Warren has had a deep history in manufacturing and thrived during the industrial revolution. Its population peaked in 1970 at 63,494 people. However, since then, like many other legacy cities in the region, Warren has been trending downward following the industrial decline of the 80s. Now the city has a population of 38,986.
Warren has been dealing with population loss over the past decade (-8.63%), more than Trumbull County (-6.41%), and significantly more than the state which has managed to maintain a stable population during that same period (+1.41%).1 This is worthy of concern, seeing as the city has lost more relative population than comparable peer cities such as Lima, and Zanesville.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 5-year data, Table DP05
Warren has a significantly larger black population than either the county or the state, which is important when understanding disparities within outcomes of the city and how things like wealth and homeownership have been racialized.
On the whole, there are on average equal amounts of owners and renters in the cities. However, the racial compositions of tenure are worth noting. There are more than three times as many households within the Hispanic/Latino community that rent their home rather than own it in Warren. In Warren, white households account for nearly 80% of all homeowners, while black and brown households represent approximately 20% collectively. However, in the renting population, the percentage of minorities doubles to 40% of all renters. This disparity is reflected across all selected peer cities with similar racial demographics.
Source: American Community Survey, 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Table S2502
In Warren, of the total population for whom poverty was determined by the ACS, 34.4% were below the poverty level as of 2020. While the state and the county have both seen a decrease in their poverty rate, the City of Warren’s poverty rate has increased over the past decade.
What is interesting is the racial demographics of poverty within the city which go against convention. Despite white alone households having the highest median income, as well as the highest rate of homeownership, they do not have the lowest rate of poverty. The percent of white alone households considered to be below the poverty level in Warren is 53.4%. Just under half of black or African American households are considered impoverished (45.4%), while only 28.0% of Hispanic households are.
Source: American Community Survey, 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Table S1701
On a positive note, in Trumbull County (the smallest geography available), the hourly wage necessary to afford a 2-bedroom, fair market rate apartment is $14.19/hour. This means that on average, residents of Mahoning Co. can expect to afford a 2BR at FRM when working 1.5 jobs at minimum wage, which is among the lowest in the state.2
Warren’s median housing value is $81,723,3 which suggests that the market is within striking distance of a stronger housing market that can give homeowners more options for accessing credit for home repair loans or home equity loans. Not only that, but a price point of $81,723 is still generally affordable to moderate income families.
There are entities, such as the Raymond John Wean Foundation and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership (TNP) that are working to close the race and income disparities in Warren. However, addressing these inequities requires a “full court press” from all partners, including local government, nonprofits, private sector, and education sector.