aspire arkansas 2nd edition, 2013 - from arkansas community foundation

A COUNTY-BY-COUNTY LOOK AT QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR STATE A report commissioned by Arkansas Community Foundation

October 2013

1400 W. Markham, Suite 206 • Little Rock, AR 72201501-372-1116 • [email protected] • www.arcf.org

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Keep Reaching, Arkansas!

Arkansas Community Foundation’s four Aspirations for Arkansas Communities are goals for the future of our state. In partnership with the Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, we have compiled county-by-county data from a variety of state agencies and other sources to provide a snapshot of where our communities stand. How healthy are we? How civically active are we? How strong are our educational institutions?

Founded in 1976, we are Arkansas’s only statewide community foundation. We work locally through a network of 27 community-based affiliate offices to gain an in-depth understanding of our state’s towns and cities and a statewide perspective on Arkansas’s challenges and opportunities.

The Community Foundation engages people, connects resources and inspires solutions to build community. We make grants to improve the quality of life in our state and partner with individuals, families and organizations to strengthen Arkansas through philanthropy.

Our Vision: Arkansans will use this report to identify and address the challenges in their communi-ties and to celebrate and replicate the successes revealed in the data.

Our Commitment: We will use these findings to guide our grants and programs as we partner with you to build a better Arkansas.

Aspire Arkansas is simply a starting point. Let’s keep reaching forward!

For more information: To find comprehensive fact sheets for each of Arkansas’s 75 counties, visit www.arcf.org/aspirearkansas. Historical data from previous years are also available online.

A Tool for Community Leaders ........................... 1

What’s New in the Second Edition? .................. 2

Numbers Tell Stories.............................................. 2

About the Data.................................................... 3

Aspirations for Arkansas’s Communities ............ 4

Uncovering the Stories Behind the Numbers .... 5

Aspire Education.................................................. 6

Aspire Health ...................................................... 22

Aspire Families .................................................... 36

Aspire Communities ........................................... 54

Definition and Sources....................................... 60

Map Notes .......................................................... 62

Footnotes ............................................................ 63

Smart Giving to Improve Communit iesSmart Giving to Improve Communit ies

community foundationcommunity foundation

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A Tool for Community Leaders

At Arkansas Community Foundation, we’re in the business of providing resources to make charitable giving in our state more effective. That’s why we have commissioned research from the University of Arkansas at Li�le Rock to produce Aspire Arkansas. This report presents county-by-county data on measures of community well-being, from economics and education to health and community engagement.

We consider Aspire Arkansas one of the most important tools in our toolkit. The report is both a yardstick to measure where our state currently stands and a compass to help you and your neighbors determine where we should go. Equipped with this tool, we hope you’ll have the information you need to begin to identify the local needs you will address with your time, talent and treasure.

Pu�ing Aspire Arkansas to work may mean starting a new program in your community, as our Conway County affiliate did when they partnered with local healthcare professionals and the Conway County Community Center on a nutrition and fitness program aimed at improving their county’s health numbers. It might also mean supporting an existing program, as our Hot Springs Area affiliate did when they helped fund a summer program for at-risk youth to improve high school graduation rates. In every case, using this data will likely involve a li�le research, a li�le creativity, a li�le innovation and a lot of partnership.

Since we released the first edition of Aspire Arkansas in May 2011, it has been so gratifying to hear from people around the state who have found the report useful in their daily work. We’ve heard from public officials who keep a copy on their desk for quick reference. We’ve heard from students who’ve used the report in their research and classroom discussions. We’ve heard from nonprofit organiza-tions that are using it to track the charitable needs they serve. And most importantly, we’ve heard from everyday philanthropists — regular Arkansans who care deeply about our state and want to make smart decisions about their own charitable giving and community advocacy.

This tool is for all of us. Let’s get to work!

Heather Larkin, JD, CPAArkansas Community Foundation President and CEO

1

Numbers Tell Stories

Aspire Arkansas

What’s New in the Second Edition?

Aspire Arkansas

Aspire Actions

Aspire Actions,[email protected]

www.arcf.org/AspireArkansas

2

Aspire Arkansas

Aspire Arkansas

3

Aspire Education: Arkansans will have the education and training needed to compete in today’s economy.

Aspire Health: Arkansans will be healthy.

Aspire Families: Families will be stable, nurturing and economically secure.

Aspire Communities: People will be engaged in their communities.

4

Now What?After you take a look at the information presented in Aspire Arkansas and see where your community stands on each issue, you may wonder what you can do to help address your community’s challenges and build on its successes.Aspire Arkansas was designed to be a conversationstarter — a tool to help citizens choose the most important local priorities to support with time, funding and advocacy. It’s through these conversations that you’ll uncover the stories behind the numbers — the unique local histories that shape our communities and the stories

Uncovering the Stories Behind the NumbersHere are a few questions to explore as you work with others in your community to uncover the stories behind the numbers presented in Aspire Arkansas:

1. What seem to be the greatest challenges in your community? What data surprised you?

government agencies are working on key issues in your community? Is there a need for a new program or organization to address an issue? Is more manpower,

organizations already working on this issue?3. How do neighboring counties compare on key issues? If another nearby county seems to be having greater success in a particular area, why? Whom can you contact to learn more? Is there potential for partnership?4. Who else in your community might be interested in addressing a key issue? How can you reach out to potential partners? How can you inform others about the need?5. Who else needs to know about these key issues? Who has connections, resources or talents that could be useful in developing solutions? How can you get these

Looking for data for your county?

Visit www.arcf.org/aspirearkansas for a comprehensive fact sheet for each of Arkansas’s 75 counties. Historical data from previous years is also available online.

5

Top-notch education from pre-K to career: Arkansas students deserve it, and our state’s economic future demands it. What happens in the classroom from the very earliest

a whole. By third grade, children who lack basic reading skills are four times more likely to leave school without a high school diploma, according to a study commissioned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Without a high school degree, they are likely to earn four times less than workers with a professional degree, according to 2012 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.²

growth for entire regions. In fact, the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce notes that the entire Southern United States lags 10 years behind the rest of the country in terms of education and the availability of

school.3

but Arkansas has made modest gains in the past few years. Student scores on state benchmark tests in grades 3, 8 and 11 have increased consistently each year since 2007. The percentage of Arkansans with a bachelor’s degree or higher has grown from 18.9 to 19.6 since the release of the

Aspire Arkansas report (data from 2005-2009 American Community Survey vs. 2007-2011 American Community Survey).

students and students of some minority backgrounds persists, and Arkansas remains 50th among the 50 states

-ment.

ranking charts and help all Arkansas students achieve, we must build on proven strategies already creating progress in schools around the state. For example, in the Cross County School District, a challenging curriculum

class is boosting career readiness. The state’s Coordinated School Health program is creating on-campus clinics and wellness programs to keep kids healthy enough to learn. At the college level, mentoring programs like UALR’s African American Male Initiative are supporting students to help them navigate the educational system and stay in school. Meanwhile, programs like Arkansas Career Pathways are addressing out-of-class needs like child-

the barriers that often keep students from graduating.

and government — to work together.

6

A scholarship for every student? It’s doable.

Communities throughout Arkansas are leading the way for education and workforce development by establishing promise scholarships – programs that guarantee college scholarships for

In 2011, Arkansas Community Foundation hosted a conference where people from 32 communities across the state came together to learn about how to create this kind of scholarship program in their own towns. At the conference, participants heard the inspiring story of the Sparkman Scholarship Foundation. Like many rural communities throughout Arkansas, Sparkman (population 586) has lived under the shadow of potential school closure for more than a decade. Then, in 2010, the neighboring Arkadelphia School District announced a new promise scholar-

for Sparkman’s school. Residents feared students would be

the Arkadelphia Promise.Without any wealthy benefactors or large corporations to fund a promise scholarship for the Sparkman school, local residents

do it themselves.

campaign to create the Sparkman Scholarship Foundation. By reaching out to local businesses and the school’s small but loyal

months — enough to fund scholarships for the four graduates

could be sustained. The results were immediate. During the 2011-2012 school year roughly 25 new students enrolled (a 12 percent increase in enrollment). Though the program is still young, there’s even some indication that the scholarship may help to improve the college-going rates of Sparkman’s graduates. “This year we had several students who said they might not have gone to college if they hadn’t known those funds were available,” said fourth grade teacher and Sparkman Scholarship Foundation advocate Stephanie Harmon. Bolstered by their success, the members of the Sparkman Schol-

anywhere. And if they can do it, they say, any town can. It’s doable.

7

Phillips

Poinsett

Washington

LittleRiver

RandolphBaxter

Calhoun

Perry

Columbia

Grant

Sebastian

Lonoke

Newton

Pike

Craighead

Lincoln

St.Francis

Cleburne

Chicot

Cleveland

Carroll Clay

Arkansas

Pulaski

Howard

Union

Nevada

Crittenden

Fulton

Pope

Desha

Garland

Miller

White

Dallas

Lawrence

Stone

Monroe

Madison

Marion

Franklin

Prairie

Hempstead

Lee

Conway

Jackson

Drew

Cross

Clark

Crawford

Izard

Scott

Lafayette

Mississippi

Greene

Faulkner

Jefferson

Polk

Boone

Johnson

Ouachita

Benton

Saline

Searcy

Bradley

Yell

Sharp

Logan

Independence

Woodruff

Ashley

Montgomery

Sevier

VanBuren

HotSpring

State 82%

44 - 71%

72 - 84%

85 - 100%Source: Arkansas Department of Education,http://www.arkansased.org/divisions/learning-services/student-assessment/test-scores

grade 3 literacy

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Grade 3 Test Scores on ACTAAP Arkansas

literacymath

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

stu

de

nts

sc

orin

g p

rofic

ien

t o

r ad

van

ce

d

7479

81 84 85 87

5964

6771

7682

map notes on page 62

8

Phillips

Poinsett

Washington

LittleRiver

RandolphBaxter

Calhoun

Perry

Columbia

Grant

Sebastian

Lonoke

Newton

Pike

Craighead

Lincoln

St.Francis

Cleburne

Chicot

Cleveland

Carroll Clay

Arkansas

Pulaski

Howard

Union

Nevada

Crittenden

Fulton

Pope

Desha

Garland

Miller

White

Dallas

Lawrence

Stone

Monroe

Madison

Marion

Franklin

Prairie

Hempstead

Lee

Conway

Jackson

Drew

Cross

Clark

Crawford

Izard

Scott

Lafayette

Mississippi

Greene

Faulkner

Jefferson

Polk

Boone

Johnson

Ouachita

Benton

Saline

Searcy

Bradley

Yell

Sharp

Logan

Independence

Woodruff

Ashley

Montgomery

Sevier

VanBuren

HotSpring

Source: Arkansas Department of Education,http://www.arkansased.org/divisions/learning-services/student-assessment/test-scores

State 87%

32 - 73%

74 - 88%

89 - 100%

grade 3 math

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

White Black orAfrican

American

AmericanIndianand

AlaskaNative

Asian Two ormoreraces

Latino

Grade 3 Literacy and Math by Race and Ethnicity

literacy math

stu

de

nts

sc

orin

g p

rofic

ien

t o

r ad

van

ce

d

85

70

79

91

8179

91

73

81

9488 86

9

grade 8 literacy


State 80%

48 - 68%

69 - 81%

82 - 97%

Phillips

Poinsett

Washington

LittleRiver

RandolphBaxter

Calhoun

Perry

Columbia

Grant

Sebastian

Lonoke

Newton

Pike

Craighead

Lincoln

St.Francis

Cleburne

Chicot

Cleveland

Carroll Clay

Arkansas

Pulaski

Howard

Union

Nevada

Crittenden

Fulton

Pope

Desha

Garland

Miller

White

Dallas

Lawrence

Stone

Monroe

Madison

Marion

Franklin

Prairie

Hempstead

Lee

Conway

Jackson

Drew

Cross

Clark

Crawford

Izard

Scott

Lafayette

Mississippi

Greene

Faulkner

Jefferson

Polk

Boone

Johnson

Ouachita

Benton

Saline

Searcy

Bradley

Yell

Sharp

Logan

Independence

Woodruff

Ashley

Montgomery

Sevier

VanBuren

HotSpring

10

grade 8 math


American

AmericanIndianand

AlaskaNative


Latino

Grade 8 Literacy and Math by Race and Ethnicity

literacymath

Grade 8 Test Scores on ACTAAP Arkansas

literacymath

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

stu

de

nts

sc

orin

g p

rofic

ien

t o

r ad

van

ce

d

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

22007 22008 22009 22010 22011 22012

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Indian mooremoWWWhiWhitete

AfricanBBAfri

ckck ororican

lalaccAfri I

AmI

eericricananIndianmemeInd

sisiananAsAs TT oo ororore

TwoTwomo

atatinoinoLaLa


State 68%

17 - 52%

53 - 70%

71 - 92%

Phillips

Poinsett

Washington

LittleRiver

RandolphBaxter

Calhoun

Perry

Columbia

Grant

Sebastian

Lonoke

Newton

Pike

Craighead

Lincoln

St.Francis

Cleburne

Chicot

Cleveland

Carroll Clay

Arkansas

Pulaski

Howard

Union

Nevada

Crittenden

Fulton

Pope

Desha

Garland

Miller

White

Dallas

Lawrence

Stone

Monroe

Madison

Marion

Franklin

Prairie

Hempstead

Lee

Conway

Jackson

Drew

Cross

Clark

Crawford

Izard

Scott

Lafayette

Mississippi

Greene

Faulkner

Jefferson

Polk

Boone

Johnson

Ouachita

Benton

Saline

Searcy

Bradley

Yell

Sharp

Logan

Independence

Woodruff

Ashley

Montgomery

Sevier

VanBuren

HotSpring

78

43

70

84

7166

78

858785

66

85

stu

de

nts

sc

orin

g p

rofic

ien

t o

r ad

van

ce

d

48

56

6163 63

68

6367

71

76 7780

11

12

grade 11 literacy

State 68%

19 - 50%

51 - 70%

71 - 92%


Phillips

Poinsett

Washington

LittleRiver

RandolphBaxter

Calhoun

Perry

Columbia

Grant

Sebastian

Lonoke

Newton

Pike

Craighead

Lincoln

St.Francis

Cleburne

Chicot

Cleveland

Carroll Clay

Arkansas

Pulaski

Howard

Union

Nevada

Crittenden

Fulton

Pope

Desha

Garland

Miller

White

Dallas

Lawrence

Stone

Monroe

Madison

Marion

Franklin

Prairie

Hempstead

Lee

Conway

Jackson

Drew

Cross

Clark

Crawford

Izard

Scott

Lafayette

Mississippi

Greene

Faulkner

Jefferson

Polk

Boone

Johnson

Ouachita

Benton

Saline

Searcy

Bradley

Yell

Sharp

Logan

Independence

Woodruff

Ashley

Montgomery

Sevier

VanBuren

HotSpring

grade 11 literacy

Grade 11 Literacy by Race and Ethnicity


American

AmericanIndianand

AlaskaNative


Latino0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

White ck orAfrican IndBlaAfr

ericandian

AmeInd

sianAs wo ormore

Twm

atinoLa

stu

de

nts

sc

orin

g p

rofic

ien

t o

r ad

van

ce

d

77

43

66

74 74

57

Grade 11 Literacy, 2007 - 2012

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

stu

de

nts

sc

orin

g p

rofic

ien

t o

r ad

van

ce

d

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Q: Where are you seeing the greatest gains in K-12 education in Arkansas? What methods seem to be having the greatest success?

A: While we continue to experi-ence consistent gains on our current assessments, we are in the middle of transitioning to our new Common Core learning standards. These standards will 1) better align with college and work expectations, 2) include rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher-order skills and 3) build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards. We know that engaging students in real-world experiences and including the use of technology are, by far, two of the best methods to help students achieve the greatest success.

Q: In communities where schools are struggling, how can parents help schools and students succeed?

A: The pace of change in education has accelerated at all levels with a focus on ensuring that all students, no matter where they live, graduate from high school ready to enter the workplace and succeed or enter institutions of higher educa-tion in entry-level, credit-bearing college courses without the need for remediation.

Now, more than ever before, a student’s success, as well as a school’s success, is dependent upon strong support from parents and community stakeholders. Parents are encouraged to work closely with the school to learn more about how they can best support their child at home. One of the best ways to be involved is through the local parent-teacher associations. Community stakeholders are also encouraged to become actively involved in partnering with their local schools. Several communities across Arkansas have become actively involved with a strong job-shadowing program between businesses and the local high school, focusing on the goal of all students being college and career ready.

Q: What has been the biggest change in the area of K-12 education over the past five to seven years? Are the numbers generally moving in a positive or negative direction?

A: Overall we have seen positive growth of student academic performance in our state-mandated assessments over the past several years. In particular, our English Language Learner population has seen significant gains. More education data is available on the website of the Arkansas Department of Education: www.arkansased.org.

By Tom W. Kimbrell, Ed.D., Arkansas Commissioner of Education

51 51

5760

6568

13


American

NativeAmerican

Asian HawaiianPacificIslander

Two orMoreRaces

Graduation Rates by Race and Ethnicity, 2011

Arkansas by School District, 2011graduation rates

State 80.7%

60.8 - 76.5%

76.6 - 87.2%

87.3 - 100.0%

Source: Arkansas Department of Education, ADE Statewide Longitudinal Data System

Phillips

Poinsett

Washington

LittleRiver

RandolphBaxter

Calhoun

Perry

Columbia

Grant

Sebastian

Lonoke

Newton

Pike

Craighead

Lincoln

St.Francis

Cleburne

Chicot

Cleveland

Carroll Clay

Arkansas

Pulaski

Howard

Union

Nevada

Crittenden

Fulton

Pope

Desha

Garland

Miller

White

Dallas

Lawrence

Stone

Monroe

Madison

Marion

Franklin

Prairie

Hempstead

Lee

Conway

Jackson

Drew

Cross

Clark

Crawford

Izard

Scott

Lafayette

Mississippi

Greene

Faulkner

Jefferson

Polk

Boone

Johnson

Ouachita

Benton

Saline

Searcy

Bradley

Yell

Sharp

Logan

Independence

Woodruff

Ashley

Montgomery

Sevier

VanBuren

HotSpring

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

White k orcan

A i

BlacAfric

A

tiverican

NatAmer

an

I l dn

Asia aiianificd

HawaPaciI l d

o orore

R

TwoMoR

Latino

84.1

72.9

85.079.9

50.8

81.576.8

14

Arkansas by County, 2012 Fall Termremediation rate

State 52.4%

34.2 - 48.9

49.0 - 60.9

61.0 - 78.6

Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education

Phillips71.9

Poinsett52.9

Washington44.4

LittleRiver46.0

Randolph70.1Baxter

56.5

Calhoun71.9

Perry36.7

Columbia59.0

Grant42.5

Sebastian41.6

Lonoke47.5

Newton39.0

Pike47.9

Craighead42.5

Lincoln57.3

St.Francis

75.6

Cleburne45.0

Chicot69.2

Cleveland39.4

Carroll45.1

Clay52.6

Arkansas63.4

Pulaski58.5

Howard51.4

Union66.6

Nevada78.6

Crittenden66.8

Fulton45.3

Pope51.3

Desha64.8

Garland52.5

Miller42.2

White40.0

Dallas60.7

Lawrence56.2

Stone55.4

Monroe66.0

Madison34.2

Marion65.4

Franklin54.9

Prairie73.5

Hempstead67.1

Lee75.0

Conway56.3

Jackson57.0

Drew65.3

Cross45.1

Clark50.0

Crawford41.9

Izard51.8

Scott48.3

Lafayette65.2

Mississippi68.4

Greene58.1

Faulkner41.3

Jefferson66.4

Polk48.8

Boone45.1

Johnson65.9

Ouachita58.6

Benton45.8

Saline35.8

Searcy48.9

Bradley74.2

Yell59.1

Sharp55.0

Logan48.2

Independence58.1

Woodruff56.8

Ashley71.3

Montgomery46.2

Sevier60.9

VanBuren52.6

HotSpring

55.10% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

male 47.6%

female 50.8%

Remediation Rate by Gender, 2011

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Asianonly

AfricanAmerican

only

Latino AmericanIndian/Alaska

Nativeonly

Wgite Hawaiian orPacific Islander

ony

Remediation Rates by Race and Ethnicity 2011

35.9

80.2

56.352.4

39.7

74.2

15

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007-2011 American Community Survey

State 82.7%

68.7 - 77.2%

77.3 - 82.6%

82.7 - 88.8%

Phillips72.9

Poinsett72.8

Washington82.1

LittleRiver82.1

Randolph80.0Baxter

85.3

Calhoun79.6

Perry81.5

Columbia84.4

Grant84.0

Sebastian82.2

Lonoke85.6

Newton79.8

Pike78.8

Craighead84.1

Lincoln70.9

St.Francis

74.1

Cleburne81.5

Chicot70.7

Cleveland85.5

Carroll80.4

Clay74.5

Arkansas80.8

Pulaski88.8

Howard77.1

Union81.6

Nevada76.4

Crittenden77.2

Fulton81.0

Pope82.2

Desha75.5

Garland85.1

Miller83.0

White82.5

Dallas80.0

Lawrence75.8

Stone79.2

Monroe71.5

Madison75.3

Marion84.8

Franklin83.7

Prairie76.7

Hempstead80.5

Lee68.7

Conway82.3

Jackson75.3

Drew81.9

Cross77.8

Clark84.1

Crawford78.9

Izard80.1

Scott76.0

Lafayette77.6

Mississippi75.7

Greene82.2

Faulkner87.6

Jefferson82.6

Polk81.6

Boone84.7

Johnson76.4

Ouachita83.2

Benton85.0

Saline88.6

Searcy72.9

Bradley73.8

Yell70.8

Sharp83.0

Logan78.2

Independence81.5

Woodruff72.9

Ashley81.6

Montgomery81.3

Sevier70.0

VanBuren81.3

HotSpring

81.2 White Black orAfrican

American

AmericanIndian/AlaskaNative

Asian NativeHawaiian/

PacificIslander

Some other race

Two ormoreraces

high school degree or higherPercent of Population 25 Years and Older withHigh School Diploma or Higher; Arkansas by County, 2007-2011

High School Degree Completion by Race and Ethnicity, 2007-2011

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

oe

racesc

er

race

er

Two omoreraces

eac

ean/c

Someotherracea

n

Pacific

n NativeHawaiia

Pacific

cna

ann/a

Asianonan Alaska

ornan

AmericIndianAlaska

White

America

e Black oAfrica

America

high school degree or higher

Latinoorigin

(of anyrace)

84.378.1

81.5 81.8

61.1

43.0

78.5

s

ores

oLatinonorigin

(of any(of any

49.1


16

High School Degree Completion by State percent completing high school

82.7%

91.9

91.6

91.4

91.4 91.2

91.0

90.690.3

90.3

90.2

percent0 20 40 60 80 1000 20 40 60 80

TOTAL ARKANSAS GRADUATES 82.7%

MALE GRADUATES 81.8%

FEMALE GRADUATES 83.5%

High School Degree Completion by Gender2007-2011


top 10

1 Wyoming 91.92 Minnesota 91.63 Alaska 91.43 Montana 91.45 New Hampshire 91.26 Vermont 91.07 Utah 90.68 Iowa 90.38 Nebraska 90.310 Maine 90.211 Hawaii 90.112 North Dakota 90.013 South Dakota 89.813 Washington 89.813 Wisconsin 89.816 Colorado 89.717 Kansas 89.518 Massachusetts 88.918 Oregon 88.920 Connecticut 88.621 Idaho 88.522 Michigan 88.423 Maryland 88.224 Pennsylvania 87.925 Ohio 87.826 New Jersey 87.627 Delaware 87.4

28 District of Columbia 87.129 Missouri 86.830 Illinois 86.630 Indiana 86.630 Virginia 86.633 Oklahoma 85.934 Florida 85.535 Arizona 85.236 New York 84.637 Rhode Island 84.338 Nevada 84.239 North Carolina 84.140 Georgia 84.041 South Carolina 83.642 Tennessee 83.243 New Mexico 83.144 Arkansas 82.745 West Virginia 82.646 Alabama 81.947 Kentucky 81.748 Louisiana 81.649 California 80.850 Texas 80.451 Mississippi 80.3 United States 85.4

17

Percent of Population 25 Years and Older with Associate's Degree* by Gender, 2007-2011 (*highest level of education completed)

Percent of Population 25 years and olderArkansas by county, 2007-2011*highest level of education completed

associate’s degree*

State 5.9%

2.4 - 4.6%

4.7 - 6.6%

6.7 - 10.1%Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007-2011 American Community Survey

Phillips10.1

Poinsett4.0

Washington4.8

LittleRiver7.1

Randolph6.9Baxter

7.0

Calhoun7.4

Perry4.9

Columbia7.5

Grant5.5

Sebastian7.5

Lonoke7.8

Newton4.9

Pike5.9

Craighead4.7

Lincoln3.5

St.Francis

5.6

Cleburne6.5

Chicot2.4

Cleveland7.9

Carroll5.1

Clay5.0

Arkansas6.3

Pulaski6.3

Howard3.4

Union8.2

Nevada7.1

Crittenden4.4

Fulton4.8

Pope4.6

Desha4.3

Garland7.6

Miller6.0

White5.8

Dallas5.8

Lawrence5.7

Stone6.6

Monroe7.7

Madison3.3

Marion5.8

Franklin6.0

Prairie4.0

Hempstead4.1

Lee3.5

Conway4.2

Jackson5.1

Drew5.0

Cross5.4

Clark6.3

Crawford7.7

Izard5.1

Scott5.1

Lafayette4.1

Mississippi5.2

Greene4.3

Faulkner6.3

Jefferson4.9

Polk6.8

Boone6.6

Johnson2.9

Ouachita6.3

Benton6.2

Saline6.6

Searcy5.2

Bradley3.1

Yell2.5

Sharp6.0

Logan5.9

Independence5.3

Woodruff3.3

Ashley4.2

Montgomery7.7

Sevier5.6

VanBuren

6.2

HotSpring

9.1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

total 5.9%

male 4.7%

female 7.1%


18

Associate’s Degree Completion by State percent of population

highest level of eductation

2007-2011


Rank State Percent1 North Dakota 12.32 Iowa 10.02 Wyoming 10.04 Hawaii 9.84 Minnesota 9.86 South Dakota 9.77 New Hampshire 9.58 Washington 9.49 Nebraska 9.29 Utah 9.211 Wisconsin 9.112 Maine 9.013 Florida 8.613 Idaho 8.615 North Carolina 8.516 South Carolina 8.416 Vermont 8.418 Michigan 8.218 New York 8.220 Arizona 8.120 Oregon 8.122 Alaska 8.022 Montana 8.024 Colorado 7.924 Rhode Island 7.926 Mississippi 7.827 California 7.728 Massachusetts 7.629 Indiana 7.529 Ohio 7.531 Delaware 7.431 Kansas 7.431 Pennsylvania 7.434 Connecticut 7.334 Illinois 7.334 New Mexico 7.337 Nevada 7.238 Alabama 7.039 Oklahoma 6.840 Kentucky 6.740 Missouri 6.740 Virginia 6.743 Georgia 6.644 Texas 6.445 Maryland 6.346 New Jersey 6.247 Tennessee 6.047 West Virginia 6.049 Arkansas 5.950 Louisiana 4.951 District of Columbia 2.9 United States 7.6

19


American

NativeAmerican/

AlaskaNative

Asian Hawaiian/PacificIslander

Two orMoreRaces

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher by Race and Ethnicity2007-2011

Percent of Population 25 years and olderArkansas by county, 2007-2011

bachelor’s degree or higher

Latinoorigin

(of any race)

Bachelor’s Degree Completion by State % of population, highest level of eductation 2007-2011


Rank State Percent1 District of Columbia 50.52 Massachusetts 38.73 Colorado 36.34 Maryland 36.15 Connecticut 35.76 New Jersey 35.07 Virginia 34.48 Vermont 33.89 New Hampshire 33.110 New York 32.511 Minnesota 31.812 Washington 31.413 Illinois 30.714 Rhode Island 30.615 California 30.216 Kansas 29.717 Utah 29.618 Hawaii 29.519 Oregon 29.020 Montana 28.221 Delaware 28.022 Nebraska 27.823 Georgia 27.524 Alaska 27.225 Maine 27.126 Pennsylvania 26.727 North Carolina 26.527 North Dakota 26.529 Arizona 26.430 Texas 26.131 Florida 26.031 Wisconsin 26.033 South Dakota 25.834 Missouri 25.434 New Mexico 25.436 Michigan 25.337 Iowa 24.938 Idaho 24.639 Ohio 24.540 South Carolina 24.240 Wyoming 24.242 Oklahoma 23.042 Tennessee 23.044 Indiana 22.745 Nevada 22.246 Alabama 22.047 Louisiana 21.148 Kentucky 20.649 Mississippi 19.750 Arkansas 19.651 West Virginia 17.6 United States 28.2

State 19.6%

6.5 - 11.8%

11.9 - 18.4%

18.5 - 31.3%Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007-2011 American Community Survey

Phillips12.2

Poinsett9.4

Washington27.6

LittleRiver12.5

Randolph11.5Baxter

14.9

Calhoun6.7

Perry11.5

Columbia20.5

Grant15.1

Sebastian19.0

Lonoke17.3

Newton12.6

Pike11.3

Craighead23.7

Lincoln9.0

St.Francis

10.2

Cleburne16.3

Chicot13.2

Cleveland14.0

Carroll17.1

Clay9.3

Arkansas13.0

Pulaski31.3

Howard12.7

Union16.5

Nevada10.3

Crittenden13.5

Fulton11.5

Pope20.4

Desha13.4

Garland20.6

Miller12.9

White18.4

Dallas12.7

Lawrence9.4

Stone11.8

Monroe13.7

Madison12.2

Marion14.5

Franklin12.4

Prairie9.9

Hempstead14.5

Lee6.5

Conway14.0

Jackson8.0

Drew19.8

Cross12.0

Clark22.3

Crawford13.2

Izard12.7

Scott11.1

Lafayette12.8

Mississippi12.6

Greene12.1

Faulkner25.9

Jefferson16.9

Polk10.6

Boone14.2

Johnson16.0

Ouachita13.2

Benton27.6

Saline22.9

Searcy8.5

Bradley11.4

Yell10.5

Sharp12.8

Logan11.2

Independence13.2

Woodruff9.6

Ashley12.5

Montgomery11.3

Sevier9.2

VanBuren12.7

HotSpring

12.3

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

White

A i

%

%

%

k oran

Al k

BlackAfrica

A i

vecak

r NativAmeric

Al k

ann/

Asia ianfic

I l d

HawaiiPacifI l d R

n/ ore

Two oMoreR

inogin

(of an

Latiorig

( f

Someotherrace

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher by Gender, 2007-2011

0 5 10 15 200 5 10 15 20

Total 19.6%

Male 19.8%

Female 19.4%

20.7

13.016.1

41.0

2.2

7.5

16.1

9.1

20

State 6.6%

1.4 - 4.1%

4.2 - 6.7%

6.8 - 11.5%


Phillips4.2

Poinsett2.7

Washington10.1

LittleRiver3.8

Randolph2.9Baxter

4.5

Calhoun1.6

Perry4.3

Columbia6.6

Grant5.9

Sebastian6.4

Lonoke5.3

Newton3.1

Pike4.9

Craighead8.9

Lincoln2.2

St.Francis

3.3

Cleburne5.2

Chicot4.1

Cleveland2.6

Carroll5.6

Clay3.0

Arkansas5.0

Pulaski11.5

Howard4.0

Union5.0

Nevada3.3

Crittenden3.3

Fulton4.5

Pope6.7

Desha4.2

Garland7.4

Miller3.5

White6.6

Dallas3.3

Lawrence2.9

Stone3.9

Monroe3.2

Madison3.6

Marion4.4

Franklin3.4

Prairie2.4

Hempstead3.6

Lee1.4

Conway5.4

Jackson2.9

Drew5.8

Cross3.1

Clark10.1

Crawford4.6

Izard4.4

Scott3.3

Lafayette4.9

Mississippi3.7

Greene4.2

Faulkner8.3

Jefferson5.0

Polk3.5

Boone4.9

Johnson4.7

Ouachita3.7

Benton8.6

Saline6.7

Searcy2.7

Bradley2.6

Yell2.7

Sharp5.1

Logan2.9

Independence4.4

Woodruff2.6

Ashley3.5

Montgomery4.0

Sevier2.8

VanBuren

4.3

HotSpring

4.0

Percent of Population 25 years and olderArkansas by county, 2007-2011

graduate degree or professional degree

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Professional Degree Completion by Gender2007-2011

Percent of Population 25 Years and Older with Graduate or Professional Degree by Gender, 2007-2011

Total 6.6%

Male 6.7%

Female 6.4%

Graduate or Professsional Degree Completion by State percent of population, highest level of eductation, 2007-2011

Rank State Percent1 District of Columbia 28.12 Massachusetts 16.63 Maryland 16.14 Connecticut 15.65 Virginia 14.26 New York 14.07 Vermont 13.38 New Jersey 13.19 Colorado 13.010 New Hampshire 12.111 Rhode Island 12.012 Illinois 11.613 Delaware 11.313 Washington 11.315 California 11.016 New Mexico 10.817 Oregon 10.618 Minnesota 10.319 Kansas 10.219 Pennsylvania 10.221 Hawaii 9.922 Georgia 9.823 Maine 9.723 Michigan 9.725 Arizona 9.626 Alaska 9.5

Rank State Percent26 Utah 9.528 Missouri 9.429 Florida 9.230 Ohio 9.031 Nebraska 8.931 North Carolina 8.933 Montana 8.833 Wisconsin 8.835 South Carolina 8.635 Texas 8.637 Kentucky 8.438 Wyoming 8.239 Indiana 8.139 Tennessee 8.141 Alabama 8.042 Iowa 7.743 Idaho 7.643 Oklahoma 7.643 South Dakota 7.646 Nevada 7.547 Louisiana 7.047 Mississippi 7.049 North Dakota 6.950 West Virginia 6.851 Arkansas 6.6 United States 10.5


21

Healthy people build healthy communities, but the oppo-site is true as well: when individuals are unhealthy, we all suffer. Arkansas loses around $17 billion each year in healthcare expenses and lost productivity due to chronic disease, according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.4 In fact, the agency reports that the increased healthcare costs from obesity alone total more than $1.5 billion per year in Arkansas. A 2009 study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health5 says that smoking, high blood pressure and obesity are the top three preventable causes of death in the United States.6 In Arkansas, the smoking rate is holding steady at around 23 percent. Obesity rates have increased over the last half-decade. When we break down the data by gender, we see noticeable differences in the behaviors of men and women in these areas. Men are more likely to be obese and to smoke cigarettes, and women are more likely to report low physical activity levels. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that for infants, the leading causes of death in the United States are birth defects, low birth weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and accidental injuries.7 These risk factors can be improved greatly through prenatal care and safety education for parents. Here in Arkansas, infant mortality has been on a slow but steady decline since 2006. Our state has also made progress in the number of births to women who had no prenatal care. It is worth noting,

though, that African American mothers are more likely to have babies with a low birth weight than white mothers. This disparity can affect the future health and development of these children. While individuals are ultimately responsible for their own health, there is much we can do at the community level to create environments that help each other make healthy choices. School districts around the state are using grant funding from the Arkansas Department of Education to create joint use agreements – partnerships that enable schools and communities to share recreational spaces so more people have a place to be active. In Arkansas County, the Coopera-tive Extension Service brings nutrition information straight into grocery stores to help families make better dietary choices. In Conway and Batesville, new trails and bike lanes make it easier for people to walk or bike as a part of their daily routine. Programs like “Baby Safety Showers” (which teach expectant mothers about home safety for infants) and the Happy Birthday Baby Book (which encour-ages women to seek prenatal care) are helping to improve the health and well-being of the very youngest Arkansans. (See more in the Trends to Watch feature on page 27.)As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By supporting programs that promote healthy lifestyles and prevent chronic disease, Arkansas communities can create a higher quality of life for all.

22

Communities Break Down Barriers to Healthy FoodWhen we think about “healthcare,” our minds often go to doctors’ offices, diagnostic tests and prescription drugs. But an even larger part of healthcare is the steps we take in our daily lives to care for ourselves. From that perspective, there are many ways ordinary citizens without medical training can help their neighbors and communities become healthier. For example, in the summer of 2012, the Main Street Helena Farmer’s Market instituted a new program to increase access to healthy fruits and vegetables for low-income residents. Through a grant from Arkansas Community Foundation’s Arkansas Delta Endowment, the farmer’s market purchased an electronic payment system that will allow shoppers to use food assistance benefits (through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to purchase fresh, nutritious produce at the farmer’s market. “The closest grocery store is two miles from Court Square” where the market is located, explained Julia Nordsieck, president of the Main Street Helena board of directors. “For people who don’t have transportation, the only access to food is at the gas stations, which serve fried chicken, soda pop and other less healthy options. We see accepting SNAP benefits as a great way to break down some of those barriers to fresh healthy food.” Across the state, a growing number of farmers’ markets have begun to accept SNAP benefits. Heather Friedrich, a professor in the department of horticulture at the University of Arkansas, has worked with a cooperative of nine farmers’ markets in Northwest Arkansas to implement SNAP payment systems, funded through a USDA Farmers’ Market Promotion Program grant. Friedrich noted that participation in the program has been especially strong in larger communities like Fayetteville and Bentonville.Outreach work has been key in encouraging SNAP recipients to visit the farmers markets. “We created brochures and flyers and took them to Head Start programs, libraries, food pantries and other public spaces. We also created a website,” Friedrich said. “It’s one piece of the larger picture of what we can do to help fight obesity and end food deserts,” said Friedrich. “We’ve got to do whatever we can do to increase access for lower income people and everyone in general. Everybody needs access to fruits and vegetables.”

fast

fact$17 billion – the annual

cost to Arkansas’s economy for treatment expenditures and lost productivity related to chronic diseases.

Source: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement 23

infant mortalityRate per 1000 live birthsArkansas by County, 2011

Source: Arkansas Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics

State 7.0

0.0 - 5.1

5.2 - 20.0

20.1 - 48.4

Phillips7.0

Poinsett9.4

Washington6.2

LittleRiver0.0

Randolph0.0Baxter

17.6

Calhoun0.0

Perry9.2

Columbia3.4

Grant0.0

Sebastian7.3

Lonoke6.0

Newton14.5

Pike7.9

Craighead6.6

Lincoln7.8

St.Francis

8.0

Cleburne7.9

Chicot6.1

Cleveland0.0

Carroll3.3

Clay0.0

Arkansas20.0

Pulaski8.2

Howard11.2

Union8.1

Nevada0.0

Crittenden13.6

Fulton9.2

Pope3.8

Desha5.5

Garland2.7

Miller6.5

White7.3

Dallas0.0

Lawrence5.6

Stone7.7

Monroe0.0

Madison0.0

Marion7.0

Franklin0.0

Prairie12.8

Hempstead5.9

Lee9.4

Conway7.7

Jackson14.9

Drew4.4

Cross8.8

Clark8.0

Crawford10.8

Izard17.9

Scott7.1

Lafayette48.4

Mississippi9.1

Greene5.1

Faulkner8.5

Jefferson3.2

Polk0.0

Boone4.4

Johnson11.6

Ouachita6.3

Benton4.9

Saline9.3

Searcy0.0

Bradley0.0

Yell6.9

Sharp29.4

Logan0.0

Independence6.2

Woodruff11.1

Ashley3.7

Montgomery0.0

Sevier11.1

VanBuren

4.9

HotSpring

0.0

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Infant Mortality Rate Arkansas, 2006-2011

Rate per 1000 live births Infant Deaths

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

350317 301 292

264 267

8.5

7.77.4 7.4

6.9 7.0


24

Percent of all birthsArkansas by County, 2011

Phillips21.2

Poinsett23.3

Washington25.5

LittleRiver30.6

Randolph22.4Baxter

27.3

Calhoun32.3

Perry19.4

Columbia32.2

Grant27.6

Sebastian28.5

Lonoke28.9

Newton22.4

Pike25.9

Craighead26.5

Lincoln26.7

St.Francis

21.4

Cleburne25.0

Chicot24.6

Cleveland22.3

Carroll28.0

Clay24.8

Arkansas34.5

Pulaski31.6

Howard24.7

Union29.9

Nevada27.8

Crittenden26.9

Fulton20.3

Pope25.2

Desha28.9

Garland27.1

Miller28.5

White28.0

Dallas25.7

Lawrence26.4

Stone28.2

Monroe30.9

Madison38.5

Marion28.2

Franklin20.1

Prairie32.6

Hempstead24.8

Lee14.5

Conway26.8

Jackson31.9

Drew29.0

Cross34.3

Clark23.0

Crawford27.4

Izard24.1

Scott28.2

Mississippi25.2

Greene28.1

Faulkner28.1

Jefferson22.2

Polk28.5

Boone26.3

Johnson25.6

Ouachita24.6

Benton23.8

Saline27.7

Searcy25.4

Bradley24.8

Yell26.0

Sharp25.0

Logan23.8

Independence25.1

Woodruff24.5

Ashley27.8

Montgomery23.1

Sevier32.4

VanBuren26.7

HotSpring

26.8

low birth weight

State 9.1%

2.4 - 7.4%

7.5 - 11.6%

11.7 - 22.6%


Phillips14.4

Poinsett7.2

Washington8.2

LittleRiver9.4

Randolph6.6Baxter

8.5

Calhoun2.4

Perry11.0

Columbia13.1

Grant4.9

Sebastian6.6

Lonoke7.3

Newton10.1

Pike8.7

Craighead8.6

Lincoln8.5

St.Francis

12.1

Cleburne10.2

Chicot13.3

Cleveland8.8

Carroll8.6

Clay10.3

Arkansas12.8

Pulaski10.4

Howard8.4

Union9.3

Nevada10.7

Crittenden13.8

Fulton11.0

Pope8.6

Desha16.5

Garland8.2

Miller10.7

White6.7

Dallas14.6

Lawrence10.0

Stone8.5

Monroe10.6

Madison7.8

Marion4.2

Franklin9.3

Prairie12.8

Hempstead12.4

Lee5.7

Conway8.0

Jackson9.9

Drew8.7

Cross8.8

Clark10.0

Crawford9.7

Izard11.6

Scott8.5

Lafayette22.6

Mississippi11.8

Greene7.1

Faulkner8.2

Jefferson13.0

Polk6.9

Boone5.3

Johnson5.5

Ouachita10.0

Benton6.8

Saline8.4

Searcy5.9

Bradley14.3

Yell9.4

Sharp8.8

Logan6.4

Independence10.6

Woodruff8.9

Ashley13.4

Montgomery9.4

Sevier10.4

VanBuren

7.4

HotSpring

12.4

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,0003,809 3,802 3,755

3,5483,366

3,499

Low Birth Weight Babies, 2006-2011

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Percent of all births Low birth weight babies born

9.39.2

9.3

8.99.1

8.8

25

no prenatal care

Percent of all births Number of births

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

20.5

21.821.2

21.8

19.4

18.3

State 18.3%

1.8 - 15.9%

16.0 - 26.6%

26.7 - 45.2%Source: Arkansas Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics

Phillips1.8

Poinsett18.4

Washington19.5

LittleRiver24.8

Randolph18.1Baxter

34.6

Calhoun9.8

Perry16.5

Columbia33.2

Grant12.6

Sebastian45.2

Lonoke8.9

Newton17.4

Pike25.4

Craighead20.2

Lincoln10.9

St.Francis

12.9

Cleburne14.2

Chicot13.3

Cleveland6.9

Carroll19.1

Clay30.9

Arkansas13.6

Pulaski9.8

Howard24.2

Union18.9

Nevada17.0

Crittenden26.6

Fulton31.2

Pope18.4

Desha15.9

Garland20.7

Miller36.1

White12.2

Dallas29.2

Lawrence17.8

Stone36.2

Monroe10.6

Madison21.5

Marion23.9

Franklin24.7

Prairie20.5

Hempstead21.2

Lee15.1

Conway10.0

Jackson12.9

Drew7.8

Cross12.3

Clark18.8

Crawford33.6

Izard31.3

Scott30.5

Lafayette25.8

Mississippi14.6

Greene27.4

Faulkner10.1

Jefferson18.7

Polk12.9

Boone9.6

Johnson15.9

Ouachita25.9

Benton12.9

Saline10.9

Searcy9.4

Bradley5.7

Yell25.7

Sharp29.4

Logan29.2

Independence32.2

Woodruff14.4

Ashley14.5

Montgomery20.0

Sevier29.6

VanBuren10.8

HotSpring

21.8

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Whit

e

Afric

anAm

erica

n

Nativ

eAm

erica

n

Chine

se

Japa

nese

Filip

ino

No Prenatal Care in First Trimester by Race and Ethnicity, 2011

Oth

erAs

ian/

Pacif

icIsla

nder

Hawa

iian

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

8,4008,970 8,586 8,659

7,4297,019

No Prenatal Care During First Trimester, 2006-2011

pe

rce

nt

of a

ll b

irth

s

17.720.1

27.8

14.9

31.6

50.0

18.220.1

Source: Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Health Statistics Branch Query System

26

TRENDS TO WATCHBy Jonathan Bates, M.D., retired president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Q:

A:

Q: A:

Q:

A:

Q:

A:

27

Percent of Students Who are Overweight or Obese by Race and Ethnicity 2011-2012

(grades K, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)

State 38.0%

33.1 - 37.7%

37.8 - 42.3%

42.4 - 47.3%Source: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, Year Nine Assessment of Childhood andAdolescent Obesity in Arkansas

overweight/obese studentsGrades K, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10Arkansas by County, 2011-2012

Phillips45.2

Poinsett46.2

Washington35.8

LittleRiver41.6

Randolph43.3Baxter

34.9

Calhoun44.3

Perry37.5

Columbia42.9

Grant37.3

Sebastian36.1

Lonoke35.4

Newton38.3

Pike37.1

Craighead38.1

Lincoln44.5

St.Francis

41.6

Cleburne36.3

Chicot41.6

Cleveland37.5

Carroll42.0

Clay43.0

Arkansas41.8

Pulaski36.8

Howard43.1

Union39.7

Nevada40.3

Crittenden40.0

Fulton41.1

Pope39.0

Desha39.3

Garland35.5

Miller38.4

White40.2

Dallas43.8

Lawrence38.6

Stone34.6

Monroe38.3

Madison33.1

Marion37.7

Franklin38.2

Prairie44.0

Hempstead41.6

Lee46.7

Conway40.1

Jackson46.6

Drew40.4

Cross40.5

Clark44.1

Crawford34.4

Izard36.5

Scott40.2

Lafayette38.9

Mississippi42.2

Greene38.7

Faulkner34.2

Jefferson41.2

Polk39.4

Boone34.7

Johnson41.7

Ouachita45.5

Benton33.4

Saline35.2

Searcy41.6

Bradley45.0

Yell43.2

Sharp41.6

Logan40.9

Independence41.3

Woodruff47.3

Ashley39.1

Montgomery42.3

Sevier45.8

VanBuren41.3

HotSpring

39.5

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Percent of Students Who are Overweight or Obese by Gender 2011-2012 (grades K, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)

Total 38%

Male 39%

Female 38%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%Overweight or Obese Students

2006-2011(Grades K, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)

37.740.3

37.6 38.1 38.3 38.0

2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

Whit

e

Afric

anAm

erica

n

Asia

n

Nativ

eAm

erica

n

Latin

o

fast

factIn 2011, less than 15 percent of

Arkansas’s high school students reported eating vegetables three or more times daily. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

36

41

31

37

48

28

Source: Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment Student Survey, 2011. Arkansas Department ofHuman Services, Division of Behavioral Health Services, Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention

State 27.0%

14.5 - 24.1%

24.2 - 29.0%

29.1 - 38.5%

Grades 6,8,10,12Percent of Students with Any Drug Use in Lifetime; Arkansas by County, 2011

Phillips21.2

Poinsett23.3

Washington25.5

LittleRiver30.6

Randolph22.4Baxter

27.3

Calhoun32.3

Perry19.4

Columbia32.2

Grant27.6

Sebastian28.5

Lonoke28.9

Newton22.4

Pike25.9

Craighead26.5

Lincoln26.7

St.Francis

21.4

Cleburne25.0

Chicot24.6

Cleveland22.3

Carroll28.0

Clay24.8

Arkansas34.5

Pulaski31.6

Howard24.7

Union29.9

Nevada27.8

Crittenden26.9

Fulton20.3

Pope25.2

Desha28.9

Garland27.1

Miller28.5

White28.0

Dallas25.7

Lawrence26.4

Stone28.2

Monroe30.9

Madison38.5

Marion28.2

Franklin20.1

Prairie32.6

Hempstead24.8

Lee14.5

Conway26.8

Jackson31.9

Drew29.0

Cross34.3

Clark23.0

Crawford27.4

Izard24.1

Scott28.2

Lafayette21.4

Mississippi25.2

Greene28.1

Faulkner28.1

Jefferson22.2

Polk28.5

Boone26.3

Johnson25.6

Ouachita24.6

Benton23.8

Saline27.7

Searcy25.4

Bradley24.8

Yell26.0

Sharp25.0

Logan23.8

Independence25.1

Woodruff24.5

Ashley27.8

Montgomery23.1

Sevier32.4

VanBuren26.7

HotSpring

26.8

student drug usage

Percent of Students with Any Drug Use in Lifetime by Gender, 2011

(grades 6, 8, 10, 12)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Total 27%

Male 26.2%

Female 27.7%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Percent of Students with Any Drug Use in Lifetime, 2006-2011 Grades 6, 8, 10, 12

28.5 27.4

30.6 30.0

26.8 27.0

29

Source: Arkansas Department of Health, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey

adult obesityPercent of Overweight or Obese Adults;Arkansas by County, 2010

Phillips65.9

Poinsett71.6

Washington64.2

LittleRiver65.7

Randolph71.7Baxter

66.3

Calhoun75.2

Perry67.7

Columbia75.5

Grant71.8

Sebastian57.3

Lonoke69.3

Newton58.1

Pike66.9

Craighead67.8

Lincoln69.8

St.Francis

78.6

Cleburne75.0

Chicot66.4

Cleveland77.4

Carroll61.4

Clay66.2

Arkansas71.2

Pulaski68.8

Howard78.1

Union73.5

Nevada70.7

Crittenden73.8

Fulton69.3

Pope52.9

Desha60.7

Garland64.8

Miller54.0

White76.7

Dallas75.2

Lawrence70.3

Stone67.9

Monroe73.6

Madison65.5

Marion62.2

Franklin63.0

Prairie75.9

Hempstead63.7

Lee70.9

Conway62.5

Jackson75.5

Drew67.6

Cross81.0

Clark69.2

Crawford64.0

Izard68.3

Scott61.1

Lafayette61.6

Mississippi67.4

Greene66.9

Faulkner69.8

Jefferson68.9

Polk82.3

Boone59.7

Johnson60.2

Ouachita72.6

Benton62.4

Saline69.6

Searcy56.8

Bradley72.4

Yell55.0

Sharp72.9

Logan53.1

Independence74.5

Woodruff81.2

Ashley71.9

Montgomery64.2

Sevier86.6

VanBuren62.9

HotSpring

69.9

State 67.1%

52.9 - 64.2%

64.3 - 72.9%

73.0 - 86.6%

Rank State Percent1 Alabama 70.02 Mississippi 68.83 West Virginia 67.94 Tennessee 67.85 Kentucky 67.56 South Carolina 67.47 Oklahoma 67.38 Arkansas 67.29 Michigan 66.810 Texas 66.511 Louisiana 66.411 Indiana 66.413 Iowa 66.214 Maryland 66.115 Alaska 65.916 Pennsylvania 65.816 Missouri 65.818 South Dakota 65.718 Ohio 65.720 Georgia 65.721 North Carolina 65.322 Florida 65.023 Nebraska 64.923 Arizona 64.925 North Dakota 64.726 Kansas 64.527 Delaware 64.028 Wyoming 63.829 Maine 63.730 Wisconsin 63.631 Rhode Island 63.532 Illinois 63.233 New Hampshire 63.133 Minnesota 63.135 Idaho 62.936 Washington 61.837 New Jersey 61.637 California 61.639 New York 61.440 Montana 61.341 Virginia 61.242 Oregon 60.943 New Mexico 60.744 Connecticut 60.545 Nevada 60.246 Massachusetts 60.147 Vermont 58.548 Utah 57.749 Colorado 57.650 Hawaii 57.251 District of Columbia 56.2 United States 63.7

percent of populationOverweight or Obese Adults, 2010

0 20 40 60 80 100

Total 67.2%

Percent of Overweight or Obese Adults by Race, 2010

White 66%

African American 82.7%

Source: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Public Health Surveillance Program Office http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/

fast

factThe increased healthcare costs

associated with obesity are figured to be between $1.5 and $1.9 billion per year in Arkansas.

Source: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement

30

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Total 67.2%

Male 71.2%

Female 62.6%

Percent of Overweight or Obese Adults by Gender, 2010

Source: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Public Health Surveillance Program Office http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/

60%

70%

80%

Percent of Overweight or Obese Adults

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Q: What do you think is the most important public health risk factor for Arkansans?

A: Data unquestionably support that tobacco use and obesity are the leading preventable causes of death and disability, and hence should be the leading public health risk factors of importance for Arkansans. Of these two, tobacco use is the greater risk for producing death and

of Arkansans, suggesting the importance of addressing both of these risk factors for Arkansans.

Q: What’s the best way to educate people about making healthy choices?

A: Most people already know what their risk factors are and that they should reduce them. The key to prompting risk-factor reduction is educating people about how to make changes — how to quit smoking, how to cook in more healthful ways, how to begin and sustain a physical activity program, etc. Impersonal methods — for example, media approaches — are

change, but interpersonal methods — for example, trained “coaches” available in group sessions, by phone,

achieving health behavior changes.

Q: What’s the greatest public health success you’ve observed in Arkansas in the last few years?

A: The private option for Medicaid expansion is unquestionably the greatest recent achievement for improving the health of Arkansans and reducing the public’s costs for indigent health care.

Q: What do you notice about the public health

TRENDS TO WATCH

A: Although not surprising to at least most Arkansans, the geographic

encountered by residents of the Delta, where life expectancy may be a full 10 years less than in the northwest counties that have the highest life expectancy in the state.

Q: What has been the biggest change in the area of public health over

positive or negative direction?

A:

reduce tooth decay, and school-based physical activity and nutrition policies to reduce childhood obesity — favorable changes have occurred to improve the health of Arkansans. The lesson is to focus on enhancing

By Daniel Rahn, M.D., chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Dan Raczynski, Ph.D., dean of the UAMS College of Public Health

Daniel Rahn, M.D. Dan Raczynski, Ph.D.

64.763.9

65.7 65.766.6 67.1

31

Arkansas Adults Reporting No Exercise Last 30 days

2005-2010

adults reporting no exercisePercent of adults reporting no exercise in the past 30 days;Arkansas by County, 2010


State 29.8%

22.4 - 28.7%

28.8 - 35.9%

36.0 - 44.9%

Phillips34.1

Poinsett38.5

Washington24.2

LittleRiver44.4

Randolph38.1Baxter

33.2

Calhoun33.8

Perry24.0

Columbia24.9

Grant24.4

Sebastian33.9

Lonoke24.5

Newton34.7

Pike22.4

Craighead37.1

Lincoln31.0

St.Francis

39.8

Cleburne33.6

Chicot34.5

Cleveland31.2

Carroll24.6

Clay30.8

Arkansas31.0

Pulaski23.2

Howard28.1

Union34.2

Nevada23.1

Crittenden39.2

Fulton30.0

Pope38.5

Desha31.6

Garland23.8

Miller43.5

White33.4

Dallas29.0

Lawrence42.4

Stone38.9

Monroe38.3

Madison25.5

Marion28.7

Franklin30.5

Prairie30.1

Hempstead35.7

Lee42.0

Conway36.4

Jackson40.0

Drew37.3

Cross39.1

Clark26.1

Crawford29.6

Izard39.0

Scott29.6

Lafayette31.6

Mississippi38.0

Greene32.8

Faulkner25.1

Jefferson23.3

Polk26.9

Boone28.2

Johnson33.1

Ouachita26.6

Benton23.5

Saline24.1

Searcy37.4

Bradley40.6

Yell28.5

Sharp44.9

Logan32.3

Independence43.3

Woodruff35.9

Ashley38.7

Montgomery23.9

Sevier34.2

VanBuren36.8

HotSpring

26.6

Rank State Percent1 Mississippi 33.02 West Virginia 32.93 Alabama 31.14 Louisiana 30.15 Oklahoma 29.95 Tennessee 29.97 Arkansas 29.88 Kentucky 29.39 South Carolina 27.810 Missouri 27.211 New Jersey 26.611 Texas 26.613 Indiana 26.514 Ohio 26.115 Pennsylvania 25.816 Illinois 25.716 North Carolina 25.718 Georgia 25.119 Iowa 24.819 North Dakota 24.821 Nebraska 24.721 South Dakota 24.723 Rhode Island 24.124 Florida 24.024 Kansas 24.026 Delaware 23.926 New York 23.928 Michigan 23.629 Virginia 23.330 Maryland 23.131 Nevada 23.032 Wisconsin 22.833 Maine 22.534 Wyoming 22.235 Alaska 22.036 Montana 21.636 New Mexico 21.638 Arizona 20.839 Connecticut 20.740 Massachusetts 20.641 California 20.442 District of Columbia 20.042 Idaho 20.044 New Hampshire 19.945 Hawaii 19.246 Minnesota 19.147 Washington 18.348 Colorado 18.249 Utah 17.949 Vermont 17.951 Oregon 17.5 United States 23.9

percent of population

Percent of Adults Reporting No Exercise in the Past 30 Days, 2010

25%

30%

35%

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35No Exercise by Race

past 30 days

Tota

l 29.

8%

Whi

te 2

9.8%

Afri

ca

n A

me

rica

n 3

0.6%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35No Exercise by Gender

past 30 days

Tota

l 29.

8%

Ma

le 2

6.8%

Fem

ale

32.

6%

30.6

28.8 28.129.7 29.8 29.8

pe

rce

nt

of a

du

lt p

op

ula

tion

pe

rce

nt

of a

du

lt p

op

ula

tion

Source: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Public Health Surveillance Program Office

32

Percent of adults meeting physical activity recommendation;Arkansas by County, 2009

physically active adults


State 47.3%

33.7 - 43.1%

43.2 - 49.9%

50.0 - 63.1%

Phillips36.1

Poinsett45.3

Washington54.2

LittleRiver40.5

Randolph50.7Baxter

45.1

Calhoun52.3

Perry46.1

Columbia56.6

Grant41.5

Sebastian46.8

Lonoke44.2

Newton47.4

Pike40.4

Craighead42.6

Lincoln46.9

St.Francis

39.1

Cleburne46.9

Chicot63.1

Cleveland47.0

Carroll53.7

Clay48.7

Arkansas41.2

Pulaski44.2

Howard40.2

Union53.6

Nevada52.0

Crittenden41.5

Fulton51.8

Pope46.5

Desha46.9

Garland46.1

Miller41.8

White43.1

Dallas49.5

Lawrence43.9

Stone41.3

Monroe36.5

Madison52.8

Marion57.0

Franklin48.1

Prairie36.0

Hempstead39.3

Lee33.7

Conway51.3

Jackson42.6

Drew57.8

Cross45.0

Clark51.6

Crawford51.2

Izard44.8

Scott49.9

Lafayette46.8

Mississippi44.6

Greene40.2

Faulkner47.2

Jefferson44.1

Polk47.2

Boone56.8

Johnson45.3

Ouachita57.9

Benton54.2

Saline41.2

Searcy47.5

Bradley51.6

Yell52.5

Sharp54.0

Logan47.1

Independence42.1

Woodruff39.5

Ashley53.9

Montgomery50.3

Sevier42.1

VanBuren49.3

HotSpring

41.4

Rank State Percent1 Alaska 60.72 Montana 58.63 Vermont 58.04 Utah 57.65 Idaho 57.56 Wyoming 57.37 Colorado 57.18 Oregon 56.59 Maine 56.210 District of Columbia 54.511 Connecticut 53.912 Washington 53.713 New Hampshire 53.414 New Mexico 53.315 Hawaii 53.216 Massachusetts 53.017 Wisconsin 52.818 Minnesota 52.719 North Dakota 52.320 Michigan 52.021 Illinois 51.822 Nevada 51.422 Virginia 51.424 California 51.325 Nebraska 51.126 Delaware 51.027 New York 50.828 Arizona 50.529 Pennsylvania 50.430 Missouri 50.031 Iowa 49.732 Maryland 48.733 Kansas 48.533 Ohio 48.535 Rhode Island 48.436 Texas 48.137 Indiana 48.038 New Jersey 47.539 Arkansas 47.340 Oklahoma 47.141 North Carolina 46.442 Florida 46.243 Georgia 45.743 Kentucky 45.745 South Carolina 45.446 South Dakota 45.047 Louisiana 43.648 Alabama 41.149 Mississippi 37.550 Tennessee 36.051 West Virginia 35.2 United States 51.0

Percent of Adults Meeting PhysicalActivity Recommendation, 2009

0

10

20

30

40

50

Tota

l 47

.3%

Whi

te 4

7.5%

Afri

ca

n A

me

rica

n 4

5.2%

Physically Active Adults by Race

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Physically Active Adults by Gender

Tota

l 47.

3%

Ma

le 5

2.6%

Fem

ale

42.

4%

fast

fact6% — the percent of deaths

worldwide attributed to physical inactivity, making it the fourth leading mortality risk factor in the world. Source: World Health Organization

pe

rce

nt

of a

du

lt p

op

ula

tion

pe

rce

nt

of a

du

lt p

op

ula

tion

Source: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Public Health Surveillance Program Office

33

34

Phillips21.9

Poinsett25.2

Washington18.4

LittleRiver34.5

Randolph19.2Baxter

23.1

Calhoun25.8

Perry21.4

Columbia18.0

Grant21.3

Sebastian24.2

Lonoke18.5

Newton28.1

Pike23.6

Craighead26.3

Lincoln18.3

St.Francis

22.9

Cleburne27.7

Chicot17.0

Cleveland22.2

Carroll20.3

Clay24.5

Arkansas19.7

Pulaski20.0

Howard22.1

Union18.4

Nevada20.1

Crittenden22.4

Fulton20.1

Pope30.7

Desha16.4

Garland27.4

Miller35.2

White20.7

Dallas27.1

Lawrence23.6

Stone30.1

Monroe23.7

Madison19.1

Marion24.8

Franklin21.0

Prairie16.0

Hempstead26.3

Lee22.1

Conway25.3

Jackson21.0

Drew16.8

Cross23.0

Clark26.5

Crawford19.0

Izard21.5

Scott27.6

Lafayette25.0

Mississippi26.2

Greene25.2

Faulkner20.9

Jefferson20.0

Polk26.7

Boone24.2

Johnson27.2

Ouachita23.8

Benton18.9

Saline22.6

Searcy29.2

Bradley16.3

Yell28.4

Sharp19.7

Logan27.4

Independence23.3

Woodruff18.4

Ashley13.3

Montgomery27.8

Sevier28.3

VanBuren31.7

HotSpring

26.8


State 22.9%

13.3 - 20.7%

20.8 - 25.3%

25.4 - 35.2%

smokers

25.6

23.5

23.7

22.4

22.3

smokers

0 5 10 15 20 25

Source: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Public Health Surveillance Program Office. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/

Percent of County public water systems

Arkansas by County, 2010

fluoridated water

Total 22.9%

White 22.6%

African American 22.1%

Percent of Adults Reporting Currently Being Cigarette Smokers by Race, 2010

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Percent of Adults Reporting Currently Being Cigarette Smokers by Gender, 2010

Total 22.9%

Male 26.2%

Female 19.8%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic DiseasePrevention and Health Promotion, Oral Health Branch. Oral Health Maps [online] 2012[accessed 2012 October 26] http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/gisdoh/waterfluor.aspx

State 64.6%

0.0 - 31.4%

31.5 - 75.6%

75.7 - 99.4%

Phillips75.2

Poinsett49.5

Washington99.3

LittleRiver0.0

Randolph75.6Baxter

79.2

Calhoun0.0

Perry86.2

Columbia0.0

Grant60.4

Sebastian12.8

Lonoke67.2

Newton29.6

Pike0.0

Craighead87.2

Lincoln0.0

St.Francis

78.5

Cleburne57.9

Chicot75.0

Cleveland0.0

Carroll0.0

Clay45.3

Arkansas91.8

Pulaski98.7

Howard96.2

Union0.0

Nevada74.1

Crittenden83.3

Fulton0.0

Pope97.0

Desha0.0

Garland0.0

Miller0.9

White93.0

Dallas92.6

Lawrence44.6

Stone0.0

Monroe79.5

Madison1.6

Marion0.0

Franklin0.0

Prairie76.9

Hempstead88.0

Lee86.5

Conway98.7

Jackson61.0

Drew89.0

Cross41.1

Clark69.6

Crawford0.0

Izard14.4

Scott0.0

Lafayette11.8

Mississippi71.8

Greene72.7

Faulkner75.4

Jefferson63.8

Polk0.0

Boone0.0

Johnson97.1

Ouachita72.9

Benton99.4

Saline94.7

Searcy24.7

Bradley0.0

Yell31.4

Sharp0.0

Logan44.5

Independence46.0

Woodruff63.9

Ashley71.2

Montgomery0.0

Sevier0.0

VanBuren85.2

HotSpring

95.2

fast

fact4,900 Arkansans die from

tobacco-related illnesses each year.

Source: Arkansas Department of Health Stamp Out Smoking Campaign

Source: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Public Health Surveillance Program Office. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/

Percent of Adults Reporting Currently Being Cigarette Smokers, 2010 Rank State Percent1 West Virginia 26.82 Kentucky 24.83 Oklahoma 23.74 Arkansas 22.94 Mississippi 22.96 Ohio 22.57 Louisiana 22.18 Alabama 21.99 Nevada 21.310 Indiana 21.211 Missouri 21.112 South Carolina 21.013 Alaska 20.414 Tennessee 20.115 North Carolina 19.816 Wyoming 19.517 Wisconsin 19.118 Michigan 18.919 Montana 18.820 New Mexico 18.520 Virginia 18.522 Pennsylvania 18.423 Maine 18.224 Georgia 17.625 North Dakota 17.426 Delaware 17.327 Nebraska 17.228 Florida 17.129 Kansas 17.030 Illinois 16.930 New Hampshire 16.932 Iowa 16.133 Colorado 16.034 Texas 15.835 Idaho 15.735 Rhode Island 15.737 District of Columbia 15.638 New York 15.539 South Dakota 15.439 Vermont 15.441 Maryland 15.241 Washington 15.243 Oregon 15.144 Arizona 15.045 Minnesota 14.946 Hawaii 14.547 New Jersey 14.448 Massachusetts 14.149 Connecticut 13.250 California 12.151 Utah 9.1 United States 17.3

20%

25%

Arkansas’s Current Smokers, 2005-2010

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

23.5 23.7

22.4 22.3

21.5

22.923%

21%

22%

24%

35

The American Dream – a stable job, a living wage, a home of one’s own. As the after-effects of the 2008 recession linger and our state’s ongoing economic challenges continue, how can we break the cycle of poverty to make the American Dream a reality for the thousands of Arkansas families struggling to get by? Between 2008 and 2009, Arkansas saw a jump in unemployment of more than 2 percentage points (from 5.4 percent to 7.5 percent statewide). Since that time, the growth in unemployment has slowed, but remains higher than pre-2008 levels. Although median household income and personal per capita income have increased slightly since 2009, the number of Arkansans slipping into poverty has also grown. Of particular note is the significant difference in the economic standing of people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The unemployment rate for African Ameri-cans in 2011 was 16.5 percent, a full 10 percentage points higher than for white people. While 14.7 percent of whites live below the poverty line, 34.1 percent of African Ameri-cans do – an almost 20 point difference. Among children, the disparity is even greater, with 47.1 percent of African American children living in poverty compared to 20.4 percent of white children. Poverty rates among Arkansas’s small but growing Pacific Islander population (many of whom are Marshallese descent, now living in the Springdale area) are even more striking, with unemployment rates topping 20 percent and more than 50 percent of children living in poverty. Children of single parents and children of teens are signifi-cantly more likely to live in poverty. While almost one in five households in Arkansas is headed by a single female, the number is higher, on average, in the state’s southern and eastern counties. The highest percentages of single female-headed households are concentrated in the Delta counties along the Mississippi River. Trends for births to teens are decreasing, with the number of births per thousand females ages 11-17 dropping from 14.3 in 2006 to 10.2 in 2011. Though Arkansas’s high national rankings for poverty and associated issues are cause for concern, there is much we can do to begin to turn the numbers around. Take, for example, the notable success of the Arkansas No Kid Hungry campaign in moving our state from first in the

nation for childhood hunger in 2009 to ninth in the nation by 20138. Through the joint efforts of nonprofits, corporations and government, thousands of children are now receiving summer meals, school breakfasts and more nutritious food at home. And there is more we can do. The Arkansas Legislative Taskforce on Reducing Poverty and Promoting Economic Opportunity9 recommends expanding access to Pre-K education for all Arkansas 3- and 4-year olds, supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses through tax incentives and training, developing our workforce through college savings programs and career coaching, and numerous other strategies that can be implemented at the community or state level.

Families will be stable, nurturing and economically secure.

36

Training Arkansans for High-Demand Nursing Jobs

As Arkansas’s population ages, we need more nurses — especially nurses trained to work with elderly patients. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation projects that Arkansas will face a 34 percent shortage of nurses by 2020. Filling these in-demand jobs will meet Arkansas’s healthcare needs and create reliable careers with competitive wages for thousands of workers, opening new doors to economic stability. That’s why Arkansas Community Foundation joined a partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Arkansas Health Care Foundation, Arkansas State Board of Nursing and other partners. Together, we’re working to recruit and train more nurses in Arkansas, and specifically, more geriatrics nurses.Since 2009, the Community Foundation and our partner organizations have received $475,000 in grants from the Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN) program through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and North-west Health Foundation to build an educational pipeline for nurses. With this grant funding, our partners have been working to identify and fill training gaps. They’re also creating new distance-learning classes for nurses and

nursing assistants who want to increase their education but don’t live near a university. Also through the collaborative, a new program called Arkansas Partners for Long-Term Care (ARPLTC) was created to support and mentor nurses and potential nurses as they pursue additional education. PIN Program Director Carol Compas explained, “We discovered that approximately 35 of the potential students surveyed stated computer access was a barrier to education. Additional barriers included tuition, work schedules, childcare and transportation. ARPLTC is focused on finding solutions to these known barriers.”Within the first year of the ARPTLC program, over 300 potential students expressed interest in pursuing an advanced nursing degree. “We offer a readiness survey to every potential student to assess their individual goals, needs and barriers,” said Compas. “Part of the survey includes a demographic assessment to help match their academic goals with the school nearest them, or best suited to their goals, for academic advising.” Students also receive a mentor who can help them stay on track as they seek the training that will help increase their career readiness, economic opportunity and technical skills.

37

births to teensRate per 1000 females age 11 - 17;Arkansas by County, 2011

Rank State Percent1 District of Columbia 60.92 Mississippi 44.13 Louisiana 41.84 South Carolina 38.65 New Mexico 38.56 Alabama 37.17 Florida 36.68 Delaware 36.29 Georgia 35.910 Arkansas 35.811 Tennessee 34.912 Rhode Island 34.813 North Carolina 34.714 Arizona 34.415 New York 34.316 Nevada 34.117 Ohio 33.918 Maryland 33.319 Kentucky 32.919 Missouri 32.921 Oklahoma 32.822 Michigan 32.723 Texas 32.524 Indiana 32.425 Pennsylvania 32.126 Illinois 31.527 Maine 31.128 California 30.929 Alaska 30.730 South Dakota 30.231 Vermont 30.031 West Virginia 30.033 Wisconsin 29.934 Massachusetts 29.835 Connecticut 29.736 Oregon 29.637 Virginia 29.538 Hawaii 29.439 Washington 28.640 New Jersey 28.541 Kansas 28.442 Montana 27.843 Iowa 27.544 Nebraska 27.345 Colorado 27.245 Wyoming 27.247 Minnesota 26.548 New Hampshire 26.049 North Dakota 24.650 Idaho 23.951 Utah 17.8 United States 32.4

2007-2011

Percent of Children Under 18 Years of Age in Single Parent Families


State 10.2

0.0 - 7.7

7.8 - 13.7

13.8 - 31.1

Phillips20.1

Poinsett9.4

Washington10.0

LittleRiver6.2

Randolph10.9Baxter

4.8

Calhoun0.0

Perry2.0

Columbia13.9

Grant9.1

Sebastian15.1

Lonoke8.9

Newton6.2

Pike3.4

Craighead11.6

Lincoln7.4

St.Francis

19.1

Cleburne9.9

Chicot11.8

Cleveland9.1

Carroll14.6

Clay2.9

Arkansas13.9

Pulaski10.5

Howard10.4

Union10.5

Nevada13.1

Crittenden17.1

Fulton6.1

Pope7.7

Desha11.3

Garland10.2

Miller12.4

White9.6

Dallas10.1

Lawrence11.3

Stone7.6

Monroe14.8

Madison7.4

Marion9.7

Franklin8.0

Prairie2.7

Hempstead12.8

Lee9.1

Conway4.2

Jackson17.3

Drew10.1

Cross9.8

Clark6.8

Crawford6.7

Izard3.8

Scott14.0

Lafayette31.1

Mississippi15.6

Greene11.3

Faulkner5.6

Jefferson18.1

Polk6.3

Boone6.2

Johnson16.1

Ouachita17.5

Benton5.6

Saline5.5

Searcy3.0

Bradley15.5

Yell13.4

Sharp13.7

Logan10.5

Independence7.0

Woodruff11.6

Ashley11.8

Montgomery10.1

Sevier15.2

VanBuren10.4

HotSpring

8.8

0

5,00

1,000

1,500

2,000

Births to Teens, Ages 11 - 17

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

number of births to teens

rate per 1000 female teens

14.3 14.313.9

13.3

11.3

10.2

1,893 1,906 1,855 1,764 1,501 1,372

38


State 35.8%

18.1 - 33.2%

33.3 - 46.5%

46.6 - 67.4%

children in single-parent familiesPercent of children under 18 years of age;Arkansas by County, 2007-2011

Phillips67.4

Poinsett43.1

Washington31.0

LittleRiver35.6

Randolph27.0Baxter

28.7

Calhoun54.4

Perry29.4

Columbia49.1

Grant22.0

Sebastian32.2

Lonoke28.9

Newton23.7

Pike34.1

Craighead37.6

Lincoln45.6

St.Francis

60.0

Cleburne26.5

Chicot55.9

Cleveland35.7

Carroll29.2

Clay30.5

Arkansas36.7

Pulaski44.3

Howard39.3

Union42.3

Nevada39.0

Crittenden61.9

Fulton22.7

Pope31.0

Desha45.1

Garland37.6

Miller43.4

White28.8

Dallas34.5

Lawrence26.8

Stone27.4

Monroe54.3

Madison18.1

Marion21.1

Franklin29.6

Prairie27.8

Hempstead36.9

Lee54.5

Conway33.2

Jackson46.5

Drew43.0

Cross32.1

Clark34.0

Crawford32.6

Izard29.8

Scott32.9

Lafayette44.5

Mississippi52.6

Greene27.1

Faulkner29.0

Jefferson57.9

Polk40.4

Boone28.7

Johnson30.6

Ouachita44.4

Benton22.9

Saline28.1

Searcy32.9

Bradley35.5

Yell24.0

Sharp29.6

Logan29.0

Independence34.7

Woodruff40.9

Ashley34.5

Montgomery26.7

Sevier28.1

VanBuren36.2

HotSpring

29.5


39

Rank State Percent1 District of Columbia 38.82 Mississippi 26.73 Louisiana 25.64 New York 23.45 Georgia 23.15 South Carolina 23.17 Alabama 22.58 Maryland 21.89 Rhode Island 21.610 New Mexico 21.411 Delaware 21.012 Florida 20.813 North Carolina 20.613 Tennessee 20.615 Ohio 20.115 Texas 20.117 Michigan 20.018 Arkansas 19.818 Massachusetts 19.820 Illinois 19.621 Connecticut 19.522 California 19.422 Nevada 19.424 New Jersey 19.325 Kentucky 19.026 Arizona 18.826 Missouri 18.826 Pennsylvania 18.829 Indiana 18.529 Virginia 18.531 Oklahoma 18.432 Hawaii 18.233 West Virginia 17.034 Oregon 16.535 Alaska 16.235 Washington 16.237 Wisconsin 15.938 Colorado 15.838 Kansas 15.838 Maine 15.841 Vermont 15.442 Nebraska 15.143 South Dakota 15.044 Minnesota 14.745 New Hampshire 14.646 Iowa 14.446 Montana 14.448 Idaho 13.849 Wyoming 13.750 North Dakota 13.451 Utah 13.0 United States 19.7

Percent of Single Female-Headed Households, 2010

Sources: U.S Census Bureau, 2010 Census

State 19.8%

10.7 - 18.4%

18.5 - 27.3%

27.4 - 39.1%

Phillips39.1

Poinsett21.7

Washington16.8

LittleRiver20.9

Randolph15.7Baxter

13.1

Calhoun19.3

Perry15.3

Columbia25.2

Grant13.8

Sebastian19.7

Lonoke16.3

Newton11.8

Pike14.9

Craighead20.9

Lincoln21.3

St.Francis

34.5

Cleburne12.6

Chicot32.4

Cleveland15.8

Carroll14.5

Clay15.5

Arkansas23.0

Pulaski26.8

Howard21.2

Union23.3

Nevada23.3

Crittenden33.8

Fulton13.7

Pope16.6

Desha31.9

Garland18.4

Miller25.1

White15.9

Dallas23.5

Lawrence16.0

Stone10.7

Monroe26.4

Madison11.4

Marion12.1

Franklin15.2

Prairie16.0

Hempstead24.5

Lee33.6

Conway16.9

Jackson21.8

Drew23.3

Cross21.5

Clark21.5

Crawford16.0

Izard12.6

Scott14.5

Lafayette25.2

Mississippi28.6

Greene17.4

Faulkner17.2

Jefferson32.0

Polk13.9

Boone14.0

Johnson16.2

Ouachita27.3

Benton13.7

Saline14.6

Searcy11.2

Bradley22.5

Yell16.0

Sharp14.5

Logan16.5

Independence15.6

Woodruff24.6

Ashley21.0

Montgomery11.1

Sevier16.6

VanBuren12.8

HotSpring

17.3

single female-headed householdArkansas by County, 2010

0

10

20

30

40

50

Single Female-Headed Households

by Race and Ethnicity

White AfricanAmerican

AmericanIndian/

Alaska Native


Pacific Islander

Some otherrace

Two ormoreraces

Latinoorigin

(of any race)

fast

fact18.6% of Arkansans

experience food insecurity, meaning that they don’t always know where their next meal will come from.

Source: Feeding America

pe

rce

nt

of h

ou

seh

old

s h

ea

de

d

by

a s

ing

le fe

ma

le

race of head-of-household

14.7

48.8

19.7

13.218.0 17.5

26.5

18.2

Sources: U.S Census Bureau, 2010 Census40

41

Rank State Percent1 Mississippi 32.42 District of Columbia 30.93 New Mexico 29.44 Louisiana 28.85 Arkansas 27.86 Alabama 27.67 South Carolina 27.58 Arizona 27.28 Kentucky 27.210 Georgia 26.610 Texas 26.612 Tennessee 26.513 West Virginia 26.114 North Carolina 25.415 Florida 25.116 Michigan 24.617 Ohio 23.917 Oklahoma 23.919 Oregon 23.420 California 22.820 New York 22.822 Indiana 22.623 Missouri 22.324 Nevada 22.225 Rhode Island 21.526 Idaho 21.326 Illinois 21.328 Montana 20.929 Pennsylvania 19.430 Maine 19.331 South Dakota 19.232 Delaware 18.832 Kansas 18.834 Washington 18.535 Wisconsin 18.436 Colorado 17.737 Nebraska 17.638 Iowa 17.139 Hawaii 16.840 Utah 16.241 Vermont 15.842 Virginia 15.643 Wyoming 15.544 Massachusetts 15.344 Minnesota 15.346 North Dakota 14.847 Alaska 14.748 Connecticut 14.648 New Jersey 14.650 Maryland 13.951 New Hampshire 12.2 United States 22.5

Percent of Population Under 18 Years of Age Living in Poverty, 2010

State 27.8%

15.2 - 28.9%

29.0 - 39.9%

40.0 - 51.0%

children living in povertyPercent of population under age 18Arkansas by County, 2011

Phillips51.0

Poinsett37.1

Washington27.0

LittleRiver27.8

Randolph35.4Baxter

28.1

Calhoun22.4

Perry27.2

Columbia37.3

Grant18.3

Sebastian31.2

Lonoke18.8

Newton36.4

Pike32.4

Craighead28.3

Lincoln28.8

St.Francis

43.8

Cleburne26.2

Chicot48.2

Cleveland24.6

Carroll29.8

Clay28.9

Arkansas28.3

Pulaski23.3

Howard30.5

Union31.8

Nevada35.0

Crittenden39.9

Fulton33.5

Pope30.1

Desha39.9

Garland32.4

Miller32.4

White23.6

Dallas34.3

Lawrence34.4

Stone38.5

Monroe47.5

Madison31.2

Marion34.5

Franklin28.4

Prairie31.3

Hempstead38.0

Lee46.4

Conway30.8

Jackson34.8

Drew31.3

Cross28.3

Clark30.3

Crawford27.3

Izard31.7

Scott37.0

Lafayette35.4

Mississippi36.3

Greene25.6

Faulkner17.7

Jefferson35.7

Polk35.3

Boone27.1

Johnson29.8

Ouachita37.6

Benton18.3

Saline15.2

Searcy46.6

Bradley36.1

Yell28.1

Sharp37.8

Logan31.2

Independence27.9

Woodruff38.5

Ashley30.6

Montgomery35.0

Sevier31.6

VanBuren39.1

HotSpring

30.0

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

number of children percent of children

24.6% 25.3%24.7%

26.6%27.3%

27.8%

Arkansas Children Living in Poverty

Percent of Population Under 18 Years of Age Living in Poverty by Race and Ethnicity, 2007-2011

166,630 173,939 170,833 185,268 190,538 194,242

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

20.4

47.1

31.4

9.4

52.5

40.135.9 38.9


AmericanIndian/

Alaska Native


Pacific Islander

Some otherrace

Two ormoreraces

Latinoorigin

(of any race) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007-2011 American Community Survey

Sou

rce:

U.S

. Cen

sus

Bur

eau,

200

7-20

11 A

mer

ican

Com

mun

ity S

urve

y

42

people living in povertyPercent of population;Arkansas by County, 2011 Rank State Percent

1 Mississippi 22.82 New Mexico 20.93 Louisiana 20.54 Arkansas 19.35 Georgia 19.26 Alabama 19.16 District of Columbia 19.16 Kentucky 19.19 Arizona 19.010 South Carolina 18.811 West Virginia 18.712 Texas 18.513 Tennessee 18.414 North Carolina 17.815 Michigan 17.516 Oklahoma 17.316 Oregon 17.318 Florida 17.019 California 16.620 Idaho 16.521 Ohio 16.322 New York 16.123 Indiana 15.823 Missouri 15.823 Nevada 15.826 Montana 15.227 Illinois 14.928 Rhode Island 14.729 Maine 14.230 South Dakota 14.131 Washington 13.932 Kansas 13.833 Pennsylvania 13.734 Utah 13.635 Colorado 13.436 Wisconsin 13.137 Nebraska 12.938 Iowa 12.739 Delaware 12.640 Hawaii 12.141 North Dakota 12.042 Vermont 11.943 Minnesota 11.844 Massachusetts 11.644 Virginia 11.646 Wyoming 11.347 Alaska 10.847 Connecticut 10.849 New Jersey 10.450 Maryland 10.251 New Hampshire 9.0 United States 15.9

Percent of Population Living in Poverty,2011

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

Percent of Total PopulationLiving in Poverty

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

number of people percent of people

17.317.6

17.3

18.518.7

19.3


State 19.3%

10.0 - 18.7%

18.8 - 25.4%

25.5 - 35.2%

Phillips34.0

Poinsett25.0

Washington20.1

LittleRiver17.6

Randolph23.4Baxter

16.8

Calhoun16.5

Perry16.4

Columbia26.4

Grant11.5

Sebastian21.2

Lonoke13.7

Newton21.3

Pike20.5

Craighead20.6

Lincoln25.4

St.Francis

32.9

Cleburne16.2

Chicot33.4

Cleveland16.7

Carroll18.7

Clay20.1

Arkansas18.5

Pulaski16.6

Howard20.9

Union21.5

Nevada23.5

Crittenden26.6

Fulton21.4

Pope22.1

Desha27.6

Garland20.9

Miller21.5

White18.0

Dallas21.5

Lawrence23.0

Stone22.9

Monroe31.6

Madison22.6

Marion20.5

Franklin20.9

Prairie21.7

Hempstead24.7

Lee35.2

Conway23.0

Jackson23.9

Drew22.6

Cross19.2

Clark23.1

Crawford18.0

Izard20.5

Scott22.3

Lafayette24.2

Mississippi25.4

Greene17.4

Faulkner14.7

Jefferson24.3

Polk22.1

Boone16.9

Johnson20.8

Ouachita24.1

Benton12.1

Saline10.0

Searcy28.6

Bradley24.4

Yell19.5

Sharp24.5

Logan20.0

Independence21.4

Woodruff27.3

Ashley19.8

Montgomery21.9

Sevier21.7

VanBuren22.1

HotSpring

20.3

471,161 483,510 479,140 519,026 529,710 550,079

Q: How can we help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty?

A: Most brain development occurs before age five, so the earlier we can reach kids and give them what they need to succeed the better. Every child, for example, should have timely and ongoing prenatal, pediatric and oral health care and receive appropriate screenings and follow up care for developmental delays or disabilities. New and expectant mothers of at-risk children should have access to evidence-based home visiting programs as well as parent education and parent-child interaction programs that support their young child’s develop-ment. Finally, every child should have access to high quality early learning opportunities as infants and toddlers, high quality pre-K as 3- and 4-year-olds, and full-day kindergarten.

Q: What will it take to create economic opportunity for Arkansans currently living in poverty?

A: Reaching at-risk children at a young age is only part of the puzzle. The other part has to be increasing the educational levels of their parents. The best predictor of economic mobility, and the most important factor in creating economic opportunity for Arkansans currently living in poverty, is ensuring that parents have the education and training to find and maintain employment, succeed in the workforce, and move up the economic ladder and out of poverty. Not only are women with higher levels of education-especially those with at least a bachelor’s degree — more likely to earn higher incomes, they are also less likely to have births outside of marriage or to become single mothers.

Q: What bright spots are you seeing across the state? What’s working that we can replicate in other communities?

A: One program is the Arkansas Grade Level Reading Campaign initiated by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. The goal of the campaign is to ensure that every child can read at grade level by the end of the third grade, a key predictor of future educational success. Part of the campaign’s multi-faceted strategy is to identify and spread the word about local bright spots, all of which can be replicated. For example, one bright spot is the Clinton School District, which has taken the bold and unusual step of using its school poverty funding (also known as state NSLA funding) to provide high quality pre-K to at-risk students in the district. Another bright spot is the highly successful Arkansas Better Chance Program, widely regarded as one of the best pre-K programs in the country for improving educational outcomes for at-risk students.

By Rich Huddleston, MPA, executive director, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Percent of Total PopulationLiving in Poverty by

Race and Ethnicity, 2007-2011

Afric

anAm

erica

n

Nativ

eAm

erica

n/Al

aska

Nat

ive

Asia

n

Nativ

e Ha

waiia

n/Pa

cific

Island

er

Som

e ot

her r

ace

Latin

o or

igin

(of a

ny ra

ce)

Two

orm

ore

race

s

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007-2011 American Community Survey Note: This data is from a different source than the data shown in the map.

Percent of Total PopulationLiving in Poverty by Gender, 2007-2011


0

10

20

30

40

50

0

0

ccan

rican

t r Nativ

e

tive

rican

/Na

tive

an t a Island

er

tive

aiia

n/l

d

m race

ome ra

ce

race

so

or race

s

o y rac

e)o

orig

inyr

ace)

Whit

e

0 5 10 15 20 25

Total 18.4%

Male 16.5%

Female 20.1%

14.7

34.1

25.0

12.6

41.8

30.927.9

31.0

43

Rank State Percent1 Mississippi 14.52 District of Columbia 14.03 Louisiana 12.74 New Mexico 12.45 Kentucky 12.25 North Dakota 12.27 Georgia 11.57 New York 11.59 South Dakota 11.49 Texas 11.411 Arkansas 11.312 Alabama 11.213 South Carolina 10.913 Tennessee 10.915 North Carolina 10.315 West Virginia 10.317 Florida 9.918 Oklahoma 9.619 Rhode Island 9.520 Massachusetts 9.321 California 9.122 Maine 9.023 Missouri 8.924 Montana 8.725 Illinois 8.526 Pennsylvania 8.427 Colorado 8.327 Minnesota 8.329 Arizona 8.230 Michigan 8.130 Nebraska 8.130 Ohio 8.130 Oregon 8.130 Virginia 8.135 Kansas 7.835 Maryland 7.835 Nevada 7.835 Washington 7.835 Wisconsin 7.840 New Jersey 7.741 Idaho 7.641 Indiana 7.643 Iowa 7.543 Vermont 7.545 Hawaii 7.346 Delaware 7.047 Connecticut 6.647 New Hampshire 6.649 Utah 6.450 Wyoming 6.351 Alaska 4.9 United States 9.4

Percent of population 65 years and older living in poverty, 2007-2011

elderly living in povertyPercent of population 65 years and over living in poverty;Arkansas by County, 2007-2011

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Percent of Population 65 and Older Living in Poverty by Race and Ethnicity, 2007 - 2011


AmericanIndian/

Alaska Native


Pacific Islander

Some otherrace

Two ormoreraces

Latinoorigin

(of any race)

Phillips15.4

Poinsett19.9

Washington8.8

LittleRiver13.4

Randolph17.3Baxter

9.7

Calhoun14.4

Perry14.2

Columbia14.9

Grant8.9

Sebastian10.5

Lonoke10.9

Newton18.9

Pike8.2

Craighead10.3

Lincoln21.5

St.Francis

23.5

Cleburne10.2

Chicot21.8

Cleveland10.4

Carroll9.2

Clay13.2

Arkansas14.4

Pulaski9.0

Howard15.5

Union11.5

Nevada21.9

Crittenden14.4

Fulton15.0

Pope8.4

Desha21.3

Garland9.1

Miller12.5

White12.1

Dallas18.9

Lawrence11.8

Stone17.5

Monroe23.9

Madison19.0

Marion8.7

Franklin11.1

Prairie15.9

Hempstead8.8

Lee30.2

Conway15.1

Jackson16.6

Drew14.3

Cross19.8

Clark14.4

Crawford10.3

Izard11.4

Scott15.7

Lafayette19.0

Mississippi18.2

Greene11.0

Faulkner7.4

Jefferson13.4

Polk8.6

Boone12.4

Johnson12.2

Ouachita12.1

Benton6.4

Saline4.6

Searcy18.2

Bradley14.0

Yell13.8

Sharp15.5

Logan9.0

Independence12.5

Woodruff18.3

Ashley12.2

Montgomery14.5

Sevier10.3

VanBuren14.2

HotSpring

8.2


State 11.3%

4.6 - 11.5%

11.6 - 17.3%

17.4 - 30.2%

Percent of Total Population 65 and OlderLiving in Poverty by Gender, 2007-2011



0

3

6

9

12

15

ourcce: U.S. Census Bureau,u, 07-07 2011 American Commm2000

, 2007 2011

ty ty Survey uni

Female 13.9%

Male7.9%

Total11.3%

9.7

26.219.1

8.0

70.1

25.8

13.720.7

44

45

senior dependence ratioRatio of people 65 and over relative to those 15 -64;Arkansas by County, 2010

fast

factArkansas is third in

the nation for hunger among senior citizens. Source: Meals on Wheels Association of America Income/EmploymentHousing

Phillips24.0

Poinsett24.8

Washington14.1

LittleRiver27.0

Randolph30.0Baxter

49.3

Calhoun25.8

Perry25.8

Columbia24.4

Grant22.1

Sebastian20.0

Lonoke16.9

Newton32.7

Pike27.7

Craighead18.2

Lincoln17.3

St.Francis

17.9

Cleburne39.2

Chicot29.1

Cleveland25.8

Carroll29.9

Clay32.4

Arkansas25.4

Pulaski17.7

Howard24.3

Union24.1

Nevada28.1

Crittenden16.5

Fulton37.0

Pope19.4

Desha24.0

Garland33.8

Miller20.9

White21.3

Dallas29.1

Lawrence28.8

Stone38.0

Monroe29.9

Madison24.1

Marion38.5

Franklin26.2

Prairie31.3

Hempstead23.8

Lee22.7

Conway26.7

Jackson23.7

Drew22.5

Cross24.0

Clark21.4

Crawford20.5

Izard38.8

Scott27.5

Lafayette31.3

Mississippi19.0

Greene22.2

Faulkner14.4

Jefferson19.7

Polk32.0

Boone28.8

Johnson22.7

Ouachita26.8

Benton19.0

Saline22.9

Searcy34.4

Bradley28.2

Yell24.5

Sharp40.9

Logan27.2

Independence24.3

Woodruff28.1

Ashley25.4

Montgomery37.1

Sevier20.1

VanBuren37.4

HotSpring

24.0

Sources: U.S Census Bureau, 2010 Census

State 22.1

14.1 - 22.9%

23.0 - 32.0%

32.1 - 49.3%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30Senior Dependency Ratio

by Race and Ethnicity, 2010


AmericanIndian/

Alaska Native


Pacific Islander

Some otherrace

Two ormoreraces

Latinoorigin

(of any race)

0 5 10 15 20 250 5 10 15 20 25

Total 22.1%

Male 19.3%

Female 24.7%

Senior Dependency Ratio by Gender, 2010

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 CensusSource: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census

ratio

of s

enio

rs re

lativ

e to

pop

ulat

ion

15-6

4


25.5

12.411.0

7.5

2.9 2.4

11.9

3.8

46

median household incomeArkansas by County, 2011 Rank State Percent

1 Maryland $70,0752 New Jersey $67,5743 Connecticut $65,8224 Alaska $65,6995 Massachusetts $63,1266 New Hampshire $62,4367 District of Columbia $62,0878 Hawaii $62,0719 Virginia $61,87710 Delaware $58,15911 California $57,27512 Minnesota $56,94413 Washington $56,81114 Wyoming $56,04415 Utah $55,80216 Colorado $55,53017 New York $55,14718 Illinois $53,27119 Rhode Island $53,15220 North Dakota $52,13521 Vermont $52,03322 Wisconsin $50,40123 Nebraska $50,28124 Pennsylvania $50,22125 Iowa $49,54526 Texas $49,39027 Nevada $49,09928 Kansas $48,84429 South Dakota $48,18830 Oregon $46,87631 Arizona $46,71032 Indiana $46,41033 Maine $46,16034 Michigan $45,93135 Georgia $45,88636 Ohio $45,80337 Missouri $45,23138 Florida $44,25039 North Carolina $44,02840 Montana $44,01141 Idaho $43,34542 Oklahoma $43,23243 South Carolina $42,47744 New Mexico $42,09745 Louisiana $41,80446 Tennessee $41,69147 Alabama $41,42748 Kentucky $41,14149 Arkansas $38,88950 West Virginia $38,58751 Mississippi $36,963 United States $50,502

Median Household Income, 2011

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

$30,000

$35,000

$40,000

Median Household Income, 2006-2011

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011


Phillips26,892

Poinsett30,761

Washington39,230

Little River38,937

Randolph33,210

Baxter33,312

Calhoun35,464

Perry38,858

Columbia33,533

Grant46,538

Sebastian38,404

Lonoke49,579

Newton31,224

Pike30,054

Craighead39,410

Lincoln35,854

St. Francis28,467

Cleburne42,265

Chicot27,966

Cleveland41,864

Carroll33,579

Clay32,564

Arkansas37,922

Pulaski43,898

Howard33,079

Union37,193

Nevada31,590

Crittenden34,905

Fulton33,696

Pope38,095

Desha30,186

Garland35,651

Miller37,728

White42,958

Dallas30,728

Lawrence32,678

Stone29,182

Monroe27,758

Madison34,292

Marion32,685

Franklin38,245

Prairie36,088

Hempstead30,922

Lee27,894

Conway37,830

Jackson32,750

Drew35,627

Cross35,268

Clark34,478

Crawford37,552

Izard31,245

Scott31,163

Lafayette30,057

Mississippi33,426

Greene37,893

Faulkner49,314

Jefferson37,704

Polk31,030

Boone38,411

Johnson34,182

Ouachita35,095

Benton52,644

Saline54,372

Searcy26,990

Bradley31,118

Yell33,747

Sharp28,760

Logan34,000

Independence34,690

Woodruff27,357

Ashley37,170

Montgomery31,603

Sevier30,899

Van Buren34,513

Hot Spring38,082

State $38,889fa

st f

act

The Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce identified five technical training pathways available to educate and train Americans for jobs that pay a middle-class wage without a bachelor’s degree: 1) associate’s degrees, 2) employer-based training, 3) industry-based certifications, 4) postsecondary certificates and 5) apprenticeships.

$26,892-34,000$34,001-42,958$42,959-54,372

36,62738,239 38,820 37,888 38,413 38,889

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

0

0

0

0

0

Median Household Incomeby Race and Ethnicity, 2011

Whit

e

Afric

anAm

erica

n

Nativ

eAm

erica

n/Al

aska

Nat

ive

Asia

n

Nativ

e Ha

waiia

n/Pa

cific

Island

er

Som

e ot

her r

ace

Latin

o or

igin

(of a

ny ra

ce)

Two

orm

ore

race

s


Phillips29,861

Poinsett28,876

Washington32,269

Little River28,836

Randolph26,639

Baxter31,075

Calhoun27,272

Perry30,825

Columbia31,536

Grant31,498

Sebastian35,717

Lonoke31,459

Newton24,520

Pike27,799

Craighead31,359

Lincoln25,220

St. Francis25,121

Cleburne32,980

Chicot30,245

Cleveland31,783

Carroll25,967

Clay29,254

Arkansas38,306

Pulaski42,438

Howard26,495

Union40,486

Nevada28,425

Crittenden30,597

Fulton25,611

Pope28,105

Desha30,943

Garland34,038

Miller31,817

White28,655

Dallas29,918

Lawrence26,328

Stone24,631

Monroe29,790

Madison22,380

Marion25,450

Franklin29,770

Prairie30,294

Hempstead27,123

Lee27,690

Conway31,442

Jackson29,942

Drew29,843

Cross29,682

Clark29,254

Crawford26,789

Izard24,966

Scott22,474

Lafayette25,960

Mississippi30,283

Greene27,819

Faulkner31,658

Jefferson30,414

Polk23,847

Boone29,416

Johnson23,986

Ouachita29,844

Benton35,130

Saline36,977

Searcy24,598

Bradley28,800

Yell25,791

Sharp24,588

Logan25,854

Independence30,109

Woodruff28,723

Ashley32,699

Montgomery23,507

Sevier23,163

Van Buren26,725

HotSpring26,239

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

State $32,373

$22,380 - 27,819

$27,820 - 34,038

$34,039 - 42,438

per capita personal incomeArkansas by County, 2010

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

$30,000

$35,000

Per Capita Personal Income, 2006-2011

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011


43,377

25,681

40,355

48,249

30,58032,842 32,248 33,696

27,85829,385

31,35332,861 31,688 32,373

47

Rank State Percent1 Nevada 13.22 California 11.83 Rhode Island 11.24 Mississippi 10.55 Michigan 10.45 South Carolina 10.47 Florida 10.38 North Carolina 10.29 District Of Columbia 10.110 Georgia 9.911 Illinois 9.712 Oregon 9.613 Kentucky 9.514 Arizona 9.414 New Jersey 9.416 Tennessee 9.317 Washington 9.218 Indiana 9.019 Connecticut 8.920 Alabama 8.721 Colorado 8.621 Ohio 8.623 Missouri 8.424 Idaho 8.324 New York 8.326 Arkansas 7.926 Pennsylvania 7.926 Texas 7.929 West Virginia 7.830 Maine 7.731 Alaska 7.632 New Mexico 7.532 Wisconsin 7.534 Delaware 7.435 Louisiana 7.335 Maryland 7.335 Massachusetts 7.338 Utah 6.939 Montana 6.640 Hawaii 6.540 Kansas 6.540 Minnesota 6.543 Virginia 6.444 Wyoming 6.145 Iowa 5.945 Oklahoma 5.947 Vermont 5.648 New Hampshire 5.549 South Dakota 4.850 Nebraska 4.551 North Dakota 3.5 United States 8.9

Unemployment Rate 2011unemployment rateArkansas by County, 2011

Phillips11.4

Poinsett9.0

Washington6.0

LittleRiver7.7

Randolph10.3Baxter

8.6

Calhoun9.4

Perry8.6

Columbia9.4

Grant7.2

Sebastian8.3

Lonoke6.8

Newton7.8

Pike9.4

Craighead7.3

Lincoln9.4

St.Francis

11.0

Cleburne7.9

Chicot11.9

Cleveland7.9

Carroll6.3

Clay13.7

Arkansas10.8

Pulaski7.2

Howard8.0

Union9.7

Nevada9.2

Crittenden12.6

Fulton7.4

Pope7.6

Desha11.8

Garland8.3

Miller7.0

White8.8

Dallas11.1

Lawrence9.8

Stone10.2

Monroe9.0

Madison6.2

Marion9.4

Franklin7.5

Prairie8.2

Hempstead8.5

Lee11.3

Conway8.3

Jackson10.6

Drew11.7

Cross8.5

Clark9.5

Crawford8.5

Izard9.4

Scott6.9

Lafayette9.9

Mississippi11.1

Greene10.0

Faulkner7.0

Jefferson10.6

Polk8.3

Boone7.4

Johnson7.2

Ouachita9.4

Benton6.3

Saline6.5

Searcy8.5

Bradley11.1

Yell6.5

Sharp10.3

Logan8.4

Independence8.8

Woodruff11.6

Ashley11.2

Montgomery8.3

Sevier8.3

VanBuren

9.8

HotSpring

7.6

Source: Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, Labor Market Information, November 5, 2012

State 8.0%

6.0 - 8.0%

8.1 - 10.0%

10.1 - 13.7%

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8Arkansas Unemployment Rate, 2006-2011

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

un

em

plo

yme

nt

rate

(p

erc

en

t)

5.3 5.2 5.4

7.57.9 8.0

Rates shown are a percentage of the labor force. Data refer to place of residence. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Unemployment Rates for States


48

employment to population ratioRatio of the number of people employed from the pool ofpotential workers age 15-64;Arkansas by County, 2010

0

5

10

15

20

25

Unemployment Rate by Race and Ethnicity, 2011


AmericanIndian/

Alaska Native


Pacific Islander

Some otherrace

Two ormoreraces

Latinoorigin

(of any race)

0 2 4 6 8 100 2 4 6 8

Total 8.0%

Male 7.7%

Female 8.5%

Unemployment Rate by Gender, 2011

Source: Arkansas Department of Workforce ServicesSource: Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

Phillips57.6

Poinsett61.1

Washington68.6

LittleRiver68.6

Randolph61.2Baxter

66.0

Calhoun65.9

Perry64.1

Columbia61.7

Grant66.8

Sebastian68.1

Lonoke68.0

Newton62.4

Pike63.4

Craighead68.6

Lincoln46.1

St.Francis

46.8

Cleburne69.7

Chicot54.2

Cleveland69.7

Carroll74.4

Clay56.3

Arkansas82.3

Pulaski67.4

Howard63.1

Union59.6

Nevada66.4

Crittenden55.6

Fulton65.8

Pope66.1

Desha58.0

Garland65.3

Miller66.7

White61.5

Dallas67.3

Lawrence61.0

Stone56.4

Monroe62.5

Madison68.1

Marion56.7

Franklin65.7

Prairie66.6

Hempstead67.0

Lee42.1

Conway69.4

Jackson54.2

Drew60.6

Cross64.7

Clark64.4

Crawford65.3

Izard57.7

Scott62.5

Lafayette55.8

Mississippi61.5

Greene60.1

Faulkner68.0

Jefferson60.7

Polk61.9

Boone68.1

Johnson64.8

Ouachita66.6

Benton70.7

Saline70.8

Searcy62.9

Bradley67.2

Yell68.3

Sharp56.4

Logan64.8

Independence66.5

Woodruff63.1

Ashley59.9

Montgomery66.5

Sevier66.2

VanBuren60.3

HotSpring

66.0

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S Census Bureau, 2010 Census

State 65.6

42.1 - 56.7

56.8 - 64.4

64.5 - 82.3


6.6

16.5

9.2

5.8

20.2

10.3 10.1 9.8

49

50

Rank State Percent1 New Jersey $2,4502 California $2,3773 Hawaii $2,3094 District of Columbia $2,3035 Massachusetts $2,1456 Connecticut $2,1437 Maryland $2,0668 New York $2,0179 New Hampshire $1,94510 Rhode Island $1,91611 Alaska $1,82712 Washington $1,81013 Virginia $1,78214 Nevada $1,77615 Illinois $1,72716 Colorado $1,65617 Oregon $1,62718 Delaware $1,61719 Florida $1,61220 Minnesota $1,57621 Arizona $1,52022 Vermont $1,51623 Utah $1,47524 Wisconsin $1,46025 Texas $1,44026 Pennsylvania $1,43527 Georgia $1,43328 Michigan $1,37429 Maine $1,34430 Wyoming $1,31431 Ohio $1,30832 North Carolina $1,28233 Nebraska $1,27634 Kansas $1,26535 Montana $1,26436 Idaho $1,24537 New Mexico $1,23138 Missouri $1,22439 South Dakota $1,20340 South Carolina $1,19941 Tennessee $1,19642 Louisiana $1,18543 North Dakota $1,17944 Iowa $1,17345 Indiana $1,15646 Alabama $1,15047 Oklahoma $1,11148 Kentucky $1,11049 Mississippi $1,06450 Arkansas $1,00451 West Virginia $941 United States $1,560

Phillips857

Poinsett836

Washington1,214

LittleRiver806

Randolph781Baxter

926

Calhoun738

Perry863

Columbia907

Grant1,037

Sebastian987

Lonoke1,067

Newton802

Pike825

Craighead982

Lincoln776

St.Francis

852

Cleburne901

Chicot880

Cleveland914

Carroll948

Clay789

Arkansas860

Pulaski1,224

Howard847

Union853

Nevada849

Crittenden1,054

Fulton788

Pope899

Desha861

Garland1,019

Miller969

White974

Dallas804

Lawrence682

Stone773

Monroe774

Madison878

Marion802

Franklin874

Prairie846

Hempstead882

Lee780

Conway889

Jackson732

Drew904

Cross883

Clark925

Crawford910

Izard759

Scott835

Lafayette783

Mississippi871

Greene877

Faulkner1,090

Jefferson929

Polk852

Boone934

Johnson819

Ouachita823

Benton1,238

Saline1,154

Searcy760

Bradley833

Yell820

Sharp759

Logan774

Independence845

Woodruff746

Ashley862

Montgomery955

Sevier915

VanBuren

788

HotSpring

852


State $1,004

$682 - 836

$837 - 987

$988 - 1,238

housing costs - with mortgageMedian Selected Monthly Owner Costsfor Housing Units with a Mortgage;Arkansas by County, 2007-2011

Median Selected Monthly Owner Costs for Housing Units With a Mortgage, 2007-2011

housing costs - no mortgageMedian Selected Monthly Owner Costs for HousingUnits without a Mortgage;Arkansas by County, 2007-2011

Phillips328

Poinsett313

Washington336

LittleRiver288

Randolph292Baxter

297

Calhoun324

Perry282

Columbia299

Grant308

Sebastian331

Lonoke342

Newton231

Pike289

Craighead317

Lincoln320

St.Francis

325

Cleburne306

Chicot381

Cleveland321

Carroll303

Clay286

Arkansas346

Pulaski391

Howard301

Union334

Nevada315

Crittenden375

Fulton265

Pope286

Desha355

Garland309

Miller303

White301

Dallas308

Lawrence280

Stone260

Monroe322

Madison254

Marion279

Franklin270

Prairie311

Hempstead290

Lee324

Conway303

Jackson314

Drew330

Cross370

Clark304

Crawford293

Izard293

Scott247

Lafayette286

Mississippi313

Greene319

Faulkner336

Jefferson338

Polk262

Boone289

Johnson256

Ouachita303

Benton347

Saline353

Searcy240

Bradley324

Yell272

Sharp272

Logan284

Independence298

Woodruff320

Ashley324

Montgomery270

Sevier255

VanBuren

287

HotSpring

289


State $317

$231 - 293

$294 - 338

$339 - 391

Rank State Percent1 New Jersey $9242 Connecticut $7983 New Hampshire $7014 Massachusetts $6874 New York $6876 Rhode Island $6557 Vermont $6058 Maryland $5659 District of Columbia $56010 Illinois $54711 Alaska $53512 Wisconsin $51513 Washington $48914 Florida $48215 Pennsylvania $47916 Hawaii $47717 California $46418 Michigan $45819 Minnesota $45620 Maine $45321 Texas $44922 Nevada $44323 Oregon $44124 Nebraska $44025 Ohio $43626 Delaware $43527 Kansas $42328 Virginia $40829 Iowa $40430 Colorado $39831 North Dakota $39731 South Dakota $39733 Georgia $37634 Montana $37535 Missouri $37436 Arizona $37337 Indiana $37238 Utah $36339 Wyoming $36140 North Carolina $35841 Oklahoma $34542 Alabama $34243 Tennessee $34144 Mississippi $33745 South Carolina $33446 Idaho $33047 Louisiana $32248 Arkansas $31749 Kentucky $31350 New Mexico $31151 West Virginia $274 United States $444

Median Selected Monthly Owner Costs for Housing Units Without a Mortgage, 2007-2011

51

Rank State Rent1 Hawaii $1,3132 California $1,1853 Maryland $1,1394 District of Columbia $1,1355 New Jersey $1,1316 Massachusetts $1,0377 New York $1,0258 Virginia $1,0249 Connecticut $1,02010 Alaska $1,01711 Nevada $1,01112 Florida $98113 Delaware $97514 New Hampshire $95615 Washington $92316 Rhode Island $90117 Colorado $88318 Arizona $88119 Illinois $86020 Vermont $84321 Georgia $83522 Oregon $83023 Texas $81424 Utah $81325 Minnesota $78326 Pennsylvania $77027 Louisiana $74528 North Carolina $74429 Michigan $74230 Maine $73631 Wisconsin $73532 South Carolina $72833 New Mexico $71334 Idaho $70935 Wyoming $70836 Tennessee $70737 Indiana $70438 Kansas $69939 Ohio $69740 Missouri $69341 Mississippi $68042 Alabama $67443 Nebraska $67244 Oklahoma $65945 Montana $64946 Arkansas $63746 Iowa $63748 Kentucky $62349 South Dakota $59550 North Dakota $58451 West Virginia $574 United States $871

Median Gross Rent, 2007-2011median gross rentArkansas by County, 2007-2011

Phillips573

Poinsett467

Washington671

LittleRiver521

Randolph495Baxter

610

Calhoun475

Perry666

Columbia544

Grant672

Sebastian591

Lonoke670

Newton367

Pike478

Craighead621

Lincoln522

St.Francis

548

Cleburne617

Chicot481

Cleveland579

Carroll585

Clay453

Arkansas603

Pulaski752

Howard543

Union572

Nevada591

Crittenden650

Fulton492

Pope607

Desha525

Garland693

Miller660

White590

Dallas435

Lawrence495

Stone484

Monroe507

Madison532

Marion557

Franklin554

Prairie501

Hempstead549

Lee498

Conway551

Jackson528

Drew576

Cross622

Clark564

Crawford581

Izard492

Scott527

Lafayette531

Mississippi577

Greene603

Faulkner688

Jefferson641

Polk534

Boone545

Johnson565

Ouachita499

Benton746

Saline754

Searcy431

Bradley533

Yell555

Sharp566

Logan478

Independence565

Woodruff411

Ashley511

Montgomery477

Sevier485

VanBuren

537

HotSpring

578

State $637

$367 - 511

$512 - 622

$623 - 754


52

Q: What can the costs of home ownership tell us about the economic stability of our communities?

A: While housing costs are higher for homeowners with a mortgage, homeowners without a mortgage may bear higher costs of repair, and housing quality may not be as good. Gross rent and monthly homeowner costs should be compared to household income for a measure of housing afford-ability and to identify regions with high housing costs. As homeownership contributes positively to community stability, it has positive effects on economic stability as well.

Q: How can we create housing programs that lead to a lasting benefit for individual families and the community at large?

A: Many Arkansans face housing challenges, from finding an affordable home to finding an accessible home to finding a home at all. Those working to reduce and eliminate housing barriers are well served when they seek input from the people they assist. Also, because housing can affect other aspects of a person’s life, from the school a child attends to a person’s health and safety, multiple organizations may want to work in partnership to better serve Arkansas families and communities.

Q: What has been the biggest change in this area over the past 5-7 years? Are the numbers generally moving in a positive or negative direction?

A: The previous edition of Aspire Arkansas provides a good comparison point and shows that median household income is now higher — certainly a trend in the right direction. However, this improvement may be offset by increased unemployment and increased housing costs. This kind of analysis is critical to any planning or review process. But the data should be complemented by Arkansans’ stories and experiences, as these stories will help shape our understanding of the challenges and the development of solutions.

By Karama Neal, Ph.D., director, Southern Bancorp Community Partners

ners without a mortgage

53

Civic engagement is the lifeblood of healthy communities. Each of the other indicators in the Aspire Arkansas report ultimately can be influenced when people share their time and resources for the common good. It’s not easy to measure a person’s level of community involvement. However, voter participation statistics can give us some insight into how invested citizens are in their communities. Just over half (51.1 percent) of eligible Arkansans voted in the 2012 general election. That relatively low voter turnout number placed Arkansas 47th in the nation. On the other hand, our state’s charitable giving rates are relatively high. Arkansas ranks seventh in the nation for giving according to an analysis of 2008 tax returns by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.10 (The 2008 returns are the most recent that have been studied in depth.) This analysis examined the percentage of discretionary income given to charity. (Discretionary income is calculated by subtracting essential expenses such as taxes, transportation, housing and food costs from total income.) The study found that on average, Arkansans who itemize their tax deductions gave 6.3 percent of their discretionary income to charity. This rate of charitable giving varies considerably around the

state and often is highest in counties that have high poverty levels. It’s also important to note that many Arkansans don’t itemize their tax returns, and therefore, their charitable giving goes unreported. Civic engagement includes not just voting and giving, but also listening and reaching out to include diverse voices in the community conversation. In this section of Aspire Arkansas, we’ve included a guest Q&A with Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury, CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, in which she addresses Arkansas’s changing demographics and the need to create opportunities for Arkansans of all backgrounds. Civic engagement leads to positive change in communities. In Harrison, a volunteer advocacy group is helping to attract new businesses and revitalize the aging downtown area. In Helena, volunteers are following a community-led strategic plan to refurbish dilapidated buildings, raise money for local causes, boost tourism and economic development and turn around the community’s population decline. These successes and others like them attest the power of Arkansan’s generosity and community pride.

People will be engaged in their communities.

54

Future Funds Give Young Philanthropists a Chance to Make Their Mark

“Everyone has a philanthropic bone in their body,” said Fayetteville Future Fund charter member Katie Tennant. “More than people ever realize, they want to give back to their community. But many young professionals don’t know how or don’t think they have the means to help. Future Funds pool membership money together to make a bigger impact. You as an individual become a part of the group that IS making a difference.”Now executive director of Fayetteville Area Community Foundation, Tennant became involved in the Future Fund as a volunteer co-chair of the Fayetteville Future Fund Steering Committee late in 2011. The committee sought the advice of another Arkansas Community Foundation local office, Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, about how they successfully tailored the giving circle model to young professionals.Hot Springs Future Fund Chair Jared Zeiser said the concept of a Future Fund came from a group in Green-ville, South Carolina, that successfully used a giving circle to boost participation by younger professionals in community philanthropy. Under this model, Future Fund members pool their dues to build an endowment and make grants for charities in their community.Hot Springs Future Fund membership dues go 50 percent to an endowment and 50 percent to current-year grants. In 2012, they awarded six grants to nonprofits serving children, the homeless and those needing health-care. “We seek to educate and motivate younger folks in

the community to see the impact philanthropy can make and to be a part of that change,” Zeiser explained. Tennant’s Fayetteville group used the lessons learned in Hot Springs to hit the ground running. “We raised almost $13,000 in 32 days. This allowed us to qualify for a $5,000 match from Arkansas Community Foundation for our endowment, and we also had money for initial community grants,” Tennant said. One of Fayetteville Future Fund’s first went to Safety Net, a program of the Fayetteville School system that helps kids who are homeless or have little family support with money for haircuts before job interviews and caps and gowns for graduation.Both Hot Springs and Fayetteville Future Fund groups, along with several others associated with the Community Foundation around the state, are engaging people to become more involved in their communities and making connections for nonprofits that result in new volunteers and potential board members.

Fayetteville Future Fund

fast

fact$16.77 – the estimated

value of an hour of

volunteer time in

Arkansas in 2011.

Source: Independent Sector

55

Q: Historically, there has been an achievement gap between the educational scores of white students and students of some minority groups. What are the most important steps Arkansans can take to help reduce the gap?

A: Research has proven that closing the achieve-ment gap between Caucasian students and students of color requires a mix of sustained interventions. All students should have access to quality early care and education from birth through pre-k. In Arkansas, students of color and poor students are not likely to have access to high quality early care. Studies also show that access to a highly effective teacher has a tremendous impact on student achievement and outcomes. We must make sure that a highly effective teacher leads every classroom. These non-negotiables for achieve-ment are supported by a college preparatory curriculum that starts early and equitable access to the latest books, technology and learning tools. The achievement gap starts with an opportunity gap. The most important step Arkansas can take is to close the opportunity gap for all students.

Q: What are the most important trends you’ve observed with regard to immigration in Arkansas? How can our state successfully adapt to these changing demographics?

A: Immigrants represent a small but growing part of Arkansas’s population. Arkansas’s immigrant families are long-term residents, homeowners with high rates of employment who contribute billions to the state’s economy and make our neighborhoods stronger and communities vibrant. Without immigrant families, many Arkansas communities would shrink and many industries would struggle. Arkansas needs to invest in the futures of immigrant families if the state is to benefit from their culture, productivity and economic contributions. Through state and local policy, we must build a future for all, immigrants and natives alike, where they can obtain a quality education, gain employment or start businesses, and continue to be civically active in Arkansas and the nation.

Q: Of the race and gender data presented in Aspire Arkansas, which indicators do you think are the most instructive for Arkansans?

A: Arkansas lags other states on nearly every indicator of family and child well-being. Within the state, the data show gaps exist based on race for nearly every economic and education indicator — from childhood poverty and third grade reading proficiency to college graduation rates and median income levels. As the state takes on the challenges of reducing poverty rates and increasing educational attainment for all of its residents, it must do so with an equity lens that ensures that everyone has access to opportunity and no one is left behind.

By Sherece West-Scantlebury, Ph.D., President and CEO, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

Rank State Turnout1 Minnesota 76.1%2 Wisconsin 73.2%3 Colorado 71.1%4 New Hampshire 70.9%5 Iowa 70.2%6 Maine 69.2%7 Virginia 66.9%8 Maryland 66.8%9 Massachusetts 66.6%10 Michigan 65.3%11 North Carolina 65.2%12 Ohio 65.2%13 Washington 65.0%14 Oregon 64.3%15 Montana 63.6%16 Florida 64.0%17 Washington D.C. 63.3%18 Missouri 63.1%19 New Jersey 62.6%20 Delaware 62.0%21 Connecticut 61.5%22 North Dakota 61.1%23 Louisiana 61.0%24 Idaho 60.9%25 Vermont 60.9%26 Nebraska 60.8%27 Mississippi 60.3%28 South Dakota 60.1%29 Pennsylvania 59.9%30 Alabama 59.5%31 Illinois 59.3%32 Wyoming 59.3%33 Alaska 59.2%34 Georgia 58.7%35 Rhode Island 58.6%36 Kansas 58.1%37 Nevada 57.2%38 South Carolina 57.1%39 Utah 56.0%40 Indiana 56.0%41 California 55.9%42 Kentucky 55.9%43 New Mexico 54.9%44 New York 53.6%45 Arizona 53.3%46 Tennessee 52.6%47 Arkansas 51.0%48 Texas 50.1%49 Oklahoma 49.6%50 West Virginia 46.8%51 Hawaii 44.5%

Voter Turnout 2012 (total ballots cast as a percentage of eligible voters)

Source: “America Goes to the Polls 2012: A Report on Voter Turnout in the 2012 Election” prepared by NonprofitVOTE56

Phillips50.9

Poinsett41.3

Washington52.4

LittleRiver51.7

Randolph44.1Baxter

57.8

Calhoun51.6

Perry49.4

Columbia51.7

Grant49.2

Sebastian50.4

Lonoke50.4

Newton56.6

Pike46.9

Craighead46.2

Lincoln33.8

St.Francis

39.8

Cleburne57.5

Chicot49.6

Cleveland50.9

Carroll51.3

Clay41.5

Arkansas46.0

Pulaski58.0

Howard47.2

Union55.2

Nevada50.3

Crittenden47.7

Fulton48.0

Pope45.2

Desha47.3

Garland55.4

Miller47.9

White47.0

Dallas50.7

Lawrence42.4

Stone55.5

Monroe51.8

Madison57.8

Marion50.0

Franklin48.2

Prairie46.3

Hempstead44.3

Lee42.8

Conway49.7

Jackson42.9

Drew47.9

Cross50.5

Clark46.6

Crawford47.3

Izard49.3

Scott45.9

Lafayette50.3

Mississippi41.1

Greene45.1

Faulkner51.3

Jefferson47.4

Polk51.1

Boone55.3

Johnson46.3

Ouachita52.5

Benton56.1

Saline60.4

Searcy58.6

Bradley43.6

Yell42.1

Sharp54.3

Logan44.2

Independence47.3

Woodruff47.7

Ashley49.1

Montgomery46.6

Sevier44.6

VanBuren48.0

HotSpring

46.0

Sources: Arkansas Secretary of State's Office; and U.S. Census Bureau, 2007-2011 AmericanCommunity Survey, Citizen Voting Age Population Special Tabulation

State 51.1%

33.8 - 45.2%

45.3 - 52.5%

52.6 - 60.4%

voter participationGeneral Election number of ballots cast divided by estimated population of citizens 18 years of age or older;Arkansas by County, 2012

fast

fact$624,340,124 – the

estimated dollar value of the volunteer service contributed by 846 Arkansas nonprofit organizations in 2011. Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support

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Rank State Total contributions* Percent of discretionary income given

1 Utah $2.4-billion 10.60%2 Mississippi $1.1-billion 7.20%3 Alabama $2.3-billion 7.10%4 Tennessee $2.7-billion 6.60%5 South Carolina $2.0-billion 6.40%6 Idaho $639.3-million 6.40%7 Arkansas $1.0-billion 6.30%8 Georgia $4.8-billion 6.20%9 North Carolina $4.3-billion 5.90%10 Maryland $3.9-billion 5.70%11 Oklahoma $1.7-billion 5.60%12 Louisiana $1.5-billion 5.30%13 Texas $10.7-billion 5.10%14 Virginia $4.2-billion 4.80%15 Kentucky $1.4-billion 4.80%16 Kansas $1.3-billion 4.80%17 New York $11.3-billion 4.70%18 Arizona $2.4-billion 4.60%19 Florida $7.4-billion 4.60%20 Oregon $1.5-billion 4.60%21 Indiana $2.2-billion 4.50%22 New Mexico $564.6-million 4.50%23 Michigan $3.8-billion 4.50%24 Hawaii $431.9-million 4.50%25 California $17.2-billion 4.40%26 Missouri $2.3-billion 4.40%27 Delaware $387.8-million 4.40%28 Alaska $259.8-million 4.30%29 Illinois $6.0-billion 4.20%30 Colorado $2.4-billion 4.20%31 Wyoming $251.0-million 4.20%32 Nebraska $735.4-million 4.10%33 Washington $3.0-billion 4.10%34 Minnesota $2.6-billion 4.10%35 South Dakota $226.4-million 4.10%36 Ohio $3.8-billion 4.10%37 Montana $308.3-million 4.00%38 West Virginia $352.6-million 3.90%39 Pennsylvania $4.7-billion 3.90%40 Iowa $1.0-billion 3.90%41 Nevada $951.6-million 3.90%42 New Jersey $4.5-billion 3.70%43 North Dakota $163.5-million 3.50%44 Wisconsin $2.0-billion 3.40%45 Connecticut $2.3-billion 3.30%46 Rhode Island $350.9-million 3.10%47 Massachusetts $3.1-billion 2.80%48 Vermont $165.8-million 2.80%49 Maine $307.9-million 2.80%50 New Hampshire $408.5-million 2.50%

Charitable Giving, 2008 (percent of discretionary income contributed to charity, reported as itemized federal tax deductions)

*Includes only those making $50,000 or more who itemized their charitable deductions.

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fact9,270 – the number of

Arkansas public charities

registered with the Internal

Revenue Service as of 2009.

Source: National Center for Charitable Statistics

0

2

4

6

8

10

Southeast

South C

entral

East

Central

Central

Southwest

North C

entral

Northeast

West Centra

l

Northwest

Source: Internal Revenue Service, Charitable Giving by Households that Itemize Deductions, Calculated from Chronicle of Philanthropy: How America Gives, Aug. 20, 2012

giving ratesArkansas by regions and household income levelspercent of discretionary income

$50-100K$100-200K>$200K

Q: What is the relationship between household income and charitable giving?

A: An analysis of 2008 IRS tax reports, the most recent that have been studied in depth, shows that when household incomes are adjusted to exclude essential expenses such as

taxes, transportation, housing and food costs, the percent of the remaining discretionary income that is spent for charitable purposes varies considerably around the state, and often is highest in those counties that have high poverty levels.

Q: Many people don’t itemize their tax returns, so it’s difficult to determine their level of charitable giving. What information is available about patterns of charitable giving for those who don’t itemize?

A: Households with annual incomes below $50,000 almost always use the standard IRS charitable deduction, approximately $10,500 per family. The only data available for those households who do not itemize deductions comes from non-IRS surveys, and no informationis available specifically for Arkansas. The discretionary income for

such households would be very small, and it seems likely that most low-income households would be making contributions in the 10-15 percent range. It is known that a great proportion of low income Arkansas families do give regularly to religious organizations, and that their patterns of generosity are more of neighborly giving rather than to official nonprofit groups. These observations would substanti-ate the Catalogue for Philanthropy’s Generosity Index that lists Arkansas year after year as one of the top ‘giving-rate’ states in the nation.

Q: What do you notice about the voter turnout and charitable giving numbers in different areas of the state?

A: Arkansas counties in which there was high interest in local contestants or issues tended to have higher turnout [for example, counties where a controversial issue or hotly contested race was on the ballot]. Although there were notable exceptions, more counties in the Arkansas Delta had low voter turnouts than in the mountainous or southern plains regions. In contrast, data on charitable giving show Arkansas Delta counties with relatively high generosity, suggesting that this may be a rather different and useful index of community engagement.

By Thomas A. Bruce, M.D., professor emeritus, University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health

charitable givingPercent of discretionary income;Arkansas by County, 2008

charitable giving

State 6.3%

3.4 - 5.9%

6.0 - 7.3%

7.4 - 10.5%

Source: How America Gives, Chronicle of Philanthropy, August 19, 2012,http://philanthropy.com/section/How-America-Gives/621/

Phillips8.7

Poinsett6.4

Washington5.3

LittleRiver5.5

Randolph5.3Baxter

5.9

Calhoun6.3

Perry3.4

Columbia7.0

Grant6.4

Sebastian6.5

Lonoke5.0

Newton4.9

Pike7.0

Craighead6.3

Lincoln5.4

St.Francis

10.5

Cleburne6.0

Chicot8.8

Cleveland7.3

Carroll6.5

Clay7.1

Arkansas6.7

Pulaski6.9

Howard5.3

Union7.9

Nevada9.3

Crittenden7.1

Fulton5.7

Pope6.4

Desha7.7

Garland6.5

Miller7.6

White6.3

Dallas8.6

Lawrence6.1

Stone8.4

Monroe7.1

Madison5.1

Marion5.7

Franklin4.8

Prairie6.8

Hempstead6.0

Lee7.7

Conway5.2

Jackson5.6

Drew7.6

Cross7.7

Clark7.3

Crawford6.3

Izard4.6

Scott6.6

Lafayette9.1

Mississippi7.0

Greene7.1

Faulkner5.9

Jefferson8.7

Polk5.4

Boone7.1

Johnson5.7

Ouachita7.6

Benton5.3

Saline5.6

Searcy7.0

Bradley8.1

Yell5.2

Sharp5.0

Logan5.5

Independence5.6

Woodruff6.7

Ashley6.9

Montgomery4.9

Sevier6.8

VanBuren

6.3

HotSpring

6.2

A

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Grade 3 Math Proficiency: The percent of students in Grade

-tion. Arkansas Department of Education

Grade 3 Literacy Proficiency: The percent of students in

-

Grade 8 Math Proficiency: The percent of students in Grade

-tion. Arkansas Department of Education


-


Graduation Rates:

Remediation Rate:

Department of Higher Education

High School Graduates:

Population with Associate’s Degree: The percent of the

Population with Bachelor’s Degree: The percent of the

Population with Graduate or Professional Degree: The

Low Birth Weight Babies:

Data

Infant Mortality Rate: -

No Prenatal Care During First Trimester:

Overweight/Obese Adults:

Overweight/Obese Students:

Any Drug — Lifetime Use:

-

Smokers:

No Exercise:

Meeting Physical Activity Requirement: The percent of

-

Fluoridated Water:

Branch

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Children in Single Parent Families: --

Single Female-Headed Households:

Total Population in Poverty:

Children in Poverty:

Elderly in Poverty:

Senior Dependence Ratio: The senior dependence ratio is

Median Household Income:

Per Capita Personal Income:

Unemployment Rate:

-

Employment to Population Ratio:

Median Selected Monthly Owner Costs:

-

Median Gross Rent:

Births to Teens:

Voter Participation:

--

tion

Charitable Giving:

Chronicle of Philanthropy

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Grade 3 Math and Literacy Scores: In the previous edition of Aspire Arkansas, we looked at Grade 4 math and literacy scores. In this edition, we’ve chosen to report Grade 3 scores, in light of recent research emphasizing third grade as a critical point in educational development and a predictor of future academic success.

How We Calculated Degrees Attained: In its educational -

high school diploma, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or graduate/professional degree. For example, if a person’s education ended with graduating college, he/she will be included in the count for bachelor’s degrees, but not high

bachelor’s degree.

In the previous edition of Aspire Arkansas, we reported these

confusing for readers. For example, readers who glanced -

rectly assumed that only 35 percent of Arkansans had

meant that 35 percent of Arkansans had stopped at a high school degree – many more had earned the degree and gone

generally to remedy this problem. Instead of reporting highest

who have ever earned a given degree, even if they have also continued on to earn additional degrees. In the high school

-one who received higher degrees. In the bachelor’s degree

was a bachelor’s degree, plus those who earned a higher degree.

Our underlying assumption in making these adjustments was that it’s almost always necessary to complete a high school degree and bachelor’s degree in order to earn a graduate or professional degree; therefore, we assumed that if someone had a professional degree, he/she also had a high school degree and bachelor’s degree.

degree in order to proceed to higher levels of education, we

degrees and graduate/professional degrees in the associate’s degree calculations.

Infant Mortality: number of infant deaths per 1,000 infants in the county. In counties with a smaller population of infants, even one or two

mortality rate for that year.

Children in Single Parent Homes vs. Single Female-Headed Households:

Families is related, the two indicators are not interchangeable.

family households with a female head of house with no spouse present (that is, a measure of the number of house-

children in households with a male or female head-of-household and no spouse present (that is, a measure of the number of children).

Senior Dependence Ratio: tracks the number of people age 65 and over (those who are more likely to be retired) relative to the number of people ages 15-64 (those who are more likely to be in the workforce).

Median Household Income vs. Personal Per Capita Income: Income are related but not interchangeable. First, Median Household Income deals with households (and can include the earnings of multiple people in a single household), but

the middle point among all household incomes earned in the area. For example, if the Median Household Income for a county is $30,000, that means half of households in the county earn less than $30,000, and half earn more. On the other hand,

amount of income received by individuals (before taxes) and dividing that number by the total population.

Unemployment Rate vs. Employment to Population Ratio:

-

work (for example, homemakers, people with disabilities or people who have retired early) are not considered unem-ployed, even though they do not currently have a job outside the home.

number of people employed out of the total number of potential workers in the area (people aged 15-64).

-county map and state ranking table vary by .1 percent (8.0 percent for the county-by-county map and 7.9 percent for the

-

state rankings after the change was made.

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blood-pressure-overweight-preventable-causes-death-us/

www.arhungeralliance.org/programs/no-kid-hungry

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Founded in 1955 as the research and support arm of what is today, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Institute for Economic Advancement (IEA) has expanded its reach to many public and private organizations in agencies in the enhancement of community economic development opportunities for the state of Arkansas. Throughout its existence, IEA has been a part

As Arkansas’s only university-based economic development outreach unit with a statewide mandate,

Laboratory, the Center for Economic Development Education, and the state’s Labor Education

of the Census. IEA also serves as the U. S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration University Center for Arkansas, and when applicable, the southwest federal region.

Aspire Arkansasadvancement of Arkansas. Our vision is that the indicators and demographic measures in this report will be helpful in the decision process to create positive change in our state. Progressive communities provide fertile ground for economic development.

About Our Research Partner

64


Keep Reaching, Arkansas!

Arkansas Community Foundation’s four Aspirations for Arkansas Communities are goals for the future of our state. In partnership with the Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, we have compiled county-by-county data from a variety of state agencies and other sources to provide a snapshot of where our communities stand. How healthy are we? How civically active are we? How strong are our educational institutions?

Founded in 1976, we are Arkansas’s only statewide community foundation. We work locally through a network of 27 community-based affiliate offices to gain an in-depth understanding of our state’s towns and cities and a statewide perspective on Arkansas’s challenges and opportunities.

The Community Foundation engages people, connects resources and inspires solutions to build community. We make grants to improve the quality of life in our state and partner with individuals, families and organizations to strengthen Arkansas through philanthropy.

Our Vision: Arkansans will use this report to identify and address the challenges in their communi-ties and to celebrate and replicate the successes revealed in the data.

Our Commitment: We will use these findings to guide our grants and programs as we partner with you to build a better Arkansas.

Aspire Arkansas is simply a starting point. Let’s keep reaching forward!

For more information: To find comprehensive fact sheets for each of Arkansas’s 75 counties, visit www.arcf.org/aspirearkansas. Historical data from previous years are also available online.

A Tool for Community Leaders ........................... 1

What’s New in the Second Edition? .................. 2

Numbers Tell Stories.............................................. 2

About the Data.................................................... 3

Aspirations for Arkansas’s Communities ............ 4

Uncovering the Stories Behind the Numbers .... 5

Aspire Education.................................................. 6

Aspire Health ...................................................... 22

Aspire Families .................................................... 36

Aspire Communities ........................................... 54

Definition and Sources....................................... 60

Map Notes .......................................................... 62

Footnotes ............................................................ 63

Smart Giving to Improve Communit iesSmart Giving to Improve Communit ies

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A COUNTY-BY-COUNTY LOOK AT QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR STATE A report commissioned by Arkansas Community Foundation

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aspire arkansas 2nd edition, 2013 - from arkansas community foundation

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