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 ENVIRONMENT:
The Annual Average of PM 2.5 Concentration Levels in the Air is diminishing
Research has shown that the smallest airborne particles, when lodged in the lungs, can lead to lung and heart diseases. Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets the PM 2.5 threshold at 35 micrograms per cubic meter. Readings are taken continuously over a 24-hour period, and this indicator presents the annual average of those daily readings.
The most recent reading (2024) shows that Skagit County had an annual average value of 4.4 micrograms per meter3. This is considerably lower than in 2013, when it stood at 7.7. Snohomish County’s PM 2.5 readings, however, have declined even more rapidly.
Average Annual Precipitation is higher now than 2000
Since the start of the new century, annual average precipitation in the county has trended slightly upward. The value in at the start of the new century was about 64 inches; the value in 2024, about 77 inches. Note, however, that the graph shows quite a bit of year-to-year variability.
Precipitation includes all forms, including the rain-equivalent of snow.
The Number of High Heat Days may show the start of a trend
High heat days are now recognized as a health hazard, especially for the elderly and those working predominantly outside. High heat days in this indicator consist of those days where the thermometer exceeds 90 degrees F.
As the graph shows, there has been little pattern since 2000. In fact, for most years the value was zero. That may be changing, however, as three of the past five years show some years with positive values. 2022 represented the peak, with three such days.
The Share of Developed Impervious Surfaces of County Area has increased slightly
The built environment affects a variety of environmental outcomes: transportation pollution, temperature, and in this indicator, the run-off of water into streams, rivers, and sewers. This measure focuses on a part of the built environment – impervious surfaces. This indicator tracks the share of the county’s land area that is covered by human-made, impervious surfaces. The data are released every five years.
For 2021, the share was 1.8%. For 2001, the share was 1.6%.
In HEALTH:
A Food Environment Index shows little improvement
Consuming nutritious food is essential to health. Skagit County is a place of bounty, so it one would expect access to nutritious food to be high. This index combines distance to grocery stores, a USDA calculation, and the level of poverty in the county. The index values run 0-10, with 10 the best.
The 2024 value for Skagit County was 8.2. There has been little change over the past decade. Since the start of the pandemic, the local index value has been below that of the state.
In HEALTH cont.:
The Youth Mortality Rate has declined significantly
Young people die from accidents, suicide, and to a lesser degree, disease. Many of these deaths are preventable. This indicator measures the number of deaths by youth (up to age 19), relative to 100,000 young people.
For 2024, the rate in Skagit County was 30 per 100,000. This represents a decline from a decade ago (2013) when it stood at 42. In nearly all years represented by the indicator, the Skagit County rate is below that of Washington state.
Student Abuse of Painkillers has plunged over the decade
Young people die from accidents, suicide, and to a lesser degree, disease. Many of these deaths are preventable. This indicator measures the number of deaths by youth (up to age 19), relative to 100,000 young people.
For 2024, the rate in Skagit County was 30 per 100,000. This represents a decline from a decade ago (2013) when it stood at 42. In nearly all years represented by the indicator, the Skagit County rate is below that of Washington state.
To simplify the graph, simply click off the item in the legend you would like to remove.
Primary Care Physicians - Total & Rate per 10,000 Residents – numbers are stagnant
A primary care physician is typically the most important contact in the healthcare of an individual. Primary care disciplines encompass family practice, internal medicine, pediatricians and general practice. Without an adequate number of primary care physicians, access to clinical care is constrained (although physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners can certainly help to boost care at this level).
As of 2024, there were 107 primary care physicians in Skagit County. Their numbers have held steady for several years. That is about 8 per 10,000 residents. A decade ago (2015), the rate was 9.3. While a decade ago, the county rate was considerably higher than that of Washington, the two rates are now the same.
Mental Health Providers - Total & Rate per 1,000 Residents – have recently surged
Concern over mental health, in its various manifestations, has surged in recent years. As a result, it is often difficult for someone to find a specialist, whether a physician, psychologist, a specialized ARNP, or a counselor for addiction. This indicator tracks the number of these various clinician types and their population rate.
The current number in the county in 2024 was 739, with a rate of 5.5 per 1,000 residents. This represented a very large increase since 2015 when 297 were noted. Over the past decade-plus, the rate per 1,000 county residents has been higher than for the Washington state.
In HOUSING:
Share of Households with at Least 1 Housing Problem – reveals little improvement
As the largest expenditure in a typical household’s budget, housing matters a lot in a sense of well-being. This indicator, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, considers four challenges households may face: overcrowding, high costs, lack of kitchen facilities or the absence of indoor plumbing. For a household to qualify into this category, only one challenge needs to be present.
In 2024, the share of Skagit County households in this category amounted to 16%. This is slightly lower than the share a decade ago (2014), when it stood at 18%. Until 2024, the Skagit County residents were more burdened by these dimensions of housing than the average Washington household.
updated 5.15.25
The full list of Skagit County Trends can be found here.