Sunday, April 24, 2011

Poverty and Economic Stress in Wisconsin's Adams County

(2010:  18,728)

Excerpt:   But for some, the disasters of the last 17 years have only added to the hardship. For all its beauty, Adams County is also one of the poorest counties in the state.

The median annual household income is $38,166 with 13.6 percent of its residents living below the poverty rate. That compares to $52,103 and 10.5 percent for the state as a whole, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to the Associated Press Economic Stress Index, which uses a formula of unemployment, bankruptcies and foreclosures to come up with a score for each county in the nation, Adams County was the most stressed county in the state in February with an index of 15.1. By comparison, Rock, Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine counties ranged from 13.4 to 13.7. Dane County was at 7.2.

"Rural poverty is very tough," said Jim Abbs, president of the Adams County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. "It's very sparsely populated and that means things are very far away. They often have to drive 30 to 40 miles to work and don't have cars that work well. The jobs are very limited."
And, according to a health risk assessment study by the UW Health Population Institute, Adams County ranks 71 out of 72 counties in overall health
.

Adams County residents appears to have greatly loved and valued their library service during the past 10 years.
Adams County:  
Population & Circulation (1960-2009)
Source:  Wisconsin Public Library Service Record (1960,1970,1980,1990, 2000,2009)

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