Exploring the Gentrification
in Seattle

Ty Mulholland

How has gentrification changed the landscape of Seattle?

Background

• Seattle is the original tech capital of the U.S.
   
• Seattle Metro has a population of just over 4 million
   
• Seattle (proper) has a land mass 1/3 the size of New York City
   
• It is consistently ranked one of the most expensive cities
   
• The city has undergone massive shifts, population changes and gentrification in the last 15 years

Analytical Strategy

Utilizing data from the Seattle Open Data Portal I focused on capturing proportional change over time:
 

Delta ( y^x ) / y¹

y^x = ( y²- y¹ )

Main data sources included: Census tracts, community reporting areas, Racial and Social Equity Composites, Real Estate data and business licensing. 

Areas of Focus

Areas of Focus:

• Black population
• White Population
• Hispanic Population
• Asian Population
• Median Household Income
• Home Prices
• Price per square foot
• Number of citizens considered “in poverty”
• Risk Indicator Score
• Health Index Score
• Access to Opportunity Score

Key Findings

• In the course of 13 years (2006-2019), Black and Hispanic populations tended to move out of the urban center whereas White and Asian tended to move inward.

Key Findings

House Prices and Income both increased most commonly in the center urban neighborhoods. 

Key Findings

The greatest access to opportunity is also in this same urban center, leaving the most socioeconomic disadvantage to the outskirts. 

Conclusion

Seattle has a problem: Gentrification is making it's areas of opportunity the least accessible to those who need it most.

Soon, if not currently, Seattle will become so expensive and inaccessible that it will be unrealistic for the average American to live there. 

Ty Mulholland

ty@tymulholland.com

@tymulholland

THANK YOU!