Comments on: Buncombe County By The Numbers http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/12/10/buncombe-county-by-the-numbers/ If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. — Samuel Adams Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:18:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Michael Muller http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/12/10/buncombe-county-by-the-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-36977 Michael Muller Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:08:13 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=10096#comment-36977 According to the Asheville Chamber of Commerce's <a href="http://www.ashevillechamber.org/economicdevelopment/" rel="nofollow">website</a>, since this time last year, the metro area's... <ul> <li>Unemployment rate is up 3.4%</li> <li>Total Employment is down by 4.6%</li> <li>Number of Homes Sold is up 15.7%</li> <li>Average Price of Homes Sold is down 20.2%</li> <li>Hotel/Motel Sales (Buncombe County) is down 3%</li> <li>Airport Activity (total Passengers) is down 4.69%</li> <li>Number of New Building Permits is unchanged</li> <li>Value of Building Permits is down 3.5%</li> </ul> According to the Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s website, since this time last year, the metro area’s…
  • Unemployment rate is up 3.4%
  • Total Employment is down by 4.6%
  • Number of Homes Sold is up 15.7%
  • Average Price of Homes Sold is down 20.2%
  • Hotel/Motel Sales (Buncombe County) is down 3%
  • Airport Activity (total Passengers) is down 4.69%
  • Number of New Building Permits is unchanged
  • Value of Building Permits is down 3.5%

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]]> By: Tom Sullivan http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/12/10/buncombe-county-by-the-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-36975 Tom Sullivan Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:46:00 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=10096#comment-36975 Thanks for the link, Michael. Thanks for the link, Michael.

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]]> By: Michael Muller http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/12/10/buncombe-county-by-the-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-36974 Michael Muller Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:31:22 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=10096#comment-36974 Some facts from the <a href="http://www.ncjustice.org/" rel="nofollow">North Carolina Justice Center</a>: <b>Unemployment</b> <ul> <li>Buncombe County’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in August 2008; the state rate was 6.6%. In August 2009, the county unemployment rate increased to 8.3%; the state rate increased to 10.8%</li> <li>The county’s August 2009 unemployment rate was 5.2 percentage points higher than the 2000 rate of 3.1%.</li> <li>119,208 workers were a part of Buncombe County’s labor force in August 2009. Poverty</li> <li>13.7% of Buncombe County residents (30,263 people) lived in poverty in 2008; the state rate was 14.6%</li> <li>35.8% of Buncombe County residents were low-income in 2008, meaning their incomes were less than twice the federal poverty level ($21,200 for a family of four in 2008)</li></ul> <b>Wages & Income</b> <ul><li>In 2008, the Buncombe County’s average weekly wage of $676 equaled 88.5% of the statewide wage of $764</li> <li>Median household income in the county was $43,640, which equaled 93.8% of the statewide household income of $46,549</li> <li>Per capita income in Buncombe County was $27,767, which equaled 96.1% of the statewide per capita income of $28,908</li></ul> <b>Income Inequality</b> The richest 5% of Buncombe County households had an average income that was 31 times greater than that of the poorest fifth of households and 7.8 times greater than that of the middle fifth of households. <b>Health Coverage</b> 15.8% of Buncombe County residents did not have health insurance in 2008, compared to 15.9% of all North Carolinians. <b>Food Stamps</b> In September 2008, 21,791 Buncombe County residents received assistance from the food and nutrition program. In September 2009, the number increased by 29.4% to 28,196. <b>The 2008 Living Income Standard</b> <ul><li>A working family in Buncombe County with 1 adult and 2 children needs to earn, on average, a total of $34,392 annually to afford basic living expenses in the county. This total is 195.4% of the 2008 federal poverty level for a family of three ($17,600)</li> <li>The county’s living income standard for this family requires an hourly wage of $16.53, which is $9.28 more than the $7.25 per hour earned in a minimum wage job ($15,080 annually)</li> <li>A working family in Buncombe County with 2 adults and 2 children needs to earn, on average, a total of $39,911 annually to afford basic living expenses in the county. This total is 188.3% of the 2008 federal poverty level for a family of four ($21,200)</li> <li>The county’s living income standard for this family requires them to earn a combined hourly wage of $19.19, which is $4.69 more than the $14.50 per hour earned through working two minimum wage jobs ($30,160 annually)</li></ul> I suspect all of these figures are much worse today. The full report from the NC Justice Center can be downloaded <a href="http://74.220.215.210/~ncjustic/sites/default/files/Employment-Income-Poverty-Inequality-Health%20Insurance-2008%20and%202009%20County%20Fact%20Sheets.pdf" rel="nofollow">here</a>. <i>Sources: Local Area Unemployment Statistics (BLS); 2008 American Community Survey; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; NC Division of Social Services; NC Budget & Tax Center’s Living Income Standard report</i> Some facts from the North Carolina Justice Center:

Unemployment

  • Buncombe County’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in August 2008; the state rate was 6.6%. In August 2009, the county unemployment rate increased to 8.3%; the state rate increased to 10.8%
  • The county’s August 2009 unemployment rate was 5.2 percentage points higher than the 2000 rate of 3.1%.
  • 119,208 workers were a part of Buncombe County’s labor force in August 2009.
    Poverty
  • 13.7% of Buncombe County residents (30,263 people) lived in poverty in 2008; the state rate was 14.6%
  • 35.8% of Buncombe County residents were low-income in 2008, meaning their incomes were less than twice the federal poverty level ($21,200 for a family of four in 2008)

Wages & Income

  • In 2008, the Buncombe County’s average weekly wage of $676 equaled 88.5% of the statewide wage of $764
  • Median household income in the county was $43,640, which equaled 93.8% of the statewide household income of $46,549
  • Per capita income in Buncombe County was $27,767, which equaled 96.1% of the statewide per capita income of $28,908

Income Inequality
The richest 5% of Buncombe County households had an average income that was 31 times greater than that of the poorest fifth of households and 7.8 times greater than that of the middle fifth of households.

Health Coverage
15.8% of Buncombe County residents did not have health insurance in 2008, compared to 15.9% of all North Carolinians.

Food Stamps
In September 2008, 21,791 Buncombe County residents received assistance from the food and nutrition program. In September 2009, the number increased by 29.4% to 28,196.

The 2008 Living Income Standard

  • A working family in Buncombe County with 1 adult and 2 children needs to earn, on average, a total of $34,392 annually to afford basic living expenses in the county. This total is 195.4% of the 2008 federal poverty level for a family of three ($17,600)
  • The county’s living income standard for this family requires an hourly wage of $16.53, which is $9.28 more than the $7.25 per hour earned in a minimum wage job ($15,080 annually)
  • A working family in Buncombe County with 2 adults and 2 children needs to earn, on average, a total of $39,911 annually to afford basic living expenses in the county. This total is 188.3% of the 2008 federal poverty level for a family of four ($21,200)
  • The county’s living income standard for this family requires them to earn a combined hourly wage of $19.19, which is $4.69 more than the $14.50 per hour earned through working two minimum wage jobs ($30,160 annually)

I suspect all of these figures are much worse today. The full report from the NC Justice Center can be downloaded here.

Sources: Local Area Unemployment Statistics (BLS); 2008 American Community Survey; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; NC Division of Social Services; NC Budget & Tax Center’s Living Income Standard report

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]]> By: Blind Faithiness http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/12/10/buncombe-county-by-the-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-36927 Blind Faithiness Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:25:55 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=10096#comment-36927 Anyone know if these numbers show an improvement when compared to the national average. I know we rank relatively low in the household income bracket. Anyone know if these numbers show an improvement when compared to the national average.

I know we rank relatively low in the household income bracket.

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]]> By: Alan http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/12/10/buncombe-county-by-the-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-36921 Alan Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:39:16 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=10096#comment-36921 I already commented on the overriding need to use the limited Asheville CDBG and HOME grant funds to build more units at less cost per unit and I want to clarify that we should not limit our options in three ways. One is that I already said that all subsidized housing should either be multiplex, or singlewide mobile homes and that all new units should be under 300 square feet. I need to add that since many singlewides are over 600 and even 900 square feet, many, if not most, subsidized units can and should be BOTH singlewide and duplex, even triplex is possible. And larger families can be placed in existing public units, many of which are larger, while the new units go to the smaller families. Secondly, if it is cheaper, and/or generates less neighborhood opposition for Asheville to build subsidized housing outside of Asheville, then that is fine for the significant number of recipients who can be enticed to live in those places. Cheaper locations include Leicester, Southeastern Rutherford County, Johnson City TN, Anderson SC, Gadsden AL, Amarillo TX, and parts of Mexico, which are especially suitable for disabled or retired people who do not need to commute. Those enticed to leave do need to continue to count as Asheville residents in terms of eligibility, or else they wouldn't leave. Thirdly, priority should be given to those recipients who can assemble groups of roommates who are not blood descendants (they can be siblings, or parents of adult primary recipients) The more low income roommates they are willing to take in, the higher on the priority list they should go. As for standards, my college dorm room was around 200 square feet and contained a total stranger, thus I think a family of 5 can fit equally well in 300 square feet. And families bigger than that are not sustanable, and so cannot be placed in sustainable houisng. Another idea to eliminate waiting lists and treat all low income people equally, is simply divide the funds by the number of low income Asheville residents and issue rental vouchers for that amount. Those who can't suppliment them enough to rent permanently can stay in hotels or rooming houses temporarily, during winter if they are wise, which incidently is not tourist season so hotels should have space. The rental vouchers should be good anywhere, not just in Asheville or NC or the USA. The market can do the rest. I oppose the use of CDBG for economic development or historical preservation. It should all go to housing. -Alan Ditmore PS 300 square feet per unit refers to climate controlled floor space. Additional unheated storage space might be sensible if cheap. Note: I made significant improvements over my first post, which I don't think I can delete. Anyone who can delete my first post is welcome to do so if space is any concern. lrdy cmmntd n th vrrdng nd t s th lmtd shvll CDBG nd HM grnt fnds t bld mr nts t lss cst pr nt nd wnt t clrfy tht w shld nt lmt r ptns n thr wys.

n s tht lrdy sd tht ll sbsdzd hsng shld thr b mltplx, r snglwd mbl hms nd tht ll nw nts shld b ndr 300 sqr ft. nd t dd tht snc mny snglwds r vr 600 nd vn 900 sqr ft, mny, f nt mst, sbsdzd nts cn nd shld b BTH snglwd nd dplx, vn trplx s pssbl. nd lrgr fmls cn b plcd n xstng pblc nts, mny f whch r lrgr, whl th nw nts g t th smllr fmls.

Scndly, f t s chpr, nd/r gnrts lss nghbrhd ppstn fr shvll t bld sbsdzd hsng tsd f shvll, thn tht s fn fr th sgnfcnt nmbr f rcpnts wh cn b ntcd t lv n ths plcs. Chpr lctns ncld Lcstr, Sthstrn Rthrfrd Cnty, Jhnsn Cty TN, ndrsn SC, Gdsdn L, mrll TX, nd prts f Mxc, whch r spclly stbl fr dsbld r rtrd ppl wh d nt nd t cmmt. Ths ntcd t lv d nd t cntn t cnt s shvll rsdnts n trms f lgblty, r ls thy wldn’t lv.

Thrdly, prrty shld b gvn t ths rcpnts wh cn ssmbl grps f rmmts wh r nt bld dscndnts (thy cn b sblngs, r prnts f dlt prmry rcpnts) Th mr lw ncm rmmts thy r wllng t tk n, th hghr n th prrty lst thy shld g.

s fr stndrds, my cllg drm rm ws rnd 200 sqr ft nd cntnd ttl strngr, ths thnk fmly f 5 cn ft qlly wll n 300 sqr ft. nd fmls bggr thn tht r nt sstnbl, nd s cnnt b plcd n sstnbl hsng.

nthr d t lmnt wtng lsts nd trt ll lw ncm ppl qlly, s smply dvd th fnds by th nmbr f lw ncm shvll rsdnts nd ss rntl vchrs fr tht mnt. Ths wh cn’t spplmnt thm ngh t rnt prmnntly cn sty n htls r rmng hss tmprrly, drng wntr f thy r ws, whch ncdntly s nt trst ssn s htls shld hv spc. Th rntl vchrs shld b gd nywhr, nt jst n shvll r NC r th S. Th mrkt cn d th rst.

pps th s f CDBG fr cnmc dvlpmnt r hstrcl prsrvtn. t shld ll g t hsng.

-ln Dtmr

PS 300 sqr ft pr nt rfrs t clmt cntrlld flr spc. ddtnl nhtd strg spc mght b snsbl f chp.

Nt: md sgnfcnt mprvmnts vr my frst pst, whch dn’t thnk cn dlt. nyn wh cn dlt my frst pst s wlcm t d s f spc s ny cncrn.

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