Woodmere Prospered in Past Decade

By any measure, the past decade has been a prosperous one for Woodmere, according to the results from the 2010 census and the 2005-2009 American Community Survey estimates.

The hamlet’s population has increased, its homes doubled in value and median family incomes have risen as poverty levels dropped.

There are now 17,121 people living in the Woodmere CDP, a jump from 16,447 in 2000, according to the census data.

The CDP’s racial makeup has noticeably changed, according to the census results. The populations of residents identifying as Asian and African-American have ballooned. While the 2000 census recorded 613 Asian-identifying residents and 274 African-Americans, the latest census found 790 and 710, respectively.

The changes amount to an eye-opening increase of 3.7 to 4.6 percent of the total population for the Asian populace and 1.7 to 4.1 percent for the African-American population.

Additionally, home values have grown to almost twice what they were in 2000. The median value of single-family owner-occupied homes in 2000 was $356,700. The ACS survey estimated the current median value to be a whopping $641,600. The increase is at a far greater rate than the average U.S. jump, from $119,600 to $185,400.

The volume of total housing units has risen slightly, transitioning from 5,462 in 2000 to 5,570 currently, 5,336 of which are occupied, according to the 2010 census. 

Alongside the small increase in overall population, the size of the Woodmere labor force has grown, from 7,395 to 7,985 workers. Median family incomes have risen from $103,402 to $132,721, more than twice the average U.S. family income of $62,363.

Unsurprisingly, the increases in productivity and median incomes have coincided with a dramatic drop in poverty rates. While 4.3 percent of the population fell below the poverty level in 2000, the ACS found only 2.1 percent of the current 17,070 residents to be in the same predicament. That’s a decrease of approximately 350 individuals, or half the total measured in 2000.

There couldn’t be a better indicator of a community’s prosperity than that statistic. In 2011, Woodmere residents continue to love their quiet village and look forward to a bright, even more prosperous future, according to Dr. John Santopolo, president of the Woodmere Merchants Association.

“Woodmere remains a wonderful community to bring up a family in,” he said. “It is an upbeat, prosperous village that values education and supports its outstanding local school district.”