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Union Community Indicators

Union Community Indicators. Introducing the inaugural report. Union Community Indicators. Goal: Identify and examine the key human service and social issues affecting Union County. Union, SC. about the process.

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Union Community Indicators

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  1. Union Community Indicators Introducing the inaugural report

  2. Union Community Indicators Goal: Identify and examine the key human service and social issues affecting Union County Union, SC

  3. about the process Consensus on the most pressing issues facing Union County began with informal discussions with community leaders. The discussions yielded the 5 broad areas of emphasis: Education, Economics, Environment & Recreation, Family and Health Committees were formed around each area, chaired by local leaders and included members from various walks of life Each committee was given the task of identifying 5 or 6 indicators that give residents a picture of the community’s performance in the 5 selected areas

  4. about the process Each indicator must be: • an accurate measurement of the issue being discussed; • obtained from a reliable source; • scientifically defensible; • understood and accepted by the community; • readily available and easily obtainable; and • unambiguous in interpretation

  5. about the process Each committee developed a comprehensive list of potential statistics to illustrate Union’s successes and challenges Committees then gathered public input • focus groups • live surveys at the Union Day festival • survey in Union Daily Times • electronic survey

  6. about the process Interpreting the data: Local, state, and national agencies accumulate and report the quantitative data necessary for benchmarking Rates per population, US Census Bureau estimates were used Source for each indicator is noted in the text

  7. about the process Reviewing the indicators: • Designed to compare the community to itself over time, not to evaluate against progress of other communities • Provide quantitative data from publicly-accessible sources • Some important dimensions to issues are not included because data is not readily available • Mere pieces of a much larger picture

  8. education 1. EXIT EXAM PERFORMANCE English/Language Arts Scores Mathematics Scores South Carolina Dept. of Education

  9. education 2. DROP OUT RATE 3. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Drop Out Rate Educational Attainment Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Online

  10. education 3. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT (continued) These percentages apply to the population in Union County who is 25 years old and over. According to the 2000 US Census, 20,222 individuals made up this group: Less than 9th grade 13.5% 9th grade – 12th grade, no diploma 19.6% High school graduate (includes equivalency) 36.4% Some college, no degree 15.1% Associate degree 5.6% Bachelor’s degree 6.7% Graduate or professional degree 3.1%

  11. education 4. FIRST GRADE READINESS ASSESSMENT Measures the percent of children testing not ready for first grade. Thanks to initiatives such as First Steps Union and other early-intervention programs through the schools and library, the number of children assessed as “not ready for first grade” has declined over the past 20 years. Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Online

  12. education 5. TEACHERS WITH ADVANCED DEGREES Following the trends in SC, the percentage of teachers with advanced degrees has risen in Union County. South Carolina Dept. of Education

  13. education Successes in EDUCATION USC Union Union County Adult Education

  14. economics 1. PER CAPITA INCOME 2. MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME Per Capita Income Median Household Income SC Employment Security Commission United States Census Bureau

  15. economics 3. UNEMPLOYMENT Shows the average percentage of unemployed residents as compared to SC and US averages. Statistics from August 2006 through July 2007 show that Union’s unemployment rate tops both SC and US percents. SC Employment Security Commission

  16. economics 4. SKILLED / UNSKILLED WORKFORCE The percent of the population age 25 and older with no high school diploma is an indication of the skill of a community’s workforce. The percentages from 2000 show that 33 percent of Union County residents within this group lack a high school diploma or GED. United States Census Bureau

  17. economics 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP The following graphs show the percentage of the population that owns the home in which they live and the median value (half of th e prices above and half of the prices below) of those owner-occupied homes. Statistics come from the 2000 Census. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP United States Census Bureau

  18. economics Successes in ECONOMICS Dollar General Stores Distribution Center LSP Automotive Systems LLC USC Union/Spartanburg Community College Robotics and Technology Center

  19. environment/recreation 1. YOUTH ATHLETICS PARTICIPATION According to the Union County Recreation Department the following graph represents the following graph represents the number of youth who participated in an organized athletics program through the Union County Recreation Department or the Union YMCA during 2007. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP

  20. environment/recreation 2. RECYCLING CENTERS There are 3.35 recycling centers for every 10,000 people in Union County vs. 1.54 recycling centers for every 10,000 people in SC. Statistics are from the SC Dept. of Health and Environmental Control and the US Census Bureau. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP

  21. environment/recreation 3. AIR QUALITY 4. WATER QUALITY

  22. environment/recreation Successes in ENVIRONMENT/RECREATION Timken Sports Complex Rose Hill Plantation Union County Museum Cross Keys House Union County Arts Council

  23. family 1. YOUTH IN POVERTY Compares the percent of the population under the age of 18 living in poverty. From 1990 to 2000, the percent of youth in poverty has decreased across the board, but Union County still remains behind SC and the US in the percentage of children and youth living in poverty situations. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count

  24. family 2. TEEN PREGNANCY Between 1994 and 2004, Union County improved its incidence (rate) of pregnancy per 1,000 youth and teens between the ages of 10 and 19 by 33.4 percent. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2006

  25. family 3. CHILDREN IN SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES Measures the percent of children living in single-parent households, comparing 1990 and 2000. For the purposes of these statistics, children are defined as people under the age of 18who are the son or daughter of the householder by birth, marriage (stepchild) or adoption. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count

  26. family 4. INCIDENCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Measures the reported incidences of domestic violence per 10,000 citizens. Union County’s reported incidences are far below the number reported in the state. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP SAFE Homes/Rape Crisis Coalition and the SC Attorney General’s Office

  27. family 5. HOMELESSNESS The Salvation Army is the primary provider of shelter for homeless individuals and families in Union County. The indicator counts the number of nights of shelter provided (i.e. if a family of four was provided shelter for 7 days, that would represent 28 shelter nights provided.) 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP Union County Salvation Army

  28. family Successes in FAMILY Union County Disabilities and Special Needs Board Union County Children’s Museum Advisory Committee

  29. health 1. DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE & TREATMENT Information shows the total number of clients served in one of the Union County Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse’s programs and the number and corresponding percentage of people who were discharged after successful treatment. Clients in most of programs and services were included in these statistics. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP 57% 58% 49% Union County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse

  30. health 2. OVERWEIGHT / OBESITY Measures the percentage of obese or overweight individuals as defined as people with Body Fat Mass Index (BFMI) equal to 25% or more. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP South Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the National Center for Disease Control

  31. health 3. INCIDENCE OF DEATH FROM CHRONIC DISEASES Includes Union County and South Carolina comparisons of the rate of death from specific chronic diseases per 100,000 residents. Statistics from 2005 indicate that Union County has a higher rate of death in all areas – cancer, stroke, diabetes and heart disease – than the state as a whole. Heart disease is the number one killer, followed by cancer, stroke, and diabetes. 5. HOMEOWNERSHIP South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

  32. health Successes in HEALTH Wallace Thomson Hospital Obstetrics Nursery reopening WTH Outpatient Education – Diabetes Self-Management and Education Union County YMCA

  33. Union Community Indicators WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Union Indicators provides information about the status of the community and points to a range of strategic issues that, if addressed, could greatly improve the quality of life in the county. By sharing this information, the Union Community Indicators committee hopes to provide common ground to engage the public in ways to work together to address these and other related issues. The first step is to share this information and ask hard questions about what causes conditions in our county to get better or worse. This publication should inspire the further research and dialogue necessary for the community to come together as advocates for positive change.

  34. Union Community Indicators The inaugural Union Community Indicators report was made possible through the financial support of: Milliken Foundation Timken The City of Union The County of Union United Way of the Piedmont Upstate Workforce Investment Board

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