According to the Numbers
By Albert B. Kelly
Over the years I’ve looked forward to getting the census numbers for many reasons. In some instances, the numbers speak to evolving trends, for good or for ill, something we need to watch. Sometimes the numbers tell us what we’ve lost and at other times, the numbers tell us what we’ve gained. These numbers can’t necessarily be viewed in isolation, it is always in comparison to something else, to other numbers.
Regardless, there is value in sifting through the numbers and the 2020 census numbers for Cumberland County is no exception though it troubles me to think how politicized and ugly things have become- that the numbers can’t just be the numbers- but something to be weaponized and used in support of goodness knows what. But for all of that, the numbers for Cumberland County still speak.
Between 2010 and 2020 our population declined by some 2,746 persons from 156,898 to 154,152. With 554 Covid-related deaths in the county, it’s hard to say exactly how the pandemic might have contributed to this decline, but the census count unfolded over a good portion of 2020 so it certainly played a role.
Yet, at the same time, we have 1,285 more housing units than we did ten years ago which is perhaps why our population density (i.e., people per square mile) went from 339 in 2010 to 307 in 2020. This might also be consistent with the shrinking household size which went from 2.84 persons in 2010 to 2.72 persons this time around.
Though it was by no means a given, the median household income in Cumberland County did tick up to $55,709 from $52,004 a decade ago as did the median family income which went from $61,801 in 2010 to $67,467. I’m not at all sure that this increase does anything on the ground especially now that the most recent estimates put the inflation rate at 7.97%.
Not surprisingly, the poverty rate for all persons went up slightly from 15.7% in 2010 to 16% in 2020, yet the poverty rate for households headed by single moms went from 29.4% ten years ago to 26.7% even as median rents increased from $914 to $1,082 during that same stretch. Also not surprisingly the percentage of owner-occupied homes dropped from 68.4% a decade ago to 66.3% as of the last census.
One statistic that is not often considered but is extremely important involves grandparents. In 2010, 31.6% of us grandparents were responsible for grandchildren while that number is 2020 was 29.9%. While this represents a slight decrease, it remains high and speaks to some larger truths within society whether we’re talking about the ravages of addiction impacting so many families or the unbelievable difficulties millennials and Gen X have in establishing themselves.
Between a more specialized and segmented job market, student loan debt, tight credit and lending standards, high rents, and the hefty costs of child care, it is no wonder that so many grandparents have had to step into the breach on behalf of their grandchildren. For all of these reasons, we’ve been forced to redefine the American dream because what it was before is simply not attainable for increasing numbers of our fellow citizens.
The number of families earning an income that placed them below the poverty level stayed roughly the same at 12.4% and 12.0 respectively. The number of households that had Social Security went from 33% in 2010 to 37.7% in 2020. This is consistent with the fact that collectively, our population is slightly older.
In 2020, the number of households with a computer came in at 89.2% while some 82.1% have broadband. This number needs to increase as most employers require applications to be completed online and almost every program that comprises the social safety net requires forms to be accessed and completed online. If nothing else, this reminds us how important libraries can be for the internet access they provide.
Ultimately what we can’t be sure of is how accurate our numbers are because of how politicized and weaponized the last census became. The numbers speak, but there was simply too much fear among some segments of the community and these people are not reflected in the data. This is to our disadvantage because it impacts everything from what resources we might ask for and what we will receive to the policy judgements we ultimately make about where to focus our efforts.