeth city, NJ
New York city, NY
% Unemployed
12.9
12.6
10.4
10.1
9.7
8.1
7.1
6.5
5.7
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
11
21
31
44
Retail Sales per Capita, 1997
City
Bellevue, WA
Clearwater, FL
Knoxville, TN
Costa Mesa, CA
Torrance, CA
Jersey City, NJ
New York, NY
Newark, NJ
Paterson, NJ
1997 Sales
26,682
25,606
23,349
23,014
22,224
6,662
5,677
3,419
2,752
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
195
213
236
239
Comparison of Newark and New
Jersey
Newark vs. New Jersey
(2000 unless noted)
Variable
Population
Newark
N.J.
273,546 8,414,350
% White
26.5%
72.6%
% Black or African American
53.5%
13.6%
% Hispanic
29.5%
13.3%
1.2%
5.7%
% Pop. Change from 1990 to 2000
-0.6%
8.6%
% Living in same house from 1995 to 2000', age 5+
54.4%
59.8%
% Foreign born
24.1%
17.5%
% Speak Lang. other than Eng. at home, age 5+
42.6%
25.5%
% Asian
Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34/3451000.html
Newark vs. N.J. cont.
(2000 unless noted)
Variable
% High school graduates, age 25+
Newark
N.J.
57.9%
82.1%
9.0%
29.8%
23.8%
65.6%
$119,000
$170,800
Median household income, 1999
$26,913
$55,146
Per capita income, 1999
$13,009
$27,006
% Below poverty, 1999
28.40%
8.50%
% Bachelor's degree or higher, age 25+
Homeownership rate
Median value of owner-occupied housing units
Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34/3451000.html
Newark vs. New Jersey
(2000 unless noted)
Retail sales per capita, 1997
$3,419
$9,922
Total number of firms, 1997
10,514
654,227
38.4
77.8
% Minority-owned firms, 1997
37.8%
15.6%
% Women-owned firms, 1997
19.6%
23.7%
Persons per square mile (density)
11,495
1,134
Firms Per 1,000 Persons
Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34/3451000.html
Newark Census Tract Maps
Population
% Black
% White
% Hispanic
Median Household Income
% Unemployed
% Vacant Units
% of Residents 25+ with Bachelor’s Degree
% of HHs w/ Female Head in Pov.
Crime Rate: # Crimes per 100,000 residents
Newark Crime Rates, 1985 - 2003
4,000
Violent Crime Rate
50
3,000
Murder and Manslaughter Rate
30
2,000
20
1,000
10
0
0
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
Murder Rate
Violent Crimes
40
Newark’s Crime vs. U.S. 1985 - 2003
Newark's Violent Crime Rate vs. U.S., 1985 - 2000
Violent Crimes per 100,000 people
4,000
3,500
Newark
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
U.S.
1,000
500
0
1985
1987
1989
source: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/welcome.html
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
Year
2003
Housing Permits
Newark Housing Permits Issued, 1996 - 2004
600
Total Housing Permits
Single Family Units Permits
400
200
0
1996
1997
1998
Source:http://censtats.census.gov/bldg/bldgprmt.shtml
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Year