Buffalo County Community Needs Assessment
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Buffalo County, Department of Health & Human Services Buffalo County Community Needs Assessment Project Coordinator: Aubrey Stetter-Hesselberg, CHES Great Rivers United Way, Onalaska, Wisconsin 2015 Buffalo County, Department of Health & Human Services 407 S. 2nd Street, PO Box 517 Alma, WI 54610 TABLE OF CONTENTS Topic Page Number Introduction______________________________________________________________ 2 Demographics_____________________________________________________________3 Health___________________________________________________________________ 6 Birth Rate………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Infant Mortality………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6 Low Birthweight………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Prenatal Care……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 Obesity …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Physical Activity ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12 Immunization ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 12 Substance Abuse ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 14 Tobacco …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..… 15 Women, Infants, and Children …………………………………………………………………………………..…… 17 Mental Health ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20 Income/Economic ________________________________________________________ 24 Labor Force ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 24 Median Household Income ………………………………………………………………………………………….… 25 Unemployment Rate ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25 Poverty ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………….…. 26 Housing ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……… 31 Education_______________________________________________________________ 35 YoungStar ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………....…..… 35 Preschool Enrollment …………………………………………………………………………………………….…....… 36 Reading Comprehension ……………………………………………………………………………….………..…..… 37 Attendance Rates …………………………………………………………………………………………………….....… 39 American College Test ………………………………………………………………………………………..….…….… 40 High School Graduation …………………………………………………………………………………………..…..… 41 Post-Secondary Education ………………………………………………………………………………………..….… 43 Community Basics ________________________________________________________ 44 Drug Arrests …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..… 44 Violent Crime ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………....… 45 Traffic Crashes ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….….….… 50 Hunger and Food Availability …………………………………………………………………………………….….… 51 Sources __________________________________________________________________ 54 Appendix _________________________________________________________________55 1 | P a g e 2015 Buffalo County Needs Assessment Introduction to Buffalo County Buffalo County is located within the unglaciated, Driftless Area of Western Wisconsin. Pepin and Eau Claire Counties form the northern border of the county, while Trempealeau County forms the eastern border. Three rivers also border the county; the Chippewa on the west, the Mississippi on the south and east and the Trempealeau on the lower eastern border. All of Buffalo County drains into the Mississippi River. Population (2010 Census): 13,587 Population in Poverty (2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates): 12% Unemployment Rate- 16 years and over (2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates): 3.6% Uninsured ages 18-64 (US Census Bureau): 13.3% Uninsured under age 19 (US Census Bureau): 5.9% Adults 25+ years with a high school education or less (2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates): 10.4% Methodology The 2015 Buffalo County Needs Assessment process included a variety of data collection methods used to create an overall description of the issues facing our communities. These methods include a random household survey and an extensive review of socio-economic indicators, and an inventory of community resources. The Buffalo County random household survey included items covering eight topical areas: overall rating of community, aspects of health, aspects of public safety, aspects of education, aspects of quality of life, aspects of caregiving in the community, aspects of the economy, and issues in the community. The following demographic information was recorded for the respondents and used to make comparisons: gender, age, education, income, and race. Chi-squared tests of independence were used to check for association between each item within the eight topical areas and each demographic variable. 2 | P a g e 2015 Buffalo County Needs Assessment DEMOGRAPHICS The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide, continuous survey designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, housing, social, and economic data. The ACS samples nearly 3 million addresses each year, resulting in nearly 2 million final interviews. The ACS replaces the long-form decennial census; however, the number of household surveys reported annually for the ACS is significantly less than the number reported in the long-form decennial census. As a result, the ACS combines detailed population and housing data from multiple years to produce reliable estimates for small counties, neighborhoods, and other local areas. Negotiating between timeliness and accuracy, the ACS annually releases current, one- year estimates for geographic areas with large populations; three-year and five-year estimates are also released each year for additional areas based on minimum population thresholds. Table 1 shows both the total population within an age group in Buffalo County, as well as the percentage of that age group in comparison to the general population, based on ACS estimates. Table 1: Total Population by Age Groups, Buffalo County Age 5- Age 18- Age 25- Age 35- Age 45- Age 55- Age 0-4 Age 65+ 17 24 34 44 54 64 Number 719 2,231 933 1,395 1,557 2,150 1,983 2,498 Percentage 5.34% 16.57% 6.93% 10.36% 11.56% 15.97% 14.73% 18.55% Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey. 2009-13. Source geography: Tract This median age is based on the 5-year American Community Survey estimate. Focusing on a population’s age and sex composition is one of the most basic ways to understand population change over time. In general, the U.S. population continues to grow older with a median age over 40 years old in many states. Understanding a population’s age and sex composition yields insights into changing phenomena and highlights future social and economic challenges. Table 2 shows the median age of Buffalo County, Wisconsin, and U.S. residents. Buffalo County has quite a higher median age than both Wisconsin and the United States. Table 2: Median Age Report Area Total Population Median Age Buffalo 13,466 44.4 Wisconsin 5,706,871 38.7 United States 311,536,608 37.3 Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey. 2009-13. Source Geography: Tract 3 | P a g e 2015 Buffalo County Needs Assessment Table 3 shows the total population in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, and U.S. by gender. There were a total of 6,610 females and 6,856 males residing in Buffalo County according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2009-13 5-year estimates. Females represented 49.1% of the total population in the area, which was less than the national average of 50.8%. Table 3: Total Population by Gender Report Area Total Population Female Population Male Population Buffalo 13,466 6,610 6,856 Wisconsin 5,706,871 2,873,965 2,832,906 United States 311,536,608 158,289,184 153,247,424 Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey. 2009-13. Source geography: Tract Race and ethnicity (Hispanic origin) are collected as two separate categories in the American Community Survey (ACS) based on methods established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 1997. Race and ethnicity statistics are generated from self-identified survey responses. The available race categories in the ACS are: White, Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, and Other. An ACS survey respondent may identify as one race alone, or may choose multiple races. Respondents selecting multiple categories are racially identified as “Two or More Races”. Table 4 shows the percent of residents by race in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, and the U.S. Buffalo County has a much higher white demographic than both Wisconsin and U.S. averages. Moreover, the black population in Buffalo County is much lower than both state and national averages. Table 4: Percent Population by Race Alone, Total Native Native Some Report Multiple White Black Asian American/Alaska Hawaiian/Pacific Other Area Races Native Islander Race Buffalo 97.31% 0.27% 0.08% 0.44% 0% 1.05% 0.84% Wisconsin 87.03% 6.24% 2.32% 0.86% 0.02% 1.49% 2.02% United 74.02% 12.57% 4.89% 0.82% 0.17% 4.73% 2.8% States Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey. 2009-13. Source geography: Tract Percentage = [Population by Family Type] / [Total Population] * 100 4 | P a g e 2015 Buffalo County Needs Assessment Table 5 shows the number of households in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, and the United States. In addition, it specifies the number and percentage of households with families who have children under the age of 18 years old. Buffalo County, Wisconsin, and the U.S. share similar rates of households with families having children under the age of 18 years old. Table 5: Number of Households Families with Families with Children Total Total Family Report Area Children (Under Age 18), Percent of Households Households (Under Age 18) Total Households Buffalo 5,777 3,808 1,594 27.59% Wisconsin 2,288,332 1,469,143 682,468 29.82% United States