Did you know there are over 170 different community indicators on Skagit County Trends - each updated throughout the year? But which ones, and when?
This issue of the Skagit County Trends blog lists some of the most recently updated indicators on the Skagit County Trends website.
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Recent Updates
In PEOPLE:
The 2021 estimate of Skagit County residents born outside the U.S. stood at about 12,500, its level nearly 15 years ago. The county’s share of the population attributed to foreign born is considerably lower than U.S. and Washington averages.
0.2.3 People of Color Population as Share of Total
The share of People of Color in Skagit County was estimated to be nearly 30% in 2021. A decade and a half ago, the total share stood at 20%. Hispanics/Latinos now make up nearly 20% of the county’s population.
0.2.4 People of Color Population by Race
The category “two or more races” dominates the composition of the Skagit County population by race. At an estimated 4.4% in 2021, Native Americans are the second most common race.
0.2.5 Age 5+ Who Don’t Speak English At Home
Nearly one out of every five Skagit County residents (17.9%) reported not speaking English at home in 2021. The share has risen over the past decade.
0.3.6 Share of Internet Connection by Type
Broadband was estimated to account for about 83% of all internet connections in Skagit County in 2021. This is slightly lower than the Washington average and about equal to the U.S. rate.
In ECONOMIC VITALITY:
2.5.1 Total Population Living in Poverty
The number of Skagit County residents living at or below the Federal Poverty Level (about $26,000 for a family of two adults and two children) was estimated to be about 16,400 in 2021. This implied a rate equal to the U.S. but far about the state rate.
2.5.2 Seniors Living in Poverty
The number of the 65+ population living in at or below the Federal Poverty Level in 2021 was estimated to be about 1,100. This implies a rate far lower than those of the U.S. and Washington.
In EDUCATION:
3.2.10 Share of Youth Ages 16-19 Employed
Teenage employment in 2021 in Skagit County was estimated to be about 6,000. This represents 40% of the population of that age and a rate far higher than those of Washington and the U.S.
The shares of Skagit County public school students meeting standards on the Smarter Balanced Math Assessment plummeted in the 2020-21 school year and recovered somewhat in 2021-22. They are still lower, however, than pre-pandemic shares.
In PUBLIC SAFETY:
7.1.2 Property Crimes: Total & Rate
As in most Washington counties in 2020 and 2021, property crime rose. The current Skagit County rate is a bit lower than the Washington average but above that of the U.S.
updated 11.01.22
The full list of Skagit County Trends can be found here.
Blog Feature: Leading Causes of Death in Skagit County
Covid-19 Deaths Fifth-Leading Cause of Death for 2020 in Skagit 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.
Compared to the nation, Washington state and Skagit County in particular, fared slightly better. Skagit County Trends 5.1.7 Share of Deaths by Leading Causes presents data on the top four leading causes of death, along with Covid-19 deaths for both the county and the state. At the start of the pandemic, in 2020, deaths due to Covid-19 in Skagit County made up 3% of all deaths that year, below the state average of 5.2%. There were 43 total deaths in the county that year making Covid-19 the fifth-leading cause of death for the year behind cancer, heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s for the county.
However, the second year of the pandemic proved more deadly for the county as well as the state. In 2021, nearly 100 county residents died from Covid-19, making it the third-leading cause of death behind cancer and heart disease for the year at 6.3% of all deaths annually. In comparison, Covid-19 deaths across the entire state comprised 8% of all deaths for 2021, making the virus the third-leading cause of death for the entire state as well.
Covid-19 has proven to be deadlier for older residents. The 65+ age group accounted for nearly 60% of total Covid deaths in Skagit County in 2021. The 45-64 age group accounted for nearly 30% of all Covid deaths in 2021, specifically. The data does suggest that vaccines and improved information about the transmissibility of the virus may have helped prevent even more deaths among the older population. For example, in the first year of the pandemic, someone in the 65+ age group was over 12 times more likely to die from Covid than someone younger (all ages 64 and below). However, in the second year of the pandemic (2021), the odds ratio fell to only five times as likely for a 65+ year old resident to die compared to everyone else.
Lest we think the pandemic is over, on Thursday, November 3rd, nearly 1,000 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.