Avalon Park

Avalon Park is a community area in the city of Chicago. It’s situated at the south of the city. The neighborhoods of the community area include: Avalon Park, Stony Island Park, and Marynook. The approximate area of Avalon Park is 1.25 square miles. The demographic representation of the community area includes Whites, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and others. The largest demographic representation is of African-Americans. The population with the fewest number is whites.

Map

The boundaries of Avalon Park include: 76^th St at the north, at the east is South Chicago Avenue, and to the south is 87^th St. Avalon Park’s location is near to Heritage Place. It is close to Marynook. The 83^rd Street station is at the northwest of Avalon Park. The 87^th Street station is located 690 m southwest of Avalon Park. The New Regal Theater is located at the northeast of Avalon Park. Also, 79^th Street station is located at the north of Avalon Park.

Population

Avalon Park has established itself as an area with cultural diversity. There are different populations that live in the area. African-Americans have the highest number of people while whites and Hispanics have the lowest number of people represented in the community area. According to Uchicago Medicine, there are African-Americans (98%), whites (1%), and Hispanics (1%). The total population of persons living in Avalon Park is 22, 692. The population of male living in the area is 11,523 while that of the female living in the area is 11,169. The males happen to be more than the females in Avalon Park, Chicago. The percentage of male population is 58% while that of female is 42%. The non-family households are slightly more than family households. The percentage of non-family households is 51% while that of family households is 49%.

The number of people with white collar employment are more than those with blue collar employment. The population with white collar employment is 84% while that with blue collar employment is 16%. The population of employed people in Avalon Park is distributed into the following categories: self-employment, private employment, government employees, and not for profit employees. The highest percentage of people work in the private sector while the lowest work for the government.

Real Estate

Real estate is an important characteristic of Avalon Park. Indeed, it is a well-known neighborhood for persons with the interest of purchasing homes with a price range of $235k. Towards the end of 2021, the median listing price of homes in Avalon Park was $234.9 k. By December 2021, Avalon Park was a seller’s market. This means that the number of people who had intentions of buying homes was higher than the available homes.

There are different types of houses in the area. One thing that stands out is the type of architecture in this area. It is worth noting that Chicago is popular for its architecture. The following are the types of residential architecture you’ll find in Avalon Park, Chicago: the bungalow, frame two-flat, the Chicago Greystone, the Courtyard building, and the cottage.

The total number of households in Avalon Park is 12,158. The average number of people per household is 2. Family households are 6,072 while non-family households are 6,086. The total number of housing units is 21,201. The housing units built from the year 2010 and beyond are 100. Also, the total number of occupied units currently is 12, 158. Out of the occupied units, the ones with owner occupied are more than the renter occupied. The issue of mortgage is also important when talking about the real estate situation in Avalon Park. The homes with mortgage are lesser than those without mortgage. The ones with mortgage are at 39% while those without mortgage are 60%. There is a huge potential for growth in Avalon Park because of the progressive nature of the area in terms of real estate. Developers are finding it a viable place to set up more housing units because of the prospects of growth.

Schools

Avalon Park has continued to have commitments in the education sector. Education is a major aspect of the community. There are different schools that contribute to making Avalon Park a center of academic potential for the people. The following are the public schools that serve the people of Avalon Park:

Payton College Preparatory High School

Rating A+

The number of students is 1,220

The student-teacher ratio is 16:1

Northside College Preparatory High School

Rating A+

The number of students is 1,078

The student-teacher ratio is18:1

Whitney M. Young Magnet High School

Rating A+

The number of students is 2,198

The student-teacher ratio is 18:1

Illinois Lutheran High School

Rating A-

The number of students is 115

The student-teacher ratio is 6:1

Jones College Prep High School

Rating A+

The number of students is 1,968

The student-teacher ratio is 19:1

Westinghouse College Prep

Rating A.

The number of students is 1,238

The student-teacher ratio is 17:1

Immanuel Lutheran School

Rating A

The number of students is 253

Student-teacher ratio is 16:1

Crime Rating

Avalon is a safe place to stay in Chicago. There have not been extreme cases of crime reported recently. There has been a drop in criminal activities from 2020 to date. There was a significant drop in overall crime to around 7%. The rate of murders went down by 9%. Also, the rate of shooting dropped significantly by 17%. Based on the statistics above, the rate of crime in Avalon Park is relatively low. This gives the people of the area as well as visitors the confidence to stay and do business there.

History

The earliest people to settle in Avalon Park German and Irish railroad personnel. Apart from railroad workers, there were also skilled mechanics who made Avalon Park their home. This was in the 1880s. During this time, the marshlands were often flooded and this population came up with the idea of constructing homes on stilts in order to raise them above the floods. History shows that the area was so swampy that only few houses were built in the area. The houses built had to be raised so as to prevent infestation. The major natural features during this time were the Stony Island and Mud Lake. At some point, the isolated nature of the area made it a waste disposal site.

In 1888, the area was developed as Pierce’s Park by Jonathan Pierce. It was until 1896 that the push to change the name of the area started. The Avalon Park Community Church spearheaded the push to change the name of the area to Avalon Park. The objectives of the push materialized in 1910 when the name of the park changed to the present name.

In the same year, the area developed a sewer system that worked towards draining the area. This was a major development in Avalon Park as the area sought to remain clean for the growing population. By the year 1930, around 10,000 plus people were living in Avalon Park, which was a significant increase from the decade before. The major characteristic of the community is that it was dominantly residential. There was a shopping center, schools, and churches that helped to serve the people of the area. It is these facilities that contributed to the growth of the area at the time. During the 1930s, the Swedish population accounted for 19% of the total population. Most of the immigrants who lived in Avalon were railroad, factory, and steel mill workers. Certainly, the demographic aspect of Avalon has gone through major transitions since the late 19^th century to the 20^th century.

A deeper look of the demographic landscape of the area shows that there was a major shift in the 1960s. In the census of 1960, there was a very small number of African Americans in Avalon Park. After 10 years, there was a major change in the demographics of the area. The African-Americans who were moving to the area during this time were people in the middle class category. They were lawyers, doctors, business owners, and other professionals.The census revealed that there was an 83% of African-Americans in the area. This was a massive change from what the previous census records had shown. The population of the area continued to grow and the same increase was experienced by 1990. The number of African-Americans rose to approximately 98%.

The level of education increased significantly. Also, the rate of poverty decreased notably. The years between 1960 and 1970 saw major shifts and transitions in the Avalon Park. Another aspect that was significant in the area was the rate of home ownership. The rate of owning homes remained high in Avalon Park. It was above 70%. In the 1980 census, 59% of the people of the community were working in white collar settings. The number rose to 65% in the 2000 census. The increase in the number of white collar jobs in the area meant that there was a high number of professionals. This is a trend that continues to date.