Alamance County Community Profile

Transcription

1 Alamance County Community Profile Alamance County Planning Department March 2014

2 Population In 2012, Alamance County s total estimated population was 151,170. The majority of the population, 98,752 is within the county s ten municipalities. Thirty-five percent, or 52,418 people, live in the county s unincorporated areas. Alamance County 2012 Population: 151,170 Unincorporated Areas Municipalities Percent of Population by Race County Total White: 69.9% Black: 18.0% Other: 4.3% Population Age Trends Median Age: years and over: 71.4% 62 years and over: 17.8% Age % 2012 Trend years 19.4% years 14.5% years 25.0% White and non Hispanic or Latino residents make up the largest percentage of the population, with the unincorporated areas being less diverse than municipalities. Hispanic or Not Hispanic or Latino Percent of Population by Ethnicity County Total Municipalities Unincorporated Areas 11.0% 12.3% 8.7% 89.0% 87.7% 91.3% years 21.1% years 12.9% 75 years and over 7.1% Almost half (46.1%) of the population is between 25 and 59 years old. The young to middle-aged population has declined over the past four years, with the exception of the year old age bracket, which likely represents the continued growth of Elon University. The Baby Boomer population (48-66) has seen a steady increase over the past four years. All data from American Community Survey 5-year datasets. Date shown is from the end of the range, e.g is from dataset Community Profile 1

3 Land Area & Density Alamance County has a total land area of approximately 435 square miles, of which 10.8 square miles is water. Three lakes Lake Cammack, Lake Mackintosh, and Graham-Mebane Lake serve as water reservoirs for county residents. To protect these water resources, six watersheds encompassing approximately 108 square miles limit the scale and type of development in these areas. The Haw River is the largest river, but there are also numerous creeks, streams, and ponds throughout the county. The municipalities cover an area of 52 square miles and their extraterritorial jurisdictions, where the municipalities zoning authority extends to, cover another 48 square miles. Approximately 334 square miles are located within the county s planning jurisdiction. 1 Population Density The population density in Alamance County as a whole is 355 persons per square mile. Faucette Township is the least dense at 87 persons per square mile, and Burlington Township is the most dense at 1,587 persons per square mile. Land Use A large portion of land in unincorporated Alamance County is used for agricultural purposes. Over 2,100 parcels in the unincorporated areas of the county are classified as farms, equaling approximately 155 square miles. Another 61 square miles are classified as vacant. 2 1 Land area calculations from GIS and the 2012 U.S. Gazetteer. 2 Land use classifications from the Alamance County Tax Department 2014 Community Profile 2

4 Housing Alamance County has over 66,000 housing units, almost half of which (47.7%) are more than thirty years old Total Housing Units: 66,694 44,917 units in Municipalities; 10.1% Vacant 21,777 units in Unincorporated Areas; 8.5% Vacant The proportion of new homes built in the unincorporated areas has grown steadily over the past several decades, reflecting increased development in rural areas. Over a third of the housing stock in unincorporated areas is mobile homes, and conversely 28.5% of housing in the municipalities is duplexes, apartments, and 2.44 people Average Household Size other attached units. While the majority (60%) of residents moved in the last twelve years, one-fifth of Alamance County residents have not moved in over twenty years. Housing costs are particularly high for renters; over half of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs, as compared to more than a quarter of homeowners. Housing Tenure Housing Type Housing Costs 1,2 $51,700 Area Median Income $136,000 Median House Value $702 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent $13.50 Hourly wage necessary to afford 2-BR FMR 31% of total households are renters $10.58 Estimated mean renter hourly wage 51% of renters pay > 30% of their income for housing 26% of owners pay > 30% of their income for housing Housing Units Year Built 1 ACS National Low Income Housing Coalition Out of Reach Community Profile 3

5 Housing Trends Housing Costs & Income 1,2 The Median House Value has dropped by 7% between 2007 and 2012, from roughly $148,000 to $138,000. With the exception of a spike to $59,000 in 2009, the Area Median Income has remained relatively steady at around $57,000. Median Gross Rent has fallen by 8% from $769 to $709 per month. Hourly Wage Comparison 1 A housing wage is the full-time hourly wage necessary to afford the rent and utilities of a 2- bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent, without spending more than 30% of income on housing. In Alamance County this wage is consistently $3-4 dollars higher than the Mean Renter Hourly Wage. The Mean Renter Hourly Wage has fallen 13% since 2005, from $12.12 to $10.58 per hour. Affordability 2 Housing is considered affordable when a household pays no more than 30% of their annual income towards housing costs. 3 The proportion of cost-burdened homeowners has risen from a fifth to a quarter of all homeowners. Renting is increasingly unaffordable; in 2012 one in two renters were cost-burdened, a 7% increase since National Low Income Housing Coalition Out of Reach 2 ACS 3-Year datasets 3 U.S. HUD *All values adjusted for inflation to 2013 dollars 2014 Community Profile 4

6 Employment Alamance County s accessible location on the I-40 and I-85 corridor in between the Raleigh-Durham area to the east and the Greensboro/Winston-Salem area to the west results in a lot of employment across county lines. In 2011, of the residents who live in Alamance County, 52.6% work outside of the county, and 47.4% both live and work within the county. An additional 24,109 employees, 46.1% of the employees in Alamance County, commute from areas outside of the county. 1 The maps below show the spatial distribution of jobs and residences. The mean commute time is 23 minutes. Eighty-two percent of workers drive a car, truck, or van to work alone; another 12% of workers carpool. 2 Half of the top 25 employers are in Education & Health Services and Manufacturing industries, which employ approximately 18,936 people, or 37% of workers. 4 The average annual pay in Alamance County is lower than both its surrounding counties and counties of a similar population size. A location quotient (or industry concentration) analysis reveals that textile mills and apparel manufacturing industries are Where Alamance County Residents Work 2012 Total Population 16 years and over: 119, % unemployed 77,700 (64.9%) in civilian labor force 42,004 (35.1%) not in labor force Industry Breakdown of Top 25 Employers: 7 Education & Health Services 6 Manufacturing 4 Trade, Transportation & Utilities 3 Professional & Business Services 2 Construction 2 Public Administration 1 Leisure & Hospitality 2012 Average Annual Pay, All Industries 4* $35,137 Alamance County $36,108 Comparable Counties $36,832 Surrounding Counties 5 and 7 times more concentrated in Alamance County than in the state. Conversely, crop and animal production industries are one-fifth as concentrated in the county as compared to the state as a whole. 4 Top 10 Employers, nd Quarter 3 Rank Company Employees 1 Labcorp Alamance-Burlington School System Alamance Regional Medical Center Where Alamance County Employees Live 4 Elon University Alamance County Government City of Burlington Wal-Mart Associates Inc Honda Power Equipment Mfg Inc Gate City of Burlington Inc Alamance Community College U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD OnTheMap 2 ACS U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW NC Commerce Department, nd Quarter *Comparable: Catawba, Davidson, Iredell, Randolph; Surrounding: Caswell, Chatham, Guilford, Orange, Randolph, Rockingham 2014 Community Profile 5

7 Employment Trends In 2002, Manufacturing made up 28.09% of employment in Alamance County; by 2012 that share dropped to 17.51%. Two sectors, Health Care and Accomodation, saw more than 4% growth over the 10-year period. A pay comparison over the same time period reveals that pay has remained steady for most industry supersectors, but has decreased for Education & Health Services and Professional & Business Services. While real pay in comparable and surrounding counties has remained steady, it has fallen by almost $2,000 in Alamance County. A 10-year snapshot of employment trends show that the current unemployment rate is lower than in However, over the past year, the number of employed remains steady while the number of unemployed has significantly dropped; suggesting that many have stopped looking for work and have dropped out of the labor force. Top 10 High-Employment Industry Sectors, Top Industry SuperSectors Avg. Annual Pay, 2002* Avg. Annual Pay, 2012* Education & Health Services 42,477 35,327 Manufacturing 40,588 40,774 Trade, Transportation & Utilities 32,659 44,156 Professional & Business Services 42,936 28,556 Construction 37,144 40,036 Public Administration (Local Gov t) 36,393 37,489 Leisure & Hospitality 14,874 14,193 All Industries, Alamance County 37,430 35,652 All, Comparable Counties 36,421 36,637 All, Surrounding Counties 37,586 37,372 Unemployment January-December % Rank % 2012 Manufacturing Manufacturing Retail trade Health care and social assistance Health care and social assistance Retail trade Accommodation and food services Accommodation and food services Unemployment Administrative and waste services Administrative and waste services Construction Construction Management of companies and enterprises Wholesale trade Wholesale trade Management of companies and enterprises Finance and insurance Educational services Other services, except public administration Finance and insurance 1 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2 by NAICS 2-digit code *All values adjusted 2014 Community Profile 6

8 Education Alamance County has seen a marked increase over time in higher education attainment. However, while Alamance County s educational attainment is higher than counties of comparable population size, it lags behind that of surrounding counties, the state, and the nation as a whole. Almost half of the population aged 25 years and older did not finish high school or has only a high school degree. Lower educational attainment corresponds with higher unemployment rates and lower earnings. Alamance County s Educational Attainment Over Time 2010 Educational Attainment Comparison Educational Attainment Alamance County, Unemployment Rate Median Earnings Less than high school 10.3% $17,931 High school graduate only 7.8% $26,386 Some college or Associate s degree 6.1% $31,884 Bachelor s degree or higher 3.4% $44,819 Graduate or professional degree No Data $57,346 The Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS) has 26 elementary schools, 7 secondary schools, and 1 combined school, with approximately 22,260 students in attendance. Almost 71% of students graduate high school, of which 45% intend to go on to a four year institution. ABSS High School Graduate Intentions ABSS Figures and Rankings 1 Figure Statewide Ranking Students Enrolled 22, Per Pupil Spending $7, Per Pupil County Appropriations & Supplemental Taxes $1, Three charter schools provide an alternative to the public school system and have a total enrollment of 1,039 students. 1 There are two higher education institutions in the county as well. Alamance Community College, which offers a range of programs for degree-seeking students and continuing education, has 4,677 full-time equivalent students. 2 Elon University, a private four-year university, has 5,225 undergraduates and 691 graduate students enrolled , NC Public Schools 2 ACC Factbook Elon.edu ACS Community Profile 7