After years of immigration, migration, and expansion, the city reached its peak population in 1950. That year, the Census Bureau reported St. Louis's population as 82% White and 17.9% African American.[43] After World War II, St. Louis began losing population to the suburbs, first because of increased demand for new housing, unhappiness with city services, ease of commuting by subsidized highways, and later, white flight.[44] St. Louis's population decline has resulted in a significant increase of abandoned residential housing units and vacant lots throughout the city proper; this blight has attracted much wildlife (such as deer and coyotes) to the many abandoned overgrown lots.
St. Louis has lost 62.7% of its population since the 1950 United States Census, the highest percent of any city that had a population of 100,000 or more at the time of the 1950 Census. Detroit, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio are the only other cities that have had population declines of at least 60% in the same time frame. The population of the city of St. Louis has been in decline since the 1960 census; during this period the population of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, which includes more than one county, has grown every year and continues to do so. A big factor in the decline has been the rapid increase in suburbanization.
According to the 2010 United States Census, St. Louis had 319,294 people living in 142,057 households, of which 67,488 households were families. The population density was 5,158.2 people per square mile (1,990.6/km²). About 24% of the population was 19 or younger, 9% were 20 to 24, 31% were 25 to 44, 25% were 45 to 64, and 11% were 65 or older. The median age was about 34 years.
The population was about 49.2% African American, 43.9% White (42.2% Non-Hispanic White), 2.9% Asian, 0.3% Native American/Alaska Native, and 2.4% reporting two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.[45]
The African-American population is concentrated in the north side of the city (the area north of Delmar Boulevard is 94.0% black, compared with 35.0% in the central corridor and 26.0% in the south side of St. Louis[46]). Among the Asian-American population in the city, the largest ethnic group is Vietnamese (0.9%), followed by Chinese (0.6%) and Asian Indians (0.5%). The Vietnamese community has concentrated in the Dutchtown neighborhood of south St. Louis; Chinese are concentrated in the Central West End.[47][not in citation given] People of Mexican descent are the largest Latino group, and make up 2.2% of St. Louis's population. They have the highest concentration in the Dutchtown, Benton Park West (Cherokee Street), and Gravois Park neighborhoods.[45]
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $29,156, and the median income for a family was $32,585. Males had a median income of $31,106; females, $26,987. Per capita income was $18,108.
Some 19% of the city's housing units were vacant, and slightly less than half of these were vacant structures not for sale or rent.
In 2010, St. Louis's per-capita rates of online charitable donations and volunteerism were among the highest among major U.S. cities.[48]
As of 2010, 91.05% (270,934) of St. Louis city residents age 5 and older spoke English at home as a primary language, while 2.86% (8,516) spoke Spanish, 0.91% (2,713) Bosnian, 0.74% (2,200) Vietnamese, 0.50% (1,495) African languages, 0.50% (1,481) Chinese, and French was spoken as a main language by 0.45% (1,341) of the population over the age of five. In total, 8.95% (26,628) of St. Louis's population age 5 and older spoke a mother language other than English.[49]
| [hide]Racial composition | 2015 (est.)[50] | 2010[51] | 2000[52] | 1990[43] | 1970[43] | 1940[43] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 47.1% (est.) | 43.9% | 43.9% | 50.9% | 58.7% | 86.6% |
| —Non-Hispanic | 44.0 (est.) | 42.2% | 43.0%[53] | 50.2% | 57.9%[54] | 86.4% |
| Black | 46.9% (est.) | 49.2% | 51.2% | 47.5% | 40.9% | 13.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 3.9% (est.) | 3.5% | 2.0% | 1.3% | 1.0%[54] | 0.2% |
| Asian | 3.3% (est.) | 2.9% | 2.0% | 0.9% | 0.2% | (X) |
Bosnian population
See also: History of the Bosnians in St. Louis
About 15 families from Bosnia settled in St. Louis in 1960 and 1970. After the Bosnian War
started in 1992, more Bosnian refugees began arriving and by 2000, tens
of thousands of Bosnian refugees settled in St. Louis with the help of
Catholic aid societies. Many of them were professionals and skilled
workers who had to take any job opportunity to be able to support their
families. Most Bosnians refugees are Muslim, ethnically Bosniaks
(87%); they have settled primarily in south St. Louis and South County.
Bosnian-Americans are well integrated into the city, developing many
businesses and ethnic/cultural organizations.[55]An estimated 70,000 Bosnians live in the metro area, the largest population of Bosnians in the United States and the largest Bosnian population outside their homeland. The highest concentration of Bosnians is in the neighborhood of Bevo Mill and in Affton, Mehlville, and Oakville of south St. Louis County.[56]
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