New State/Local Data for June/July 2008


U.S. Hispanic Population Surpasses 45 Million, Now 15 Percent of Total

The nation's Hispanic population increased 1.4 million to reach 45.5 million on July 1, 2007, or 15.1% of the estimated total U.S. population of 301.6 million. National and state estimates by race, Hispanic origin, sex and age also show that the Hispanic population exceeded 500,000 in 16 states. Hispanics remained the largest minority group, with blacks (single race or multiracial) second at 40.7 million in 2007. The black population exceeded 500,000 in 20 states. With a 3.3% increase between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, Hispanics were the fastest-growing minority group. Blacks were the largest minority group in 24 states, compared with 20 states in which Hispanics were the largest minority group. In Colorado, the Hispanic population is estimated at 965,885 or 20% of the population. (See Table 1 [Excel]). Blacks were followed by Asians, who totaled 15.2 million; American Indians and Alaska Natives, who totaled 4.5 million; and Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, with 1 million. The population of whites (single race and not of Hispanic origin) totaled 199.1 million. Colorado's African American population totaled 239,525 as of July 1, 2007 or 5%. Overall, the nation's minority population reached 102.5 million in 2007 - 34% of the total.

Assessment of Colorado's Rural Dental Health Workforce

The Colorado Health Institute has released an assessment of Colorado's rural dental health workforce. Done under contract with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the assessment is based on findings from CHI's 2006 survey of licensed Colorado dentists and focuses on a number of issues related to the supply of and demand for dentists in rural areas of the state. Highlights of the findings include:

  • The rural dental workforce in Colorado is aging-47% of dental responders practicing in a rural area were 55 years and older compared to 37% of the dental workforce practicing in an urban area;
  • About 92% of dentists practicing in a rural area were male compared to 82% of dentists practicing in an urban area;
  • A majority of dentists (both urban and rural) reported not accepting Medicaid patients-68% rural and 74% urban. Of those who have Medicaid patients in their practice, a large percentage reported not accepting new Medicaid patients (73% rural and 71% of urban practicing dentists);
  • Dentists practicing in rural areas appear to be much more likely to see Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) children than their urban counterparts-52% rural versus less than 30% of dentists practicing in an urban area. Similarly, 48% of dentists in rural areas reported accepting new CHP+ patients compared to only 28% of dentists in an urban practice;
  • The majority of dentists responding to the survey own their dental practice-80% of dentists practicing in both rural and urban areas; finally,
  • There were no significant income differences between dentists practicing either in rural and urban areas.

Colorado Rated Average on Health Care Quality Measures

Compared to all states, Colorado is "average" for 100 health care quality measures, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's 2007 State Snapshots. The snapshots look at measures of quality of care and states' performances by overall health care quality, types of care (preventive, acute and chronic), settings of care (hospitals, ambulatory care, nursing homes and home health), five clinical conditions and clinical preventive services.

Colorado was rated strong in clinical care for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and respiratory diseases, and for certain hospital care measures. The state was weak in maternal and child health measures such as low birth weight.

In another state comparison, this one from the nonprofit Trust for America's Health (TFAH), Colorado scored nine out of a possible 10 in 2007 on emergency preparedness indicators, up significantly from 2006 when the state received a score of six. The only emergency preparedness area in which Colorado was deemed lacking was in its decision not to purchase additional antivirals to use during a pandemic flu. In other health care issues in the TFAH report, Colorado had the highest number of new cases of the Human West Nile Virus in 2007 but was among the top states for low obesity, hypertension and diabetes rates.

Diplomas County 2008

For today's high school graduates, postsecondary education and training have become virtual necessities for a successful adult life. Yet conflicting signals about what it takes to do college-level work create confusion and significant hurdles for many students, according to a report released by Education Week (a newspaper produced by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center-a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that seeks to raise the level of awareness and understanding among professionals and the public about issues in American education).

The report includes the latest analysis by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center of graduation rates nationwide, finding that an estimated 1.23 million students, or almost 30% of the class of 2008, will fail to graduate with their peers. Native American, Hispanic, and African-American students are among the groups with the lowest graduation rates.

In addition, a new analysis conducted for Diplomas Count-part of a multiyear project supported by the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-reports graduation rates for each U.S. congressional district. The data will inform the lawmakers responsible for crafting the policies that shape the nation's public schools. There is a brief for Colorado, which shows the states overall graduation rate at 74.2% (ranked 22nd in the US), compared to an average of 70.6% for the nation. However, there are substantial differences by gender, and race and ethnicity across the state. The highest graduation rate is in New Jersey (83.3% of all public school students), and the lowest is in Nevada (45.4%).

State Test Score Trends through 2006-2007

According to the Center on Education Policy, student achievement in mathematics and reading has risen on state tests, and the gap between white and minority children has narrowed since the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, though gains were stronger in elementary and middle schools than at the high school level.

The study found that the majority of states evaluated posted "moderate-to-large" gains in both subjects in 4th grade. In 8th grade math, most states fared well, though in reading the increases were not as great. The study looked at data from all 50 states from 2002 to 2007.

The study was generated by the Center on Education Policy, a research and advocacy organization in Washington. It follows up on a similar report released last year, and it tries to expand on that earlier analysis by supplementing it with another year of test data and more in-depth study of trends in different areas, particularly the progress of minority students. Key findings for Colorado include:

  • From 2002 to 2007, students made gains in reading across all grades analyzed according to most indicators. At the elementary grade analyzed, reading performance increased slightly according to percentages proficient but effect sizes showed no overall change. At the middle and high school grades analyzed, reading scores increased slightly according to percentages proficient and at a moderate-to-large rate according to effect sizes.
  • Math performance also increased across grades. At the elementary grade analyzed, students made slight gains from 2005 to 2007 in percentages proficient and moderate-to-large gains in effect sizes. At the middle and high school levels, students made math gains from 2002 to 2007. In middle school, gains in both percentages proficient and effect sizes were moderate-to-large; in high school, the percentage proficient showed no change while effect sizes increased slightly.

The authors of the study say it is impossible through their study to answer the oft-asked question among policymakers whether the NCLB law has on its own produced gains or decreases in student learning. Too many factors, particularly state and local school policies, skew that connection, they say. Yet the study seems certain to stoke debates among researchers, policymakers, parents, and others over the 6 1/2-year-old law's impact.

Defining the Rural in Rural America

The share of the U.S. population considered rural ranges from 17% to 49%, depending on the definition used. The classification of people and territory as rural poses a number of challenges for researchers, policy makers, and program managers throughout the Federal system and beyond. Most Americans share a common image of rural-open countryside and small towns at some distance from large urban centers-but disagree on where and how to draw the line between rural and urban. Drawing such a line requires answering two questions:

  • At what population threshold do rural places become urban?
  • Where along the urban periphery do suburbs give way to rural territory?

Answers to these questions vary substantially among the profusion of rural definitions currently in use. Population thresholds dividing rural from urban locations range from 2,500 to 50,000. Methods of designating the urban periphery range from the use of municipal boundaries to definitions based on counties. Definitions based on municipal boundaries may classify as rural much of what would typically be considered suburban. Definitions that delineate the urban periphery based on counties may include extensive segments of a county that many would consider rural.

USDA ERS selected a representative set of nine alternative rural definitions and compared social and economic indicators from the 2000 decennial census across the nine definitions. They chose socioeconomic indicators (population, education, poverty, etc.) that are commonly used to highlight differences between urban and rural areas. A set of Colorado maps illustrates these definitions, as do national and state indicator tables. The indicator tables can be used to:

  • determine how many people are considered rural in the U.S. under different definitions.
  • compare the average household income of the rural population under different rural definitions.
  • see how changing the population threshold from 2,500 to 10,000 affects the number of people considered rural in your State.
  • compare the poverty rate for the rural population in your State for the different definitions.

National Reports with Local Relevance:

Nationwide Survey of Organic Manufacturers, Processors and Distributors

The organic sector has expanded rapidly over the last decade, as retail sales of organic food increased to $15.7 billion in 2006. As sales have grown, so have the number and types of outlets selling organic products. USDA's Economic Research Service surveyed certified organic intermediaries in the United States to collect information on basic characteristics of the sector in 2004, as well as its marketing and procurement practices. This report uses the survey findings to present a baseline view of the organic handling sector. A large share of organic handlers are mixed operations that handle both organic and conventional products, and most began as conventional firms that converted to handling organic products. Most organic products are sold domestically, with nearly three-quarters sold nationally or regionally. More than three-quarters of the firms are independent, and most are small. Handlers seek suppliers with a reputation for providing high-quality products. Most transactions between handlers and suppliers occur under contract, reportedly so that handlers can procure ingredients essential for their businesses.

Lagging Scores of English Language Learners

This Pew Hispanic report examines the role of schools in the achievement gap of the nation's four million English language learner public school students. Analyzing newly available standardized test data, the report finds that students designated as English language learners (ELL) tend to go to public schools with low standardized test scores. However, these low levels of assessed proficiency are not solely attributable to poor achievement by ELL students. These same schools report poor achievement by other major student groups as well, and have a set of characteristics associated generally with poor standardized test performance-such as high student-teacher ratios, high student enrollments and high levels of students who live in poverty or near poverty. When ELL students are not isolated in these low-achieving schools, their gap in test score results is considerably narrower.

Hispanic Women in the United States, 2007

Annual births to Hispanic women in the United States exceeded one million for the first time in 2006, and one-in-four children in the U.S. under the age of five is Hispanic, according to new reports from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Pew Hispanic Center released a statistical portrait of the demographic, social and economic characteristics of the 14.4 million Hispanic women in the US. Key findings from the report:

  • Hispanic women are younger than non-Hispanic women. Their median age is 41, compared with a median age of 47 for non-Hispanic women.
  • The fertility rate of Hispanic women is one-third higher than that of non-Hispanic women.
  • Just over half (52%) of Hispanic women are immigrants. Their fertility rate is about 30% higher than that of native-born Hispanic women.
  • Some 42% of Hispanic women who gave birth in 2005-2006 were unmarried, compared with 34% of non-Hispanic women. The share of out-of-wedlock births to Hispanic women immigrants was 35%; the share for native-born Hispanic women was 50%.
  • Hispanic and non-Hispanic women are equally likely (54%) to be married. Hispanic women immigrants (63%) are more likely to be married than native-born Hispanic women (44%)-in part because the latter group is younger.
  • Hispanic women are less educated than Non-Hispanic women; 36% have less than a high school education, compared with 10% of non-Hispanic women.
  • The labor force participation rate of Hispanic women (59%) is similar to the participation rate for non-Hispanic women (61%). Native-born Hispanic women (64%) have a higher participation rate than Hispanic women immigrants (54%).
  • Hispanic women who work full time earn a median weekly salary of $460; the equivalent figure for non-Hispanic women is $615.
  • Hispanic women are more likely than non-Hispanic women to work in blue-collar occupations such as building and landscape services, food preparation and services, and manufacturing.
  • Some 20% of Hispanic women live in poverty, compared with 11% of non-Hispanic women.

Immigrant Latino Workers Hit Hard by Economic Slowdown

The Pew Hispanic Center released a report entitled Latino Labor Report, 2008: Construction Reverses Job Growth for Latinos. Using data through the first quarter of 2008, the report finds the economic downturn is having a disproportionate impact on Hispanic workers. From an historic low in late 2006, the unemployment rate for Latinos rose sharply in 2007 and currently stands well above the rate for non-Latinos.

Immigrant Hispanics, especially Mexican immigrants and recent arrivals, have been hurt the most by the slump in the construction industry. Weekly earnings for most groups of Hispanic workers, particularly construction workers, also slipped backward in the past year. There are no signs Latino immigrants are leaving the U.S. labor market but they now play a smaller role in the growth of the Hispanic workforce than in recent years.

Despite the disproportionate impact that the economic slowdown has had on immigrant Latino workers, there are no signs that they are leaving the U.S. labor market. Their labor force participation rate--that is, the percentage of the immigrant working-age Latino population either employed or actively seeking employment--has remained steady. However, they now play a smaller role in the growth of the Hispanic workforce than in recent years.

Labor market outcomes for Hispanic women appear to be worse than for men during 2007. They left the labor force in greater proportion and experienced greater increases in unemployment than did Hispanic men. Some 130,000 more Latino women became unemployed in 2007, and their unemployment rate increased from 5.6% to 7.0%.

Weekly earnings for most groups of Hispanic workers also slipped backward in the past year. Again, Latino construction workers suffered most from the decline in wages. Their earnings tumbled in 2007 and they now earn less than they did two years ago in the first quarter of 2006.

These findings emerge from the Pew Hispanic Center's analysis of the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau. Most of the data are from the Current Population Survey, a monthly Census Bureau survey of approximately 60,000 households. Data from three monthly surveys were combined to create larger sample sizes and to conduct the analysis on a quarterly basis.

School Enrollment in the US: 2006

The US Census Bureau released a national-level update of characteristics of the nation's more than 75 million students. Eight tables include number of students by attributes such as age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, family income, type of college and vocational course enrollment. This Internet-only release comes from data collected each October as part of the Current Population Survey.

The Food Assistance Landscape: FY 2007 Annual Report

An Economic Research Service report found that federal expenditures for USDA's food assistance programs totaled almost $54.3 billion in fiscal 2007, over 2% more than in the previous fiscal year. This rise marked the seventh consecutive year in which food assistance expenditures increased and the fifth consecutive year in which they exceeded the previous historical record. The five largest food assistance programs-the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the School Breakfast Program-accounted for 95% of USDA's expenditures for food assistance. This report uses preliminary data from the Food and Nutrition Service to examine trends in the programs through fiscal 2007. It also discusses a series of recent Economic Research Service reports that compile evidence to help answer the question of whether the Food Stamp Program can do more to improve the food choices of participants.

Food Stamps and Obesity: What We Know and What it Means

Critics of the Food Stamp Program point to higher rates of obesity among some low-income populations and question whether the program may have been too successful in boosting food consumption. A review by USDA' Economic Research Service of the effects of food stamp participation on body weight found that participation does not increase the likelihood of being overweight or obese for men or children. Women are the only group for which multiple studies show a potential link between food stamp participation and an increase in obesity and body weight, although this effect appears to be small.

Ecological Predictors and Developmental Outcomes of Persistent Childhood Overweight

Child obesity poses short- and long-term health risks and may have negative social and economic consequences in adulthood. This USDA Economic Research Service study uses data on 8,000 children followed from kindergarten through third grade as part of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class to examine predictors of persistent childhood overweight and associated academic and socio-emotional outcomes.

Results show that socioeconomic status, gender, race, and behavioral and environmental factors influence risk of persistent overweight. The odds of children being overweight increased 3% for each additional hour of television that they watched per week and 9% for each family meal per week that they did not experience. Overweight children progressed less than their non-overweight peers did in reading and math achievement, with overweight appearing to precede academic difficulties, and were rated lower on academic and socio-emotional factors by their teachers and themselves. Academic and social costs should be considered in assessing costs of childhood overweight and potential benefits of overweight prevention.

Food Stamp Program Certification Costs and Errors, 1989-2005: Final Report

Preventing and detecting certification errors in the Food Stamp Program (FSP) is a major policy concern. In 2005, the cost of overpayments was $1.29 billion, about 4.5 percent of the $28.6 billion in benefits issued, according to this USDA ERS final report. This report examines the state-level relationships between FSP certification error rates and certification expenditures, program policies, caseload characteristics, and economic conditions. The results show that, during the study period of 1989-2005, a 10-percent increase in certification "effort"-about $35 per participating household-would reduce an index of certification errors by 2% (0.3 percentage points out of a mean of 15.1%). The effect of certification effort was significantly smaller between 1997 and 2002, when States were implementing welfare reform. Key simplification policies authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill were estimated to jointly reduce the error index by 4.4 percentage points.

World Population Approaches 7 Billion

World population is projected to reach 7 billion in 2012 according to the Census Bureau's International Data Base (IDB). The latest projections show world population growing at a slower pace during the first half of the 21st century than the latter half of the 20th century. The world population doubled from 3 billion in 1959 to 6 billion in 1999, but is projected to increase by only 50 percent between 1999 and 2040.

The IDB offers online users a number of ways to retrieve demographic data, including: country summary pages showing key population indicators, tables of demographic indicators for countries and regions, and population pyramids showing age and sex composition.

New Data Releases:

Consolidated Federal Funds Report: 2006

Provides a broad overview of how and where the federal government allocates funds. Statistics are provided for each federal department and agency, and presented by state, county and subcounty area.

Federal Aid to States for Fiscal Year 2006

Contains data on federal grants to state and local governments.

Net Worth and the Assets of Households: 2002

Income and net worth are two important factors in determining economic well-being in the United States. This report looks at net worth and asset ownership by various socioeconomic factors, including monthly income. The data come from the Survey of Income and Program Participation.

County Business Patterns, 2006

County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides subnational economic data by industry. The series is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. County Business Patterns covers most of the country's economic activity. The series excludes data on self-employed individuals, employees of private households, railroad employees, agricultural production employees, and most government employees. The County Business Patterns program has tabulated on a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) basis since 1998. Data for 1997 and earlier years are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) System. For more information on the relationship between the two systems, see the Bridge Between NAICS and SIC. This series has been published annually since 1964 and at irregular intervals dating back to 1946. The comparability of data over time may be affected by definitional changes in establishments, activity status, and industrial classifications.