Newark Demographics: Population, Crime Rate, Income & More

Newark has a population of over 281000 as per the latest estimates. There has been a slight growth in the population as compared to the 2010's population, which was 277140. Though the city is small, it has managed to accommodate a large number of people. The City has people from different ethnic communities and of different ages. The majority of the people in the city are African-American people, who take 52.4 % of the city's total population. The area has had a history of violence, with the 1967 riots causing a significant shift in the population distribution in the town. Most white people moved to suburbs areas surrounding the city, in what people call the "white flight." However, the city has seen population growth for the larger part of the decade. The largest age group in the city is the group of people with ages between 25 years and 40 years, and the median age is 32.3. The reason may be because the city provides many job opportunity, which fits because this group mostly consist of the working class people. There is a large number of minors in the city, with over 0.25 of the total population being minors with ages below 18 years. The number of older adults (those above 65 years) is slightly above 8 % of the total population. As such, most people in the city are young and black. 52.77 % of the people in the city speak only in English. The rest speak in other languages like Spanish. The largest non-English language is Spanish, which most of the Hispanic people speak. 32.67 % of the population speaks in Spanish ("Newark, New Jersey Population 2019 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)," n.d.), 

Marital status of people in the area 

The number of married families are few in the city. Only 26.4 % of the families live in families with both parents. Most of the adults are not married, with 38.8 % of them being singles. The households with a male single parent account for 7.96 % of the total number of families. The families with a female single parent constitute 26.9 % of all families. As such, the level of marriages and families is low in this area. The highest number of people in the city live in a rented house with only a small percent owning houses. The rate of house ownership is only 22.8 % ("Newark, New Jersey Population 2019 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)," n.d.). 

Education 

There is only 4.08 % of the population with graduate degrees. That is, there are only 7,425 people in the city, who has a master's degree or higher education qualifications. The high school graduates take the largest percentage of the city with 35.65 of the total population. 18.79 % of the population has attained associate degrees while the rest have either graduated from the 12th grade or lower classes ("Newark, New Jersey Population 2019 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)," n.d.). Therefore, the number of high school graduates, who never pursue higher education is very high. Most people seek employment and start working lives after high school, which limit their continuation with education. 

Poverty 

Poverty levels in this city are very high. There is a 28.29 % overall poverty rate in the city. Poverty affects the female more, with 30.83 % of all females falling below the poverty level. There is still a large percentage of male people under the poverty line. 25.53 % of all males in the city live below the poverty line. As such, poverty is a major issue in the city, which require the government or administrators in the city to address it thoroughly. 

The community health needs 

Being a population with a high level of poverty, most people in the city need heath care services but cannot afford them. As such, there are several health needs or struggles in the area. 

Poverty contributes to one of the biggest issues in the area. The lack of medical or health insurance for most people is an alarming issue in the city. As of 2017, over 30 % of the total population in the city lacked health insurance coverage. As such, they have to take care of medical bills from their pockets, which most of them cannot afford. The young adults are having troubles with sexually transmitted diseases like HIV and early pregnancy. Most people disregard the use of protective actions in the area, partly because of the lack of proper education. Injuries, especially arising from violence, are very common in the city. The city has had a history of violence involving civilians and local law enforcement. The mothers need prenatal and postnatal care, to which most of them have no access. It is the lack of common healthcare services that needs addressing. The people need medical supplies despite their inability to pay for the same. 

There are several health stressors in the city. The most common health stressor is the common use of drugs. The use of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin is common in the city. Others smoke tobacco while others become alcoholic. Alcoholism and smoking lead to a trail of health issues in the city. Some people suffer from liver cirrhosis after a long time of drinking. Others are suffering from lung cancer and other forms of cancer, which are associated with smoking. As such, the use of drugs has been dragging the community behind for a long time. Unhealthy dietary habits have also been major causes of degradation of health status in the city (Kreisel et al., 2018). Most people do not observer their eating habits, which lead to diet-related diseases or conditions like obesity. 

The transport systems in the city are below most of the other cities in the country. Road transport, which is the primary transport system within the town, is faced by regular traffic jams, which hinder the proper movement of people. There are other several environmental stressors within the city. One, the poverty levels leave people in physical, emotional, and mental stress when they cannot afford their daily meals. Similarly, the high cost of living cause people stresses and some end up in depression. Mental illnesses are common in the city, especially because of the use of drugs, poverty, and the complicated social life in the city. Violence within the cities is also an issue of concern. Violence is very common in the city. Some people will rob with violence while others kill their fellow residents. As such, violence is one major cause of high mortality and injury rate in the city. 

There are local administrators within the city. The office of the mayor holds the political leadership of the city. As such, the Mayor has a say in many political agendas, especially those that affect the municipal government (McGregor, 2016). Some aspects like city development and the collection of garbage within the city are under the municipal government. The states and federal governments are also represented in the city. As such, when an issue affects the larges part of the city and other parts of the state, the state could intervene and solves such issues. 

In conclusion, the city has a large population and a large number of high school graduates. However, it faces various health struggles, which require not only the interventions of the government but also the participation of the society members. The government, however, should intervene in the provision of medical insurance cover and providing employment. Curbing poverty would be one of the most strategic moves in the city. 

References 

("Health Issues of the West Ward, Newark NJ New Jersey Chapter," n.d.) 

("Newark, New Jersey Population 2019 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)," n.d.) 

Kreisel, C. F., Passannante, M. R., & Lardizabal, A. A. (2018). The Negative Clinical Impact of Diabetes on Tuberculosis: A Cross-Sectional Study in New Jersey. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 3(1), 62-68. 

McGregor, A. (2016). Politics, police accountability, and public health: civilian review in Newark, New Jersey. Journal of Urban Health, 93(1), 141-153.