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Show Socioeconomic Indicators Socioeconomic Status Compiled by Kasey Poon Three factors that generally determine socioeconomic status are as follows: income, occupation, and education. While education is covered elsewhere in this issue, some of the direct and indirect markers for income and occupation are listed in the table below. Over the past several years, the rate of increase in Utah's population has generally been higher than that of the United States (Table 1). And while the unemployment rate in Utah is lower than the overall national rate, the per capita income of the state's citizens is lower than the rest of the nation. This may be related to the generally larger household size of the state compared to that of the rest of the nation. In fact, based on Census 2000 data, Utah ranked first among the states in average household size. A "household" is defined as a person or group of persons who live in a housing unit. Utah's poverty rate continues to remain below that of the U.S. in general. However, it has been rising over the last three years, while the U.S. poverty rate has gradually declined. Poverty is determined by a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. Poverty rate is simply the percentage of families who fall below the poverty threshold. Utah leads the nation in the number of bankruptcy filings per household. As of March 31, 2002, one out of every 34.5 Utah households filed for debt relief. The reasons for this phenomenon are multiple. The average wage in the state is approximately fifteen percent below the United States average, while real estate prices are at or near national levels. The charitable contribution pattern of the state is also different from others, with many members of the population paying ten percent of their income in tithing to the LDS Church. These factors, along with the larger average household size, combine to strain family budgets (Oberbeck, 2002). Table 1. Socioeconomic status comparisons between the U.S. and Utah. (N/A=not available) Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total Population* U.S. 272,646,925 275,854,104 279,040,168 282,224,348 285,317,559 Utah 2,119,784 2,165,960 2,203,482 2,243,406 2,278,712 % Change in Pop. from Previous Yr. U.S. 1.0 0.9 0.9 3.5 1.4 Utah 2.1 1.7 1.4 5.3 1.6 Total Households U.S. 99,884,000 101,041,000 103,874,000 105,480,101 N/A Utah 662,361 676,697 N/A 701,281 N/A Non-Business Bankruptcy Filings U.S. 1,349,510 1,398,182 1,290,346 1,217,972 1,492,129 Utah 11,713 13,536 13,644 14,741 18,936 Unemployment Rate (%) U.S. 4.9 4.5 4.2 4.0 4.8 Utah 3.1 3.8 3.7 3.2 4.4 Per Capita Income ($) U.S. 25,439 26,917 27,902 29,797 30,494 Utah 20,185 21,594 22,305 23,436 24,204 Average Household Size U.S. 2.65 2.61 2.62 2.59 2.61 Utah N/A 3.06 N/A 3.13 3.06 Poverty Rate (%) U.S. 13.3 12.7 11.8 11.3 11.7 Utah 8.9 9.0 5.7 9.6 10.5 * Population counts show large increase in 2000, reflecting new census. Sources: American Bankruptcy Institute [Online] http://www.abi^orld.org/staTsMewstatsfront.html. Retrieved 4/19/03. Oberbeck S. Utah bankruptcies, tops in U.S., soar. The Salt Lake Tribune. 7/16/2002. U.S. Census Bureau. [Online]' (¦> l ¦. o^ x < .. >. ,. * so Retrieved 3/13/03. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. [Online] http7/www.be3.a,ov/bea/regional/spi/. Retrieved 3/13/03. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. [Online] i^ v<> r. Retrieved 3/13/03. 68 Utah's Health: An Annual Review Volume LX |