WRDC Publishes Population Briefs

The Western Rural Development Center, located at Utah State University, has published a series of population briefs on the western U.S. summarizing population trends in the areas of minorities, health, employment, poverty, education and land use.

The series was developed in response to requests from researchers and nonprofits throughout the 13 western states that were in need of demographic data pertaining to the rapidly changing populations in the region. The series includes regional overviews, “The Changing West,” “Employment, Income and Poverty,” “Education,” “Health and Longevity” and “Land Use and Resources” and one brief for each of the 13 western states.

 

“The size and composition of the population in the western states is rapidly changing,” said Don Albrecht. “Accurate and timely information is essential to our stakeholders. These population briefs provide this information in a readily accessible and easy to read format.”

 

Albrecht is the director of the Western Rural Development Center and served as the researcher and author for the briefs. His goal is to make this information available to researchers, community leaders and nonprofits that otherwise may not have access to this important demographic data.

 

“Rural community developers throughout the West face many challenges, and before they begin to shape their communities for future success they must have an understanding of their current populations and conditions,” he said. “These population briefs provide them with that baseline information.”

 

Statistics pertaining to health insurance coverage among residents of the western states are of particular concern at the moment, he said. The Health and Longevity brief, for example, states: “Unfortunately, the residents of the Western States are much more likely to be without health insurance than the average American. Only in Hawaii (9.6 percent) do a smaller percentage of people lack health insurance than the national average. Four western states (New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Montana), along with several southern states (Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas), are among the 10 states with the highest rates of uninsured individuals in the nation.”

 

The population briefs are available for download from the WRDC Web site, or by contacting the WRDC at 435-797-9732.

 

The Western Rural Development Center, hosted by Utah State University, is one of four regional centers funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services to strengthen the capacity of local citizens to guide the future of their rural communities. The Western Rural Development Center links the research and extension capacity of land-grant universities in 13 western states and four U.S. territories.  

 

Writer: Betsy H. Newman, 435-797-0218, betsy.newman@usu.edu
Contact: Don E. Albrecht, 435-797-9732, don.albrecht@usu.edu