Population and Change. Over the period from 2000 to 2009, Buchanan County's population increased by 3,858, going from 85,998 to 89,856. This was a change of 4.5 percent, compared to 7.0 percent for the state.
Components of Change. Natural Increase is defined as births minus deaths. Buchanan County had 2,363 more births than deaths between 2000 and 2009. Net migration is the difference between the number of people who moved into an area and the number of people who moved out. A negative net migration means a net loss of persons due to migration (more out-movers than in-movers), while a positive value represents a net gain. Between 2000 and 2009, Buchanan County had an estimated net migration of 1,491.
Age. In 2009, an estimated 14.2 percent of Buchanan County residents were 65 and older compared to 13.7 percent statewide. At the same time, the Census Bureau estimated that young people (under 18) made up 23.5 percent of the county's population, compared to 24.0 percent for the state.
Racial Diversity. The 2009 vintage estimates from the Census Bureau indicate that 92.7 percent of the population in the county was White (83,285 persons), while the estimated Black population was 4,161 (4.6%). The same set of estimates indicated there were 533 Asians (0.6%) and 431 American Indians (0.5%). (These are all "race alone" figures.) Hispanic is not considered to be a race by the Census Bureau/OMB, but rather a separate ethnic category. In 2009, an estimated 3,553 Hispanic persons (4.0%) were living in the county.
Place of Residence. Sub-county estimates for 2009 indicate that 84.8 percent of the county's population lived in incorporated places of 2,500 or more. Those living in smaller places accounted for 2.0 percent of the county's population, while 13.2 percent lived in unincorporated areas.
Housing. According to the 2009 Census Bureau's estimates, there were 37,411 housing units in Buchanan County. The homeownership rate in 2000 was 67.5 percent compared to 70.3 percent statewide. In 2000, the median value of owner-occupied housing units was $72,700 compared with a statewide figure of $89,900.
Households and Families. There were about 33,592 households in the county according to the 2000 decennial census. Families comprised 65.8 percent of households (22,092). About 21.9 percent of households were married couples with children under 18, which was less than for the state overall (23.3%). Single parent families accounted for 10.0 percent of all Buchanan County households, compared to 9.1 percent in Missouri.
Families and Children. Median family income for Buchanan County was $42,408 in 1999, compared to $46,044 for Missouri.
Unemployment / Jobs by Sector. The 05 / 2010 unemployment rate (per BLS, preliminary and not seasonally adjusted) was 7.8 percent, compared with 8.7 percent statewide. According to Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates, in 2008 there were 60,584 jobs in Buchanan County. Manufacturing accounted for more than 17.5 percent of the total jobs (10,606). Health care and social assistance (7,152), Retail Trade (6,980) and Accommodation and food services (4,219) were the next largest industries for this county.
County Income Patterns. BEA estimates indicate that Buchanan County generated over $2,763.905 million dollars of total personal income in 2008. Per capita income was $30,990, compared with $36,356 for Missouri. Significant sources of income were:
Commuting. In Buchanan County, 15.0 percent of workers commuted outside their home county to work in 2000. Statewide, 25.2 percent of workers traveled between 30 and 60 minutes to work, while in Buchanan County 11.6 percent traveled as long. At the same time, 4.9 percent of workers traveled more than 60 minutes to work, compared with 5.4 percent statewide.
Educational Attainment. In 2000, about 16.9 percent of Buchanan County residents aged 25 years and over (9,377) were college graduates, compared to 21.6 percent statewide. An additional 14,789 had some college education (26.6%) compared with 27.0 percent of all Missourians over the age of 25.
In 2008, the high school graduation rate in Buchanan County (87.7%) was higher than the statewide rate (85.8%), as reported by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Disabilities. In 2000, 5,363 persons age 65 and older in Buchanan County reported having a disability (44.1%). The corresponding Missouri rate was 42.6 percent. Among the working age population (16 to 64) of Buchanan County, 5,903 reported some work disability, which was 11.3 percent of all persons in that age cohort, compared to a statewide figure of 10.8 percent.
Health Status Indicators. In 2003, over 17.3 percent of Buchanan County residents reported their health was “fair or poor” compared with 16.9 percent statewide. While 12.3 percent of Missourians reported having no health coverage, the percent without coverage in Buchanan County was estimated at 13.4 percent. State health data report the top two prevalence indicators for the county were Current Smoker (31.6%) and High Cholesterol (35 years and older) (44.6%). Missouri reported 26.5 percent and 37.3 percent in those same categories.
Age-adjusted Mortality. The age-adjusted cause-of-mortality rates (per 100,000) significantly higher than the state for Buchanan County were Lung Cancer (72.6) and Stroke/ Other Cerebrovascular Disease (75.8). The corresponding Missouri rates were 64.3 and 64.5, respectively.
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