Parks and Recreation System Master Plan Update (2016) parks_and_recreation_system_master_plan_update_oct | Page 68

The number of Louisville households in Louisville increased by 7.7% from 2000 to 2010
for a total of 309,175 households and 338,463 housing units. The average household size
decreased from 2.37 to 2.35 during that time.
The structure of households is changing as seen in the increase in male householder
families and male householder families with children under 18 which increased by about 33%
from 11,049 to 15,037, Female householder families increased also but only at about 12.6%. The
percentage of husband-wife families with children under 18 dropped 11.5% between 2000 and
2010.
The number of non-family households increased by 15.5% over the same period. The
number of non-family householders living alone reached 98,843 in 2010 with roughly a third of
these householders over the age of 65.
Between 2010 and 2015, the number of households is expected to increase by 78,499 to
a total of 387,674 with the average household size expected to decrease to 2.29 persons per
household.
Louisville has seen significant change in its racial and ethnic identity over the last 30
years. The most noteworthy change is the exponential growth in the population of people of
Hispanic or Latino origin. This population quadrupled from 1990 to 2000, then doubled from
2000 to 2010 before reaching 32,542 and representing 4.7% of the population. The Asian
population increased by about half the amount of the Hispanic or Latino population and by 2010
represented 2% of the population. The Black or African American population grew between
1980 and 2010 and the White population declined over the same time period.
The Black or African American population is spread unevenly across the county. The
highest concentration is in west Louisville totaling in many census tracts over 90% of the
population. A small cluster exists in the central part of Louisville with three census tracts having
greater than a 70% Black population. The distribution of Hispanic or Latino population is more
substantially dispersed throughout Louisville than the Black or African population. The total
percentage of Hispanic population in any one census tract does not exceed 50%. The largest
concentration resides just south of the Louisville International Airport in the south-central part
of Louisville.
Louisville is getting older and people are generally living longer. The city’s median age
increased from 36.7 in 2000 to 37.9 in 2010. The city’s population in 2015 is expected to be
older, live longer, and have fewer children to replace the aging “Baby Boomers.”
Development patterns, ethnic characteristics, and income vary greatly from Louisville to
outlying parts of the city. This suggests that parts of Louisville may differ in terms of the types of
park and recreational facilities required. For example, “walk-to” neighborhood parks may be
more of a priority in urban neighborhoods than in suburban or rural areas characterized by
relatively large lots and higher mobility.
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III. CONTEXT AND COMMUNITY INVENTORY | October 2016 Update