Who Lives Downtown?

During the 1990s, downtown population grew by 10 percent, a marked resurgence following 20 years of overall decline, according to a new study, "Who Lives Downtown?".

2 minute read

November 16, 2005, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Among the findings of an analysis of downtown population, household, and income trends in 44 selected cities from 1970 to 2000:

  • During the 1990s, downtown population grew by 10 percent, a marked resurgence following 20 years of overall decline. Forty percent of the sample cities began to see growth before the 1990s. While only New York's two downtown areas and Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Diego saw steady increases from 1970 to 2000, another 13 downtowns have experienced sustained growth since the 1980s.
  • From 1970 to 2000, the number of downtown households increased 8 percentâ€"13 percent in the 1990s aloneâ€"and their composition shifted. Households grew faster than population in downtowns, reflecting the proliferation of smaller households of singles, unrelated individuals living together, and childless married couples.
  • Downtown homeownership rates more than doubled during the thirty-year period, reaching 22 percent by 2000. Overall the number of homeowners grew steadily each decade. By 2000, the share of homeowners across the sample downtowns swung from a high of 41 percent in Chicago to a low of just 1 percent in Cincinnati.
  • Downtowns are home to some of the most and least affluent households of their cities and regions. Twenty of the sample downtownsâ€"such as Midtown Manhattan, Dallas, and Miamiâ€"have at least one tract where the median income is higher than that of their MSA as a whole. Thirty-eight have at least one tract 50 percent or lower than their MSA median.

    While this analysis demonstrates good news for downtown residential development overall, demographic, market, and social trends differ substantially from place to place. Urban leaders need to understand these patterns so they can make investment decisions that best capitalize on their unique assets.

  • Tuesday, November 15, 2005 in The Brookings Institution

    portrait of professional woman

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

    Mary G., Urban Planner

    Get top-rated, practical training

    Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

    Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

    A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

    April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

    Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

    Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

    As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

    April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

    Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

    The Five Most-Changed American Cities

    A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

    April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

    People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

    San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

    The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

    May 2 - SD News

    Sleeping in Public

    Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

    Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

    May 2 - KSL

    Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

    Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

    An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

    May 2 - Streetsblog USA

    Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

    This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

    Planning for Universal Design

    Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

    Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

    New York City School Construction Authority

    Building Inspector

    Village of Glen Ellyn

    Manager of Model Development

    Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO