Indicators of Success and Challenges in Northern Virginia Northern Virginia Is a Diverse, Growing Region with a Well-Educated Population and Strong Economy
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Indicators of Success and Challenges in Northern Virginia Northern Virginia is a diverse, growing region with a well-educated population and strong economy. However, with this success comes challenges such as high CONTENTS housing costs and long commutes that hit low-income residents particularly hard. 1 about the opportunity index The region--Arlington County, Alexandria City, Falls Church City, Fairfax County, 2 general demographics Fairfax City, Loudoun County, Manassas City, Manassas Park City, and Prince William 11 economy County--also continues to be heavily dependent on federal employment, both 19 education directly and through federal contracts. And despite some success in narrowing 25 community health & civic life educational achievement gaps, Black and Hispanic/Latino residents of the region 36 moving forward continue to have higher unemployment and poverty rates, lower household incomes, and lower rates of health insurance access than their non-Hispanic White and Asian peers in the region. In conjunction with the Community ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR Foundation’s 40th Anniversary, it NORTHERN VIRGINIA commissioned this report from The Commonwealth Institute to gain some The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is a visionary perspective on changes and growth in funder that has directed millions of charitable dollars to our region over the past 40 years, and people in need since 1978. Its mission is to grow philanthropy to provide insight into current trends to respond to critical need and seed innovation in our region. that will help guide its future work to Serving all of Northern Virginia, including Arlington, Fairfax, make the greatest impact in responding Loudoun and Prince William Counties and the cities of to critical need and seeding innovation. Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, This report takes a deep dive into four the Community Foundation connects donors to community and key topic areas for Northern Virginia: helps meed meet community needs with community resources. general demographics; the economy; During 2017, the Community Foundation awarded more than education; and community health and $4.7 million in grants and scholarships and now reports $50 civic life. We look at the trends in each million in managed philanthropic assets. of these areas over time and break WWW.CFNOVA.ORG out differences by race and ethnicity, geography, age, and immigration status where available. In some instances, we ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE are able to show trends dating back 40 years to when the Community Foundation The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis provides for Northern Virginia opened its doors. But credible, independent, and accessible information and the majority of the data is available from analyses of fiscal and economic issues with particular attention 2000-2015. By examining the successes of to the impacts on low- and moderate-income persons. the region’s families and communities, as Our products inform fiscal and budget policy debates and well as continued challenges, policymakers contribute to sound decisions that improve the well-being and community members can better of individuals, communities, and Virginia as a whole. Our understand the current situation, cast work is grounded in the fundamental belief that government a vision for the future, and plan for the should work to improve the lives of the people it serves. We investments needed to build a region maintain a deep commitment to ensuring that public policies where all families can thrive. and programs effectively respond to the needs and interests of lower-income individuals, families and communities throughout Virginia. WWW.THECOMMONWEALTHINSTITUTE.ORG about the opportunity index The Opportunity Index for Northern Virginia is an interactive data resource available for free to the public through the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s website at www.cfnova.org. Comprised of several key indicators reflecting our region’s economy, community health, civic life, and educational outcomes, The Opportunity Index will be updated annually by the Community Foundation to track changes and produce trend lines over time, advancing stakeholders’ understanding of the true needs of our region. The data is disaggregated by jurisdiction and demographics, including ethnicity and race, to shine a light on the reasons why some areas in Northern Virginia have more opportunity than others. As such, The Opportunity Index will serve as a critical resource for community knowledge and strategic philanthropic giving. The Opportunity Index is available for free at www.cfnova.org/opportunityindex. Photo: Virginia Department of Transportation. Source: Flickr.com Photo: Virginia Department of Transportation. INDICATORS OF SUCCESS AND CHALLENGES 1 THE OPPORTUNITY INDEX FOR NORTHERN VIRGINIA general demographics Northern Virginia has become a more diverse region since the turn of the century, especially with regard to race, ethnicity, and country of origin, while experiencing dramatic overall population growth. While localities often differ in where these changes are seen, the region as a whole is often consistent with the state or the nation in the variety of people that call Northern Virginia home. The region is seeing a slightly older population and fewer veterans as a share of the population, and certain localities such as Prince William and Loudoun counties have seen an increase in the share of children and youth. The growing diversity of the area as a whole is likely to continue. The population of Northern Virginia has soared from 1.1 million in 1980 to 2.3 million in 2016. The most dramatic growth has occurred in Loudoun County, where the population has soared from under 60,000 residents to over 380,000, followed by Prince William County where the population has increased from about 145,000 to over 450,000 residents. Yet even the slowest-growing locality, Falls Church City, has seen growth over this period. AGE Over the last nearly four decades, Northern Virginia’s population has slightly aged. In 1980, 28 percent of the population was under the age of 18; today that group makes up 25 percent of the population. On the other end, nearly 10 percent of today’s population is over 65 compared to 6 percent in 1980. A significant majority of Northern Virginia’s population is over 25 years of age, A significant majority with 47 percent between the ages of 25 and 54. The second largest age range by percentage are 5 to 17 year olds at 17 and a half percent. Young adults, of Northern Virginia’s between the ages of 18 and 24 comprise just 8 percent of the population. Older adults, aged 65 and older make up 10 percent of the population, nearly population is over equivalent to those between 55 and 64 at 11 percent. 25 years of age, with In Northern Virginia, between 2000 and 2015 there has been little change in the proportion of those under age 5 (about 7 percent of the region’s 47% between the population), those 5 to 17 (about 17.5 percent), and those between the ages of 18 to 24 (about 8 percent), hovering around 7 percent, 17.5, and 8 percent, ages of 25 and 54. respectively. Adults age 25 to 54 have seen a slight decrease as a share of the population to 47 percent from 52 percent, while the share of those 55 to 64 have increased to 11 percent from 8 percent. Adults aged 85 and older now comprise 1 percent of the population, compared to 0.8 percent in 2000. While the share of adults 75 to 84 has remained steady, Northern Virginia appears to have a slightly aging population overall. Currently, in most age brackets, Alexandria is comparable to the region overall, with the exception of 5 to 17 year olds and 25 to 54 year olds. While 5 to 17 year olds comprise 17 percent of Northern Virginia’s population, this age group is only 10 percent of Alexandria’s population. Conversely, the city has a larger proportion of 25 to 54 year olds — 56 percent compared to the region’s 47 percent. In the last 15 years, Alexandria has seen slight increases in the share of children under 5, rising to 7.5 percent from 6 percent, and those between the ages of 65 to 74, also up 1.5 percent. The greatest increase, up 3 percentage points, is seen in those 2 INDICATORS OF SUCCESS AND CHALLENGES THE OPPORTUNITY INDEX FOR NORTHERN VIRGINIA Age: Prince William County Percentages represent change over the time period displayed. The mix of ages in a community can influence a community feel, the amount of money the local between 55 and 64 years old, up to government needs to spend on different priorities, and opportunities for economic growth. 11 percent from 8 percent. Chart from The Opportunity Index for Northern Virginia. Data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Arlington County is nearly identical to Alexandria in its age composition. As of 2015, children under five are younger population compared to the population, and those between 6 percent of Arlington’s population the region with those under 5 and 65 and 74 are approximately 4 and compared to 7.5 percent in between 5 and 17 years of age half percent of the population. In Alexandria and 7 percent in the comprising larger shares. Prince William County these age region as a whole. The share of brackets comprise 10 and 5 percent 18 to 24 year olds in Arlington has Nearly 40 percent of population of of the population, compared to decreased to 8 percent from 10 Prince William County’s and Loudoun the region’s 11 and 6 percent, percent in the last 15 years, but is County’s population is under the age respectively. now more in line with the region as of 25, and the share of residents in a whole which has remained steady those counties who are school-age (5 Prince William County and Loudoun at 8 percent.