Look beyond the census to find facts about us

Don Worthington
The Herald
December 23, 2010

The U.S. Census Bureau gave an early Christmas gift to politicians, writers and especially demographers, those people who live for numbers and translate them into things such as consumer and voter behaviors.

On Tuesday, the Census Bureau announced the U.S. population reached 308,745,538, according to its 2010 counting. South Carolina was one of the states gaining population - 613,352 people to be exact. The gain means South Carolina will get a new congressional district.

The new district will likely be along the coast. York and Lancaster counties also saw growth. That likely means shifts in the boundary of the 5th Congressional District. It will get smaller.

The new numbers also mean changes in the state legislative map. More population locally should translate into more representation from the region in Columbia.

More census data will be released in the coming year, yielding data that will eventually break down in units smaller than neighborhoods.

The immediate treasure chest of data, however, was last week's release of the American Fact Finder.

The American Fact Finder is a survey, not counting, of America's localities. The data is broken down by state, counties and cities. It contains much of the data that used to be collected on the census long form. It is a good snapshot of a locality.

It's the second time around for the American Fact Finder. National data was first published in 2005. The latest survey covers the period from 2005 to 2009.

What does the data say about York County?

Most of it we already knew.

We are growing in population. The estimated number of new residents is 23,000, pushing York County's total to 209,000.

We are losing manufacturing plants. Expressed in terms of employment by industry, manufacturing saw a drop from 20 percent to 15 percent. Manufacturing had been the county's leading employer.

Our income is not keeping up with the cost of living. The county's mean household income is $51,332, up from $46,680 in the 2005 Fact Finder results. However, the increase does not keep pace with the economy. To keep pace, the 2010 mean household income should be about $53,000.

'Average' resident

Statistically, the average York County resident is in her late 30s - yes, the average resident is likely to be female - and married, with a high school degree. English is the only language spoken in her household.

You find several positives by comparing the two Fact Finder surveys.

York County residents are trying to improve their education. The percent of people without a high school education fell from 17 percent to 15 percent. Conversely, enrollment in education at all levels increased. The biggest gain was 4,000 more students in elementary and high schools. College enrollment increased by 3,300 people.

Education is a key economic development factor. Companies considering our area want an educated work force. Our lack of a skilled, educated work force has hurt us in the past.

According to the survey we are making strides in fighting poverty. People living in poverty fell by 1 percentage point to 12 percent. The percentage of children under 18 in poverty dropped from 20 percent to 18 percent. (The poverty threshold, as defined by the federal government, is about $22,000 for a family of four, or about $11,000 for a single person.)

The number of people older than 65 in poverty, however, rose from 7 percent to 9 percent.

There are negatives too, especially in housing.

Our houses are getting older, with 37 percent built before 1970. Single-family homes remain high at 72 percent of the residential units. Homeowners outnumber renters more than 2 to 1 at 57,000 to 21,000.

The average home value is $152,900, up from $143,500 in 2005.

While the percentages are small, less than 1 percent, it is appalling that 386 houses lack plumbing and 270 lack kitchens in York County. About 3 percent report they don't have a telephone. In 2005, the statistic was 4 percent.

Because Fact Finder is a survey conducted over several years, it is difficult to know how the recession has affected the findings. York County's unemployment rate is almost 14 percent. It has been as high as 16.8 percent. The survey put the unemployment rate at 8.3 percent.

More and more residents are struggling and requesting for assistance from various nonprofits. Because of these economic challenges, a cautious eye should be cast on the survey's economic numbers such as those in poverty.

More data will be forthcoming from the Census Bureau. Demographers, politicians and business owners will make decisions based on the numbers. What hopefully will guide them, however, is remembering these are people, not just numbers.