Published: May 08, 2008 10:32 pm         

Socio-economic profiles offer interesting statistics that help target need

The Regional Review, a publication Frostburg State University’s Center for Regional Progress, gives us a pretty good picture of the region’s socio-economic profile as it compares to the United States on a county by county and state by state basis.

When we think of the region, we have to look at contiguous counties in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, specifically Mineral and Hampshire counties in West Virginia, Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland and Bedford and Somerset counties in Pennsylvania.

The region, while primarily rural in nature, is changing somewhat with some areas becoming more urbanized and residential.

Unemployment rates in the six counties vary somewhat with Mineral at 4.6 percent; Hampshire, 4.4; Allegany, 5.1; Garrett, 5.0; Bedford, 6.5, and Somerset, 6.2. Looking at those rates in the context of national and state rates, the national rate is 4.6 percent; West Virginia is 4.4 percent, Maryland, 3.4, and Pennsylvania at 4.3 percent, we can see the variances while noting the West Virginia counties are more in line with the state and national percentages.

But when you look at some of the statistics you realize people are driving relatively long distances to work.

Mineral Countians travel to Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland and to Hardy County in West Virginia, with some also traveling as far as Winchester, Va. Their mean travel time is 29.2 minutes.

Hampshire Countians travel to Winchester and beyond with a mean travel time of 39.7 minutes.

The mean travel time for Allegany and Garrett workers is less at 22.6 and 24.8 respectively, with slightly longer times for Bedford and Somerset workers at 27.9 and 22.9 respectively.

It simply means that more jobs are needed within the region.

When it comes to population, Somerset and Allegany counties are the most populous at 78,508 and 72,831 respectively, followed by Bedford at 49,927, Garrett at 29, 859, Mineral at 26,928 and Hampshire at 22,480.

Of all of the counties only Hampshire is growing and it is at a rate that should give pause to the entire region. The county has seen a population increase of 11.3 percent from April 2000 to July 2006. And while I don’t have the statistics, the last two years have also seen continued growth in that county’s population.

During the same time period, Mineral County saw a decline in population of .6 percent. Allegany County’s population declined 2.8 percent while Garrett County remained the same. Bedford lost population at .1 percent and Somerset’s loss was 1.9 percent.

Housing, the need for more and varied, has been an issue in Allegany and Mineral counties, while Garrett County has seen an explosion in housing around the Deep Creek Lake area in recent years much of which is seasonal rental.

Allegany County has a population of 72,831 with 33,128 housing units and a 70.2 percent home ownership rate; Mineral has a population of 26, 928 with 12,924 housing units and a 78 percent home ownership rate.

Garrett County, with a population of 29,859 has 18,571 housing units and a home ownership rate of 77.9 percent.

Hampshire County has a population of 22,480 with 12,205 housing units and a home ownership rate of 81.1 percent, probably higher now due to the continued growth in the county.

Bedford County, with a population much lower than Allegany County at 49,927 has a much higher percentage of housing units at 24,245 and an 80.1 percent home ownership rate. Somerset County with a more comparable population to Allegany County at 78,508 has 38,034 housing units and a home ownership rate at 78.1 percent.

Geographically, the Pennsylvania counties have considerably more land area, 1,014.5 square miles in Bedford County, with an average of 49.2 people per square mile; 1,074.66 square miles in Somerset County with an average of 74.4 people per square mile.

The Maryland and West Virginia counties are more comparable in the number of square miles but not in the population per square mile.

Mineral County has 327.73 square miles and 82.6 people per square mile; Hampshire has 641.72 square miles and 31.5 people per square mile. While in Allegany County, the land area is 425.42 square miles and 176.3 people per square mile.

Garrett County is more comparable to Hampshire County with 647.96 square miles and 46.1 people per square mile.

The significant changes in the region the last few years have been the expanded growth in population but not jobs in Hampshire County and the expanded recreational development in Garrett County that offers some jobs but not necessarily high paying ones.

What the profile does not talk about are the needs in infrastructure (highways, technology, water and sewer) that would bring more jobs and more stable growth in population.

Mona Ridder can be reached at monaridder@verizon.net.