Did you know there are over 150 different community indicators on Grant County Trends - each updated throughout the year? But which ones, and when?
This issue of the Grant County Trends blog lists the most recently updated indicators on the Grant County Trends website.
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Recent Updates
In PEOPLE:
Grant County sports very large households, compared to the U.S. and Washington state. The high number of people in each household carries implications for housing, at a minimum.
Unlike other eastern Washington communities, the number of veterans in the County isn’t disproportionately large, compared to the state and the U.S.
0.1.7 Share of Internet Connection by Type
Broadband’s share of internet connections in the County has stayed at about 75% for the past few years. Residents access the internet via cell service at a much greater pace than elsewhere.
In ECONOMIC VITALITY:
2.4.3 Employment Shares by Occupation
Agricultural and manufacturing jobs are present in the County to a much greater degree than in the state and in the U.S. Management jobs are scarcer, but their share has grown.
2.4.4 Employment by Type of Employer
As of 2021, Grant County had a far larger share of its workforce employed by government than in the state and the U.S. The private sector is correspondingly smaller than elsewhere.
In HEALTH:
5.1.2 Deaths by Leading Causes
See the accompanying story below.
Unlike the Tri Cities and Spokane, the number of residents without health insurance climbed between 2019 and 2021. The County’s experience, however, mirrored that of Yakima and the Wenatchee area.
5.4.5 Uninsured Population (18 and younger)
The number and rate of Grant County youth who are without health insurance has stayed low, although rising a bit in 2021.
In PUBLIC SAFETY:
7.1.1 Property Crimes: Total & Rate
After falling rapidly over the past decade, property crime rates in the County rose during pandemic years 2020 and 2021. The rate, however, is a bit below that of Washington state.
7.1.2 Violent Crimes: Total & Rate
Violent rate incidents also rose from 2019 over the subsequent two years. The rate, however, is still below that of Washington and the U.S.
list updated 10.04.22
The full list of indicators on Grant County Trends can be found here.
Blog Feature: COVID-19 Deaths in Grant County
Covid-19 Deaths Fourth-Leading Cause of Death for 2020 in Grant County
In May of 2022, the United States officially surpassed one million reported Covid-19 deaths since the start of the global pandemic. In the initial year of 2020, Covid-19 was the third-leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer for the nation as a whole.
Grant County Trends 5.1.2 Share of Deaths by Leading Causes provides data from the Washington State Department of Health on deaths by the four leading causes of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and stroke. Because of the global pandemic, Covid-19 was added to the data in 2020 as one of the five leading causes of death in the county.
In Grant County, deaths due to Covid-19 were the third-leading cause of death in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. One in ten deaths in the county were due to Covid. Grant County’s rate (10%) was nearly double the state average of 5.2% of all deaths. Looking at the breakdown by age groups, a county resident in the 65+ age group was nearly twice as likely to die from Covid than an average 65+ year old across the state. County residents in the 45-64 age bracket were even more at risk, being over three times as likely to die from Covid than their statewide peers. And the 25-44-year-old adults in Grant County were over seven times more likely to die from Covid than their peers across the state.
Covid-19 has proven to be deadlier for older residents. The 65+ age group accounted for over 72% of total Covid deaths in Grant County in 2020. In fact, there were no recorded Covid deaths for the 24 and under age groups. Someone 65 or older in the county was 19 times more likely to die from Covid than someone in the 25-44 age group and five times more likely to die from Covid than the 45-64 age group.
Because younger people are less likely to die from the other leading causes such as Alzheimer’s, cancer or heart disease, Covid-19 was the leading cause of death among 25-44-year-olds in Grant County in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. Covid-19 deaths were actually the third leading cause of death in Grant County for all other age groups.
Since the start of the pandemic, Grant County has lost 229 community members to Covid-19, most of these deaths occurring in 2021 and continuing into 2022. Lest we think the pandemic is over, on Monday, October 14th, 166 more Americans died from Covid and deaths across the country have been continuing at a pace of about 400 people per week since mid-summer.