Austin has experienced spectacular rates of growth in recent decades, growing by more than 20 percent between 2000 and 2010. Among quickly growing cities, however, Austin was the only that also saw a decline in African-American population.
Emily Donahue and David Brown report on a study out of the University of Texas finding that "Austin was the only U.S. city experiencing double-digit population growth that saw its African-American population not only not keep pace, but actually decline."
Study author Dr. Eric Tang is quoted in the article: "Indeed, between 2000 and 2010, Austin was a statistical outlier; it was the only major city in the United States to experience a double-digit rate of general population growth coincident with African-American population decline."
According to Donahue and Brown, reasons for the decline in African Americans "are believed to be the gentrification of Central East Austin in recent decades, leading to rising property values and property taxes, and additional factors like public education, employment and high-profile incidents involving Austin Police."
FULL STORY: Austin's the Only Fast-Growing City in the Country Losing African-Americans
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research