Community Counts
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COMMUNITY COUNTS MEASURING PROGRESS in CALHOUN COUNTY, ALABAMA August 1, 2006 2006 Calhoun County Community Counts Funded through the generosity of: ALABAMA PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN Created through the expertise of: Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama 402 Samford Hall Birmingham, AL 35229 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction i How to Read Community Counts ii Regional Description iii Community Counts 1 Index of Indicators 2 Indicators of the People Dimension 6 Indicators of the Prosperity Dimension 50 Learning Indicators of the Prosperity Dimension 77 Indicators of the Place Dimension 85 Blueprint for School Readiness Introduction 101 Indicator for the Blueprint for School Readiness 103 Appendix I A-1 Appendix II: Sources for Indicators A-3 INTRODUCTION This report presents the results of an effort to measure where Calhoun County and its cities stand in terms of social, economic, and environmental characteristics which reflect the quality of life in the County. The heart of the report consists of a number of community indicators representing key features of the social, economic, and environmental landscape of the County. The intention is to track the indicators over time, reproducing the report periodically, to show progress as it occurs and identify problem areas that need attention in order to create a more vital, healthy regional community. The Foundation asked the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama to create a report measuring the status of Calhoun County and select municipalities within. These municipalities include Anniston, Hobson City, Jacksonville, Ohatchee, Oxford and Piedmont. In the case where municipality data were not available, comparable counties within Alabama were chosen to measure alongside Calhoun County. The counties used in the report are Etowah County, Houston County, Morgan County, Talladega County and Tuscaloosa County. What is an Indicator? A community indicator is a quantitative measure of a key social, economic, or environmental condition within a geographic area such as Calhoun County. The indicator itself does not define the community’s status – it is, rather, a means to that end. Compiling a measure, and tracking it over time, enables us to see whether the trend within the County is positive or negative. Measuring at the city level allows us to see whether the trend applies to all areas of the County. As our experience with the indicator grows, we can establish a target (sometimes called a “goal” or “benchmark”) for progress, perhaps by using comparisons to the state, the nation, or other regional communities that we might choose. In this way, use of the indicator assists those who want to focus energy on improving the quality of life within a given sector or region. It is equally important to recognize the relationships among indicators. Each indicator is one piece of the overall picture of the community. When observed individually, an indicator provides information about a particular aspect of community life. However, when analyzed together, they offer insight into the overall quality of life in the region. As we move forward in using the community indicators chosen for tracking, a key part of the analysis will be to recognize the relationships among indicators and develop strategies that take advantage of the interactions. How to Read Community Counts When deciding what characteristics are important in successfully sustaining a healthy community, three main dimensions must be considered. The three key dimensions are the social, economic, and physical environments of the area. Throughout this report, these dimensions will be referred to as People, Prosperity, and Place. Within the three broad dimensions of People, Prosperity, and Place, nine categories were defined to focus more specifically on areas vital to the community. These nine categories and their broad goals have been used in defining the indicators contained in this report. The categories and goals within each of the three dimensions are as follows: PEOPLE ♦ Quality of Life: Fulfilling the basic needs of all citizens ♦ Community Health: Maintaining a health community ♦ Civic Engagement: Using public and private resources efficiently and effectively PROSPERITY ♦ Economy and Jobs: Promoting economic opportunity for the region’s people ♦ Learning: Educating citizens for success in life ♦ Transportation: Ensuring mobility through integrated connections PLACE ♦ Environment: Sustaining the green environment that defines the region ♦ Places and Activities: Enhancing cultural, recreational, and historic places ♦ Neighborhoods: Supporting neighborhoods as building blocks of a strong region Each indicator lists the source of the information, the measurement that it provides and the reason why that measurement is important. Each municipality or county also has a score of 1 to 4 for every indicator where information is available. This score shows how that municipality or county compares with national, state or peer averages, with 1 as the highest and 4 as the lowest score. In all cases, the term “better” may mean either “higher” or “lower,” depending on the nature of the indicator. It is, for example, better to be below the national average on the infant death rate, and better to be above the national average on per-capita income. A summary page provides an overview for each of the three main categories, People, Prosperity and Place. A vertical scan of this summary shows strengths and weaknesses of individual municipalities or counties for that category. A horizontal scan provides an overview of the communities’ strengths and weaknesses. Strong areas are those with relatively few scores of 3 and 4. A total of 92 indicators have been developed within these nine categories. This report contains the most recent data available for those indicators, which will serve as the baseline measurement of the quality of life within the Calhoun County. The data showcase many positive aspects of the county and its municipalities, but they also identify problem areas that need to be addressed. The purpose of publishing all of the data is to allow the community to see its strengths more clearly and provide a catalyst for positive change where it is needed. The goal is for people to use the information to become engaged in the process of helping to enhance and improve the quality of life within the County. When everyone works together for the common good, there is no limit to what can be accomplished within Calhoun County. General Social, Economic, and Physical Characteristics of Calhoun County Location. Calhoun County is strategically located within the triangle formed by Birmingham, Chattanooga, and Atlanta, with good connections via Interstate Highways 59 and 20. The County is bounded on the west by the Coosa River, and on the east by the Talladega National Forest. It contains the Anniston Army Depot, a major national defense installation. It has eight municipalities and four unincorporated communities with populations over 1,000 that are recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau. The following summary of the social, economic, and physical characteristics of the County is drawn from Census data. Land area and density of population and housing. Calhoun County’s Census 2000 population of 112,249 was 2.5% of Alabama's total population. Its land area totals 608 square miles, which represents 1.2% of the land area of the state. As this comparison shows, the County has about twice the population density of the state as a whole. The table below presents the land area and density of population and housing for the state, Calhoun County, and the seven incorporated municipalities with more than 250 residents (omitting the Town of Blue Mountain), arranged in descending order by population. LAND AREA & DENSITY OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 2000 Land Area Residents Housing Units in Square Per Square Per Square Jurisdiction Miles Mile, 2000 Mile, 2000 State of Alabama 50,744 88 39 Calhoun County 608 185 84 City of Anniston 45.4 534 159 City of Oxford* 13.9 891 387 City of Jacksonville 8.3 1,017 436 City of Piedmont* 9.7 526 256 City of Weaver 2.7 990 428 Town of Ohatchee 6.0 202 94 Town of Hobson City 1.1 803 380 *Calhoun County portion of land area. General population characteristics. Just over half the County's population resides within the limits of the seven municipalities shown in the table below. Overall, the County lost 3.3% of its population from 1990 to 2000. Four of the seven municipalities in the table also lost residents, while three gained in population; in percentage terms, Oxford saw the greatest increase, while Jacksonville showed the greatest loss. As a group, the seven municipalities gained 1.8% in population for the decade. The population of the balance of the County, which is the area outside the seven municipalities, fell by 8% during the 1990s. The table shows that the population of Calhoun County is ethnically less diverse than that of the state, with whites comprising 78% of the total and blacks 18.5%, compared to statewide figures of 70% and 26%, respectively. However, there is substantial variation in the population diversity within municipalities. Jacksonville is the only municipality with a population distribution similar to that of the state as a whole; Anniston and Hobson City have far lower percentages of white residents than is true of the state generally, while Oxford, Piedmont, Weaver, and Ohatchee have much higher percentages of whites than the average. Taken together as a group, however, the seven municipalities are much closer to