How strong is your community’s civic muscle compared to your peers? Use the Peer County Tool to compare civic muscle scores in your community with those of communities with similar social, demographic, and economic settings.
Total Population
Population, Density (Persons per Sq Mile) by County, ACS 2019-23
Total population size is important for peer grouping, as it scales service delivery needs, infrastructure demands, and policy impacts across communities. This provides a base for balanced comparisons regardless of community scale.
Median Household Income
Median Household Income by County, ACS 2019-23
Median household income is a basic socioeconomic measure for peer groups, indicating overall economic health, consumer spending patterns, and public service funding capacities. This facilitates comparisons of communities with similar fiscal and lifestyle conditions.
Families with Children
Households with Children (Age 0-17), Percent by County, ACS 2019-23
Families with children indicate community priorities around education, childcare, and family-oriented amenities, which is important for grouping peers that face similar developmental and recreational demands. This allows for comparisons of communities with aligned family-related needs.
Educational Attainment
Population with No High School Diploma (Age 25+), Percent by County, ACS 2019-23
Educational attainment levels like high school diploma or higher are important for peer identification, as they relate to workforce skills, economic productivity, and social mobility opportunities. This supports comparisons of communities with similar human capital profiles.
Veteran Population
Veterans, Percent of Total Population by County, ACS 2019-23
Veteran population size is important for peer group identification because higher concentrations can lead to distinct demographic compositions, such as a larger share of older adults or specific workforce segments in counties. This also affects local economies through patterns like increased federal benefits spending or targeted job sectors, helping match counties with similar population and economic structures.
Population Change
Population Change, Percent by County, US Census Bureau 2010 – 2020
Population change from 2010 to 2020 captures migration and expansion trends, which is important for peers with similar planning for housing, schools, and economic development. This allows for peer matches that consider growth trajectories.
Population Age 75+
Population Age 75+, Percent by County, ACS 2019-23
The proportion of the population aged 75 and older is important for identifying peer groups because it shows communities with similar needs for senior healthcare, housing, and support services. This helps match areas with comparable aging-related resource demands.
Urban/Rural Population
Population Living in Rural Areas, Percent by County, US Census Bureau 2020
The percentage of rural population distinguishes urban-rural divides in access to services, transportation, and economic opportunities, which is important for relevant peer comparisons. This ensures peer groups share similar geographic and accessibility profiles.
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Foreign-Born Population
Foreign-Born Population (Non-Citizen or Naturalized), Percent by County, ACS 2019-23
The foreign-born population indicates cultural diversity and immigration patterns, which is important for peer grouping in counties with similar multicultural compositions and workforce characteristics. This helps match counties with aligned demographic and economic influences from immigration.
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