March 18, 2023 at 3:47 a.m.
Where Jay ranks
County is lowest for median household income
Where Jay ranks
This week, Indiana Youth Institute released its annual Kids Count Data Book.
As reported by Indiana Capital Chronicle on Thursday, the state still ranks among the lower half of the nation — 28th overall — for child wellbeing.
How does Jay County fare?
Child poverty
In 2016, there was cause for local alarm when the IYI’s data book showed Jay County ranked No. 1 in child poverty at 35.2% (data was from 2014). It was 14 percentage points above the state average.
The number at that time seemed like a bit of an anomaly, having spiked by 8 percentage points from the previous year. Even so, the county’s child poverty rate had come in between 24.7% and 27.2% over a six-year span from 2008 through 2013.
Current numbers don’t look much better.
The most recent data available through The Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center — it is from 2020 — shows Jay County with a child poverty rate of 22.5%. While not the highest rate in the state, the county still ranks among the worst. It is fifth out of Indiana’s 92 counties in child poverty behind only Vigo (28.4%), Lake (25.5%), Grant (23.8%) and Crawford (21.1%) counties.
The state average is 14.9%.
Income
While Jay County isn’t at the top of the list for child poverty, it is for median household income.
The county had a median household income of $42,504, the lowest in Indiana. It was more than $1,500 lower than Perry County, which was second-lowest at $44,011.
The state average is $60,794.
Jay County’s per capita income is $42,194 per year. That ranks 17th-lowest in Indiana and is nearly $10,000 below the state average of $51,926.
Switzerland County is lowest in the state at $35,647 while Hamilton ($80,426) and Boone ($80,314) counties are at the top of the list, both about $20,000 higher than third-place Floyd County.
Jay County ranked 40th for child food insecurity (2021 data) at 17.4%.
Child care
As of 2020, Jay County had just 12 child care facilities registered with the state, down from a recent high of 16 in 2016.
That included nine licensed at-home facilities, two licensed centers and one registered ministry.
Numbers are not as recent for more detailed data, but shows that the county has just 12 child care slots available per 100 children ages 0 to 5. More than half of Indiana’s counties have 15 or fewer slots available per 100 children. The state average is 21.3.
Technology
The county struggles with limited access to technology, a measure of the level of availability of devices or the internet that allows individuals to execute tasks like attaining employment, performing their job or completing coursework and educational programs, as well as the affordability of that technology.
Nearly 27% of Jay County residents have limited access to technology compared to the state average of 7.6%.
Other
One of the areas where Jay County performs well in state rankings is for use of CollegeChoice 529 Accounts for saving for post-secondary education.
With 1,650 accounts, the county’s rate of 319 per 1,000 children ranks sixth-highest in the state. It trails only Wabash, Boone, Benton, Hamilton and Hancock counties.
Jay County was among the bottom 10 counties for completion rate of influenza vaccinations for both youth 6 months through 8 years (11%) and youth 9 through 18 years old (7.8%)
Statewide
Overall, Indiana ranked 28th for overall child well-being among the 50 states, slightly ahead of Ohio (31st) and Michigan (32nd). Illinois was ranked 23rd, with Kentucky at 37th.
The Hoosier state struggled most in the health and family and community categories, ranking 31st in both. It was 19th for economic well-being and 17th for education.
Data show that Indiana’s rate of children in families where the head of household lacks a high school diploma is down to 11% from 13% in 2008 through 2012 with children living in high poverty areas and teen births also declining. (The rate of teen births per 100,000 was nearly cut in half to 19 from 37 a decade earlier.)
Indiana improved its rate of children without insurance — it is now 6%, down from 9% in 2008 through 2012. But its rates of child and teen deaths per 100,000 (33) and children/teens who are overweight or obese (32%) both went up.
The state as a whole improved across the board for economic well-being with the child poverty rate dropping three percentage points to 18% and the rate of teens not in school or working down two percentage points to 6%.
Indiana’s education rankings also improved, with the percentage of fourth graders not proficient in reading dropping to 63% from 66%. The percentage of eighth graders not proficient in math improved by one percentage point while the rate of high school students not graduating in time also improved by one percentage point.
As reported by Indiana Capital Chronicle on Thursday, the state still ranks among the lower half of the nation — 28th overall — for child wellbeing.
How does Jay County fare?
Child poverty
In 2016, there was cause for local alarm when the IYI’s data book showed Jay County ranked No. 1 in child poverty at 35.2% (data was from 2014). It was 14 percentage points above the state average.
The number at that time seemed like a bit of an anomaly, having spiked by 8 percentage points from the previous year. Even so, the county’s child poverty rate had come in between 24.7% and 27.2% over a six-year span from 2008 through 2013.
Current numbers don’t look much better.
The most recent data available through The Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center — it is from 2020 — shows Jay County with a child poverty rate of 22.5%. While not the highest rate in the state, the county still ranks among the worst. It is fifth out of Indiana’s 92 counties in child poverty behind only Vigo (28.4%), Lake (25.5%), Grant (23.8%) and Crawford (21.1%) counties.
The state average is 14.9%.
Income
While Jay County isn’t at the top of the list for child poverty, it is for median household income.
The county had a median household income of $42,504, the lowest in Indiana. It was more than $1,500 lower than Perry County, which was second-lowest at $44,011.
The state average is $60,794.
Jay County’s per capita income is $42,194 per year. That ranks 17th-lowest in Indiana and is nearly $10,000 below the state average of $51,926.
Switzerland County is lowest in the state at $35,647 while Hamilton ($80,426) and Boone ($80,314) counties are at the top of the list, both about $20,000 higher than third-place Floyd County.
Jay County ranked 40th for child food insecurity (2021 data) at 17.4%.
Child care
As of 2020, Jay County had just 12 child care facilities registered with the state, down from a recent high of 16 in 2016.
That included nine licensed at-home facilities, two licensed centers and one registered ministry.
Numbers are not as recent for more detailed data, but shows that the county has just 12 child care slots available per 100 children ages 0 to 5. More than half of Indiana’s counties have 15 or fewer slots available per 100 children. The state average is 21.3.
Technology
The county struggles with limited access to technology, a measure of the level of availability of devices or the internet that allows individuals to execute tasks like attaining employment, performing their job or completing coursework and educational programs, as well as the affordability of that technology.
Nearly 27% of Jay County residents have limited access to technology compared to the state average of 7.6%.
Other
One of the areas where Jay County performs well in state rankings is for use of CollegeChoice 529 Accounts for saving for post-secondary education.
With 1,650 accounts, the county’s rate of 319 per 1,000 children ranks sixth-highest in the state. It trails only Wabash, Boone, Benton, Hamilton and Hancock counties.
Jay County was among the bottom 10 counties for completion rate of influenza vaccinations for both youth 6 months through 8 years (11%) and youth 9 through 18 years old (7.8%)
Statewide
Overall, Indiana ranked 28th for overall child well-being among the 50 states, slightly ahead of Ohio (31st) and Michigan (32nd). Illinois was ranked 23rd, with Kentucky at 37th.
The Hoosier state struggled most in the health and family and community categories, ranking 31st in both. It was 19th for economic well-being and 17th for education.
Data show that Indiana’s rate of children in families where the head of household lacks a high school diploma is down to 11% from 13% in 2008 through 2012 with children living in high poverty areas and teen births also declining. (The rate of teen births per 100,000 was nearly cut in half to 19 from 37 a decade earlier.)
Indiana improved its rate of children without insurance — it is now 6%, down from 9% in 2008 through 2012. But its rates of child and teen deaths per 100,000 (33) and children/teens who are overweight or obese (32%) both went up.
The state as a whole improved across the board for economic well-being with the child poverty rate dropping three percentage points to 18% and the rate of teens not in school or working down two percentage points to 6%.
Indiana’s education rankings also improved, with the percentage of fourth graders not proficient in reading dropping to 63% from 66%. The percentage of eighth graders not proficient in math improved by one percentage point while the rate of high school students not graduating in time also improved by one percentage point.
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