2016 State Report for County-Level Data: Poverty

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the following individuals who have contributed to the success of this effort: Deb Brucker, Erin Dame, Adam Lavoie, Kate Filanoski, Karen Volle, and Anna Brennan-Curry.

Funding for this publication is made possible by:

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC), funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), grant number 90RTGE0001-01-00; and the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Policy and Measurement (EPM-RRTC), also funded by NIDILRR, grant number 90RT5037-03-00. The information developed by the StatsRRTC and EPM-RRTC does not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government (Edgar, 75.620 (b)).

The StatsRRTC and EPM-RRTC are part of the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. The Institute on Disability/UCED (IOD) was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of people with disabilities and their families and is New Hampshire’s University Center for Excellence in Disability (UCED). Located within the University of New Hampshire, the IOD is a federally designated center authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Act. Through innovative and interdisciplinary research, academic, service, and dissemination initiatives, the IOD builds local, state, and national capacities to respond to the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families.

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Copyright 2019. Institute on Disability. University of New Hampshire.      

 

 

 

2016 North Carolina Report for County-Level Data: Poverty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on

Disability Statistics and Demographics

A NIDILRR-Funded Center

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Introduction

The State Reports for County-Level Data on Poverty are designed to provide the users of disability statistics with the number and percentage in poverty for civilians with disabilities, ages 18 to 64 years and living in the community, for any given state and county in the United States (U.S.). This report is intended to be an online complement to Section 3: Poverty of the Annual Disability Statistics Compendium and Annual Disability Statistics Supplement, providing greater detail within each state. The State Reports for County-Level Data on Poverty can be used to compare county-level statistics between counties in any given state or states. The following report provides county-level statistics for North Carolina.

The proportion of the civilian non-institutionalized population with disabilities in poverty, also called the poverty rate, presented in the State Reports for County-Level Data is a useful tool for advocates, researchers, and policy-makers to plan and provide services and supports for people with disabilities experiencing poverty. In this report, poverty of people with disabilities is presented as the number of civilians with disabilities, ages 18 to 64 years and living in the community, in a given state and county per total state and county populations, respectively. Counts and percentages (the poverty rate) are provided in tables and maps.

The data for this report come from the American Community Survey 5-year data. The American Community Survey (ACS) is a national survey developed by the U.S. Census Bureau to provide information on a number of topics about social, economic, and demographic characteristics of the U.S. population. ACS 5-year data is collected over a longer period of time than 1-year data, providing larger sample sizes and increased reliability for less populated areas and small population subgroups. All of the statistics in this report use the ACS 5-year data which includes data from 2016, the year of the report, and data from the four previous years. In the ACS, people are identified as having a disability based on responses to a series of six questions asking about having difficulties with vision, hearing, ambulation, cognition, self-care, and independent living (see glossary for further details). 

Poverty is defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and set as a dollar threshold by the U.S. Census Bureau (see the glossary for further details).

 

 

Specific to North Carolina, the state chosen for this report, sentences providing interpretation and context for poverty statistics are included on the following page. A short glossary of terms is also provided at the end of the report explaining the statistics that are illustrated in each sentence.

Additional Resources. The Annual Disability Statistics Compendium and its complement, the Annual Disability Statistics Supplement, are summaries of statistics about people with disabilities, available both in hard copy and online at https://www.disabilitycompendium.org.

Help navigating any of the resources described here can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section at https://www.disabilitycompendium.org/faq. Assistance interpreting and locating additional statistics is available via our toll-free number, 866.538.9521, or by email, disability.statistics@unh.edu. For more information about our research projects, please visit https://www.researchondisability.org.

Suggested Citation. Boege, S.L., Lauer, E.A., & Houtenville, A.J., 2019. 2016 State Report for North Carolina County-Level Data: Poverty. Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, Institute on Disability.

Interpretation

The following statements are designed to help understand the 2016 county-level poverty statistics from North Carolina that are presented:

 

  • For people with disabilities: 

    • The poverty rate for people with disabilities in North Carolina was 29.2%.
    • The range, also known as the difference between largest and smallest values, of poverty rates for people with disabilities across North Carolina counties was 32.6%.
      • The county with the greatest poverty rate for people with disabilities was Bladen (46.6%).
      • The county with the smallest poverty rate for people with disabilities was Currituck (14.0%).
    • The median, also known as the middle-most, poverty rate for people with disabilities across all counties in North Carolina was 30.1%.

 

  • For people without disabilities: 
    • The poverty rate for people without disabilities in North Carolina was 14.3%.
    • The range, also known as the difference between largest and smallest values, of poverty rates for people without disabilities across North Carolina counties was 30.8%.
      • The county with the greatest poverty rate for people without disabilities was Watauga (37.7%).
      • The county with the smallest poverty rate for people without disabilities was Dare (6.9%).
    • The median, also known as the middle-most, poverty rate for people without disabilities across all counties in North Carolina was 15.3%.
Civilians with and without Disabilities in Poverty Ages 18 to 64 Years Living in the Community for North Carolina, by County: 2016
County Disability No Disability   County Disability No Disability
Total Count % [1] Total Count % [2] Total Count % [1] Total Count % [2]
North Carolina 703,079 205,527 29.2 5,248,157 748,591 14.3   Cumberland    27,535   7,379 26.8   150,796  22,802 15.1
   Alamance     11,596   3,799 32.8    81,012  12,027 14.8   Currituck      1,898     266 14.0    13,487   1,188  8.8
  Alexander      3,290   1,015 30.9    18,032   2,413 13.4      Dare        2,501     712 28.5    19,129   1,328  6.9
  Alleghany        974     316 32.4     5,277     863 16.4    Davidson     14,746   4,423 30.0    83,619  10,963 13.1
    Anson        2,653     713 26.9    12,196   2,536 20.8     Davie        2,679     489 18.3    21,707   2,559 11.8
     Ashe        1,934     628 32.5    13,832   2,677 19.4     Duplin       5,635   1,537 27.3    29,114   7,296 25.1
    Avery        1,493     417 27.9     7,317   1,119 15.3     Durham      15,868   4,621 29.1   170,535  25,450 14.9
   Beaufort      4,491   1,639 36.5    22,536   3,424 15.2   Edgecombe      5,442   1,818 33.4    26,660   5,461 20.5
    Bertie       2,088     569 27.3     9,485   1,428 15.1    Forsyth      20,139   6,511 32.3   197,358  32,305 16.4
    Bladen       4,146   1,934 46.6    16,267   3,191 19.6    Franklin      4,725   1,283 27.2    33,074   4,709 14.2
  Brunswick      9,877   2,600 26.3    56,225   7,634 13.6     Gaston      18,443   5,555 30.1   111,086  14,821 13.3
   Buncombe     17,318   4,946 28.6   135,259  17,882 13.2     Gates        1,023     204 19.9     6,030     519  8.6
    Burke        9,945   3,674 36.9    43,401   6,574 15.1     Graham         708     258 36.4     4,188     689 16.5
   Cabarrus      9,830   1,885 19.2   107,244  10,225  9.5   Granville      5,481   1,718 31.3    28,979   3,432 11.8
   Caldwell      8,411   2,967 35.3    41,108   5,472 13.3     Greene       2,358     806 34.2     9,291   1,881 20.2
    Camden         739     174 23.5     5,249     379  7.2    Guilford     27,483   8,867 32.3   285,220  42,731 15.0
   Carteret      6,657   1,673 25.1    32,808   3,802 11.6    Halifax       5,780   2,425 42.0    24,683   5,332 21.6
   Caswell       2,583     840 32.5    10,952   1,858 17.0    Harnett       9,525   2,867 30.1    61,269   9,859 16.1
   Catawba      12,181   3,513 28.8    81,159  10,599 13.1    Haywood       4,744   1,370 28.9    29,695   4,229 14.2
   Chatham       4,295   1,080 25.1    33,921   3,978 11.7   Henderson      7,954   2,334 29.3    53,488   6,362 11.9
   Cherokee      2,717     834 30.7    12,234   2,277 18.6    Hertford      2,082     728 35.0    10,591   2,038 19.2
    Chowan       1,110     346 31.2     7,058   1,514 21.5      Hoke        4,216   1,194 28.3    24,531   5,347 21.8
     Clay          952     328 34.5     4,831     666 13.8      Hyde          449     140 31.2     2,610     658 25.2
  Cleveland      8,741   2,804 32.1    48,820   8,736 17.9    Iredell      11,506   2,728 23.7    90,951   9,811 10.8
   Columbus      5,869   2,163 36.9    25,993   4,739 18.2    Jackson       2,618     888 33.9    20,755   4,692 22.6
    Craven       8,905   2,186 24.5    46,708   5,903 12.6    Johnston     14,068   3,249 23.1    96,517  10,723 11.1
Civilians with and without Disabilities in Poverty Ages 18 to 64 Years Living in the Community for North Carolina, by County: 2016
County Disability No Disability   County Disability No Disability
Total Count % [1] Total Count % [2] Total Count % [1] Total Count % [2]
    Jones        1,225     389 31.8     4,635     876 18.9    Robeson      12,458   4,824 38.7    67,348  17,296 25.7
     Lee         4,229   1,154 27.3    30,431   4,566 15.0   Rockingham     8,655   2,930 33.9    46,722   7,570 16.2
    Lenoir       7,479   1,871 25.0    26,468   4,908 18.5     Rowan       11,397   3,121 27.4    70,257  10,158 14.5
   Lincoln       7,030   1,776 25.3    42,333   5,008 11.8   Rutherford     7,510   2,708 36.1    31,434   4,993 15.9
    Macon        2,532     696 27.5    15,861   2,682 16.9    Sampson       6,609   2,621 39.7    30,795   5,729 18.6
   Madison       1,576     579 36.7    10,656   1,474 13.8    Scotland      3,888   1,753 45.1    15,654   4,136 26.4
    Martin       2,040     584 28.6    11,630   1,931 16.6     Stanly       4,934   1,800 36.5    30,375   4,220 13.9
   McDowell      5,074   1,761 34.7    21,495   3,317 15.4     Stokes       3,665     940 25.6    24,528   3,202 13.1
 Mecklenburg    48,560  13,485 27.8   602,056  71,661 11.9     Surry        7,563   2,248 29.7    35,123   5,063 14.4
   Mitchell      1,406     503 35.8     7,329   1,059 14.4     Swain        1,000     326 32.6     7,235   1,215 16.8
  Montgomery     1,876     690 36.8    13,445   2,489 18.5  Transylvania    2,000     600 30.0    15,681   2,162 13.8
    Moore        5,416   1,617 29.9    43,973   5,414 12.3    Tyrrell         346      59 17.1     1,695     286 16.9
     Nash        7,655   2,076 27.1    48,511   6,497 13.4     Union       10,179   1,785 17.5   119,393   9,958  8.3
 New Hanover    13,738   4,570 33.3   121,188  20,505 16.9     Vance        5,189   1,679 32.4    21,106   4,598 21.8
 Northampton     2,349     939 40.0     9,115   2,071 22.7      Wake       42,528   9,382 22.1   587,884  54,690  9.3
    Onslow      15,485   3,182 20.5    76,770  10,475 13.6     Warren       2,099     809 38.5     9,186   1,868 20.3
    Orange       6,447   1,415 21.9    79,269  13,351 16.8   Washington     1,522     405 26.6     5,516   1,087 19.7
   Pamlico       1,126     243 21.6     5,743     712 12.4    Watauga       2,883   1,143 39.6    30,303  11,436 37.7
  Pasquotank     2,929     734 25.1    19,485   3,056 15.7     Wayne       11,497   3,443 29.9    60,840  11,054 18.2
    Pender       5,376   1,659 30.9    27,498   4,426 16.1     Wilkes       6,209   1,912 30.8    33,884   6,370 18.8
  Perquimans       941     313 33.3     6,449     866 13.4     Wilson       6,339   2,011 31.7    41,762   7,011 16.8
    Person       4,414   1,355 30.7    19,223   2,792 14.5     Yadkin       3,188     765 24.0    19,385   3,083 15.9
     Pitt       11,584   3,842 33.2    99,577  24,690 24.8     Yancey       1,726     644 37.3     8,303   1,471 17.7
     Polk        1,368     309 22.6     9,776   1,288 13.2                                                           
   Randolph     10,743   3,159 29.4    74,734   9,834 13.2                                                           
   Richmond      4,696   1,305 27.8    21,811   4,886 22.4                                                           
Count of Civilians in Poverty with Disabilities Ages 18 to 64 Years Living in the Community for North Carolina, by County: 2016

Poverty Rate for Civilians with Disabilities Ages 18 to 64 Years Living in the Community for North Carolina, by County: 2016

Discussion

There are a number of concepts and factors which complicate the interpretation of the estimates presented in this report. These concerns affect all statistics from population-based surveys. The estimates included in this document should be interpreted the following limitations in mind and generalized with caution. In each point, a link to the U.S. Census Bureau website describing the limitation or concept in greater detail in the ACS has been provided.

Additional links to resources for the ACS:

Glossary

American Community Survey (ACS) — The American Community Survey is a large, continuous demographic survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that will provide accurate and up-to-date profiles of America’s communities every year. Annual and multiyear estimates of population and housing data are generated for small areas, including tracts and population subgroups. This information is collected by mailing questionnaires to a sample of addresses. See the U.S. Census Bureau website for additional details.

The Six Disability Questions in the American Community Survey:

  1. Is this person deaf or does he/she have serious difficulty hearing? (yes or no)
  2. Is this person blind or does he/she have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses? (yes or no)
  3. (If person 5 years old or over) Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this person have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions? (yes or no)
  4. (If person 5 years or old over) Does this person have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs? (yes or no)
  5. (If person 5 years old or over) Does this person have difficulty dressing or bathing? (yes or no)
  6. (If person 15 years old or over) Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this person have difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping? (yes or no)

Average — The sum of all of the values in a sample divided by the number of values in the sample.

Civilian — A person not in active-duty military.

Living in the Community – A person lives in the community, if the person is not living in an institution, such as jail, prison, nursing home, and hospital. A college dormitory is not considered an institution.

Median — The middle-most value of a sample that separates the upper half of the values from the lower half of the values. 

Non-Institutionalized Population — Describes individuals who are residing in the community and who are not living in institutions such as jails, prisons, nursing homes, hospitals, etc.

Population — The total number of inhabitants in a defined geographic area including all races, classes, and groups.

Poverty — The U.S. Office of Management and Budget in Statistical Policy, Directive 14 sets the standards for which poverty is calculated. The U.S. Census Bureau uses a set of dollar value thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. If a family’s total income is less than the dollar value of the appropriate threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered to be in poverty.

Poverty Rate — Percent of the population who are determined to be in poverty.

Range — The difference between the largest and smallest values in a sample. In a sample, when the smallest value is subtracted from the largest value the resulting value is called the range. 

Sampling Variability — The variation of a statistic when estimated from repeated samples.

United States Census Bureau — An agency within the United States Federal Statistical System tasked with producing data about the American people and economy. Their primary task is to conduct the United States Census every ten years.

About the Center

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC)

Led by the University of New Hampshire, the StatsRRTC is a collaborative effort involving the following partners: American Association of People with Disabilities, Center for Essential Management Services, Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, Kessler Foundation, Mathematica Policy Research, and Public Health Institute.

The StatsRRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research under grant number 90RTGE00010100, from 2018–2023.

Employment Policy and Measurement Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (EPM-RRTC)

Led by the University of New Hampshire, the EPM-RRTC is a collaborative effort involving the following partners: Association of University Centers on Disability, Hunter College, Kessler Foundation, Mathematica Policy Research, and the University of Chicago.

The EPM-RRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research under grant number 90RT503701, from 2015–2020.

Contact Information
University of New Hampshire, Institute on Disability
10 West Edge Drive, Suite 101
Durham, NH 03824
Toll-Free Telephone/TTY: 866-538-9521
E-mail: Disability.Statistics@unh.edu
https://www.researchondisability.org