BINGHAMPTON COMMUNITY

Binghampton began as an independent and racially integrated rural Memphis town in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Annexed by Memphis in 1919 when the city’s growth pushed to the east, Binghampton eventually came to be surrounded by more affluent neighborhoods. Binghampton proper has experienced shifting character as a result of development, various stages of racial segregation, and a transition from owner to renter occupied housing.  The Binghampton neighborhood is located eight miles east of downtown Memphis and at its very geographic center.  The community lies between two major east-west arteries: Summer and Poplar on the north and south, with East Parkway and Holmes the east and west boundaries.

The Binghampton Development Corporation was formed to address the severe poverty and lack of economic assets in the community.  An analysis shows this lack of critical assets is repeated again and again with grocery stores, clothing outlets, thrift stores, drug stores, etc.  Highlighting the socio-economic issues facing this historic neighborhood, the best fit of eight 2000 U.S. Census block groups indicated:

• A 31% decline in population from 1970 to 2000,
• A 19% decline in occupied housing units, with the share in rental service increasing from 35% to 59% from 1970 to 2000,
• 48% of the households have incomes under $20,000, leading to a area median income of $26,000,
• 35% of the residents live under the poverty level, with certain Census block groups over 70%,
• 33% of the households earn no wage or salary income,
• 23% of the residents are age 55 or older, with certain Census block groups approaching 60%,
• 31% of the householders are female with no husband present,
• 10% of the housing units are empty or abandoned, with certain Census blocks as high as 14%!