Did you know there are over 185 different community indicators on Spokane Trends - each updated throughout the year? But which ones, and when?
This issue of the Spokane Trends blog lists the most recently updated indicators on the Spokane Trends Focus website.
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Recent Updates
In PEOPLE:
Over 43,000 veterans were estimated to reside in Spokane County in 2021. This share, at 10.3%, was far higher than in the U.S. and Washington.
0.3.5 Shares of Households with Internet Connections
Spokane County now claims over 90% of its household with an internet connection – a greater share than in the U.S. but lower than the state of Washington.
0.3.6 Share of Internet Connection by Type
The estimated share of Spokane County’s internet connections that are broadband hasn’t increased much over the past several years, about 83%.
In ECONOMIC VITALITY:
This key measure of income increased by over $6,000 over the past two years, but the estimate still lags the U.S. and especially Washington state.
2.4.4 Employment Shares by Occupation
Management & professional occupations take a smaller share of Spokane County’s workforce than in the U.S. and the state; sales & office, in contrast, a higher share.
In EDUCATION:
3.6.1 Population with a High School Diploma
The estimated share of Spokane County’s population with this terminal degree continues to shrink and is now equal to the state share and far less than the U.S. share.
3.6.2 Population with an Associate's Degree
The estimated share County’s population with some college or an AA degree is far above the shares of both the state and the U.S.
3.6.3 Population with a BA or Graduate Degree
The estimated share of the County population with a Bachelor’s degree or higher has stayed the same for several years, and is considerably less than the shares of both the state and the U.S.
In HEALTH:
After rising from its low point in 2015, the estimated share of the County population without health insurance dipped to its lowest point on record in 2021.
5.4.2 Uninsured Population by Age Group
The estimated decline in the uninsured in 2021 was largely accounted for by the adult (19-64) population. The share of youth without insurance stayed very low.
list updated 12.13.22
The complete list of Spokane Trends can be found here.
Blog Feature: COVID-19 Deaths in Spokane County
Covid-19 Deaths Fourth-Leading Cause of Death for 2020 in Spokane County
In May of 2022, the United States officially surpassed one million reported Covid-19 deaths since the start of the global pandemic. In the initial year of 2020, Covid-19 was the third-leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer for the nation as a whole.
Compared to the nation, Washington state and Spokane County in particular, fared slightly better. In 2020, deaths due to Covid-19 in Spokane County made up 5.4% of all deaths that year, nearly matching the state average of 5.2%. There were 288 total deaths in 2020 – the start of the pandemic. Overall, Covid-19 was the fourth-leading cause of death for the year behind cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s for the county.
Covid-19 has proven to be deadlier for older residents. The 65+ age group accounted for over 85% of total Covid deaths in Spokane County in 2020. In fact, there were no recorded Covid deaths for the 24 and under age groups. Someone 65 or older in the county was 62 times more likely to die from Covid than someone in the 25-44 age group and seven times more likely to die from Covid than the 45-64 age group.
Because younger people are less likely to die from the other leading causes such as Alzheimer’s, cancer or heart disease, Covid-19 deaths were actually the third leading cause of death in Spokane County for all age groups except the over 65 group.
Lest we think the pandemic is over, on Monday, October 14th, 166 more Americans died from Covid and deaths across the country have been continuing at a pace of about 400 people per week since mid-summer. In Spokane County, even though there were 288 Covid deaths in 2020, the county has surpassed 1,500 deaths this week and with new cases still being recorded at a rate of over 800 per week at the Spokane County Regional Health District dashboard, deaths, especially among older populations, will continue to rise.