Community Background Report

Westchester

County

Miami-Dade

Boundaries

North: S.W. 8th Street
South: S.W. 40th Street
West: S.W. 117th Avenue
East: Palmetto Expressway

Community Type

Neighborhood

History

Westchester, located southwest of the greater Miami area, was at the turn of the twentieth century part of Miami-Dade County’s last frontier. When Henry Flagler extended the Florida East Coast Railway south from Miami to Homestead, it marked the beginning of the present Westchester (Jensen & Wiggins, 2001). Westchester’s land had not previously been developed under the Homestead Act of 1862 because it was determined ineligible. The land was mainly low-lying prairie and was subject to seasonal rains, with flooding. This was also the case in much of what is now Greater Miami until reclamation of swamplands began in the early 1900s under the provisions of federal legislation (Jensen & Wiggins, 2001). Construction of drainage canals, which began along the southwest coast of Florida in 1907, soon turned previously uninhabitable land into prime real estate. By the early 1920s, the land was dry and ripe for development (Downes, 2006). By the end of World War II, Westchester was experiencing a building boom brought on by soldiers returning home and buying houses using US Veteran’s Administration guaranteed low-interest financing (Jensen & Wiggins, 2001). Today, Westchester is a fully built area of well-kept homes. It is a convenient location to live in, due to its proximity to expressways, hospitals, the area’s largest university, and the airport. The near future of Westchester focuses on governmental assistance from the County in resolving drainage issues associated with rainfall, and encouraging a more cohesive community to comply with local area legislation concerning the appearance of homes (Zayas, 2004).

The core of Westchester is the 5,162 acres between the two westernmost major highways, and between SW 40th Street and SW 8th Street. In the 1990s, this relatively affluent neighborhood was positioned to incorporate, as were other neighborhoods that felt they were paying more in taxes than they were receiving in services. The 1996 Board of County Commissioners created Community Council 10, a quasi-governmental entity that provided a structure to address local zoning issues, as well as providing training for the expertise necessary to future municipalities (Moreno, 2006).

Community Dynamics

Westchester has a population of 30,058, with a median age of 45 and a median household income of $48,136. Between 2015 and 2016, the population declined from 30,585 to 30,058, a 1.72% decrease, and its median household income grew from $45,718 to $48,136, a 5.29% increase.

The population is 93.3% Hispanic, 6.17% White, and 0.32% Black. A non-English language is spoken by 86.7% of the population, and 79.5% are US citizens. The median property value in Westchester is $259,900, and the homeownership rate is 65.2% and rental rate is 35%.

In 2016, there were 41,779 people from Cuba living in South Miami City, Westchester and Coral Terrace, approximately 105.2 times more than would be expected based on national averages. When compared to other census places, Westchester has a relatively high number of residents that are native Spanish speakers. In 2015, there were 25,280 native Spanish speakers living in Westchester, approximately 5.38 times more than would be expected based on the language's frequency in the US more broadly.

Business Landscape

Westchester is one of the more economically prosperous neighborhoods in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, posting higher average and per capita incomes, and lower poverty rates than the greater area. Westchester has seen an economic resurgence with the continuing growth of the nearby Florida International University, which is a major employer within the county and draws educated professionals to the area. The surrounding community of Westchester is home to eight public schools administered by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, four Catholic private elementary and secondary schools, one private Roman Catholic college, and one public university. The economy of Westchester employs 14,341 people.

Transportation

Miami-Dade Transit buses # 24, 87, 40 and 8 serve Westchester. Major streets include SW 8th, 24th and 40th Streets, and SW 87th Avenue. Highway 826 borders its eastern boundary. Due to a high number of schools and a major state university campus nearby, the total daily traffic count reaches 466,258.