WGU D029 - Population Health Data Brief 2021

A. SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 1. Key Findings ● Adult obesity rates in Allegheny County are rising faster than state or national levels ● Air pollution and particulate matter are concerningly higher in Allegheny County than in state or national levels ● Allegheny County has a very low percentage of individuals that are uninsured classifying the county as a US top performer ● Allegheny County’s poverty level is higher than the national average ● Allegheny County is the 2nd worst Pennsylvania County for income inequality Note. This is a map of Allegheny County (Maps of World, n.d.). 2. Introductory paragraph Data gathered from the US Census Bureau’s QuickFacts shows Allegheny County is a densely populated part of the state of Pennsylvania and accounts for nearly 10% of the state’s population. Population per square mile for the state of Pennsylvania is 283.9 persons per square mile, while Allegheny County boasts 1,675.6 persons per square mile. The population of Allegheny County is similar in diversity to that of the United States. 79.9 percent of Allegheny County residents claim white alone as their ethnicity compared to the national 76.3 percent. Similarly, both Allegheny County and the United States contain 13.4 percent black residents. Allegheny County’s population is slightly older than the national population. While Allegheny County has only 18.6 percent of residents under the age of 18, the US 1 population has 22.3 percent of residents under the age of 18. Likewise, Allegheny County has more population over the age of 65 which includes 19.3 percent of residents, while the US has only 16.5 percent. Allegheny County outperforms US high school graduation rates at 94.6 percent compared to the US 88 percent. Allegheny County boasts only 5 percent of residents are uninsured in comparison to the US average of 9.5 percent. Allegheny County’s population has a higher per capita income ($38,709) compared to the United States ($34,103); however, Allegheny County has a higher poverty level at 10.8 percent compared to the US 10.5 percent indicating an issue of income inequality within the county (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). 3. Sociodemographic Profile Table Population Characteristics County United States Population Estimates 1,216,045 328,745,538 Population Percent Change -0.6% 6.3% Percent of Persons Under the Age of 18 18.6% 22.3% Percent of Persons 65 Years and Over 19.3% 16.5% Percent of Female Persons 51.6% 50.8% Percent White alone 79.9% 76.3% Percent Black or African American alone 13.4% 13.4% Percent American Indian and Alaska Native alone 0.2% 1.3% Percent Asian alone 4.2% 5.9% Percent Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone N/A 0.2% Percent Two or More Races