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Demographics

Special Age Groups and Gender

Youth and Older Workers: Other age cohorts may be of special interest for Workforce Development Board's summer youth programs and older worker programs. The Howard County region has 4,098 persons age 14-21 representing 12.2 percent of the population. This compares with 13.4 percent statewide. For the potential older age cohort, 5,251 persons or 15.6 percent are 55 or over in the Howard County region based on the 2000 Census. This compares to 9.9 percent statewide.

Ages 25-44: If the population cohort 45 and over is higher than the state average, this suggests a stable, mature population comprised of mainly "empty-nesters," retirees and the aged. When the 25-44 age cohort is higher than the state average, this is a healthy economic situation since this group contains the greatest share of the labor force. Decreases over time in this group, especially when similar changes are not occurring statewide, can be an indication that people are moving out of an area they consider to be a poor labor market. In Howard County the total number in the age groups of 25 to 44, was 9,402 or 27.9 percent. This compares to a statewide percentage of 31.9 percent.

Ages 18 and Older: For the population generally considered in the ages to participate in the labor market, the total population who were 18 years and over totaled 14,965,061 in Texas which represented 71.8 percent of the total population. In this study area, the total persons in this age group was 25,488 or 75.8 percent of the total population. Within this age group in Texas the number of males in 2000 who were 18 years and over represented 7,338,177 persons or 35.2 percent of the total population while females age 18 years and over represented 7,626,884 or 36.6 percent. In the Howard County area, males 18 and over represented 14,035 or 41.7 percent in comparison and females totaled to 11,453 or 34.1 percent.

Veteran Status: According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, the area had 25,488 persons in the population age 18 years and older in the year 2000. Of that number, 3,325 or 13.0 percent responded as being a civilian veteran, compared to 11.8 percent statewide. A "civilian veteran" is a person 18 years old or over who has served (even for a short time), but is not now serving, on active duty in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or the Coast Guard, or who served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. People who served in the National Guard or military Reserves are classified as veterans only if they were ever called or ordered to active duty, not counting the 4-6 months for initial training or yearly summer camps.

Disability Status: From the 2000 Census, data on Disability Status were derived when respondents reported long-lasting conditions: (a) blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment, (sensory disability) and (b) a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying (physical disability). Disability status was also derived if the individuals in the working age range of 21 to 64 years had a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more that made it difficult to perform certain activities such as: (a) learning, remembering, or concentrating (mental disability); (b) dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home (self-care disability); (c) going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor's office (going outside the home disability); and (d) working at a job or business (employment disability).

It was reported in the 2000 Census that the area had an estimated 7,471 persons residing there between the ages of 5 to 20 years of age with approximately 477 or 6.4 percent with a disability. In Texas, the percent with disabilities in this same age bracket was 7.9 percent. In the working age population group - ages 21 to 64 years, the area had approximately 15,062 persons, of which 3,507 were categorized to be in a disability status. This represented 23.3 percent compared to 19.9 percent in the state overall. For those persons in this age group that had a disability, approximately 1,866 or 53.2 percent were employed. For those who had no disability, an estimated 8,701 or 75.3 percent were employed. This represented 23.3 percent compared to 19.9 percent in the state overall. For the retirement age group of 65 years of age and older, 4,685 persons resided of which 2,180 were disabled. The percent of this age group with a disabled status was 46.5 percent and this compared to 44.8 percent in Texas overall.

Ages 65 and Older: For the population who are considered to be at the age of retirement or older - 65 years and older, the total number of persons in Texas was 2,072,532 or 9.9 percent of the total population in 2000. This region had a total of 4,898 or 14.6 percent in this older age group. In the same age group of 65 years and over, males in Texas represented 862,181 or 4.1 percent of the total population and females totaled to 1,210,351 or 5.8 percent, while in this study area, males totaled to 2,051 or 6.1 percent of all persons in this area and females represented 2,847 or 8.5 percent of all persons. For other general and special population information from the 2000 Census as well as specific populations topics, link to www.census.gov/census2000/states/tx.html.