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2024 Community Report

 

Data and Sources:

ESSENTIAL NEEDS

  • 41% of central Iowa renters are housing-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on rent.
    - Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates,
    2018-2022

  • 27% of children in central Iowa who are food insecure are not eligible for nutrition assistance.
    - Source: Feeding America

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

  • Nearly half of central Iowans are not financially stable.
     - Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates,
    2018-2022 
  • 75% of central Iowa children under the age of 6 have all parents and/or caregivers in the workforce.
     - Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates,
    2018-2022

  • In central Iowa, 46% of individuals have household incomes below the ALICE stability threshold.
     - Source: United for ALICE 

EARLY CHILDHOOD SUCCESS

  • 65% of Iowa children age 3 and under do not receive developmental screenings.
     - Source: National Survey of Children’s Health

  • Kindergarten readiness dropped 14% among central Iowa children over the last 6 years.
    - Source: Iowa Department of Education 

  • Iowa ranks #1 in the nation for the percentage of households in which all parents or caregivers of young children are in the workforce.
    - Source: Kids Count

EDUCATION SUCCESS

  • 24% of central Iowa students are chronically absent from school. This number increases to 36% for students from lower-income backgrounds.
     - Source: Iowa Department of Education 

  • Since 2014 the percentage of youth who report having a caring adult in their life has dropped from 90% to 75%.
     - Source: Iowa Youth Survey  

  • More than 25% of central Iowa graduates do not have a plan beyond high school. For students from lower-income backgrounds, the number increases to nearly 40%.
     - Source: Iowa Department of Education

HEALTH & WELL-BEING

  • 57% of youth in Iowa do not receive the mental health services they need.
     - Source: Mental Health America 

  • In Iowa, there are 570 individuals for every 1 mental health provider.
    - Source: Mental Health America 

  • 44% of Iowa adults with mental illness receive no treatment at all.
    - Source: Mental Health America 

  • Children relying on Medicaid wait an average of 12 weeks for an appointment with a new mental healthcare provider.
    - Source: Blank Children’s Hospital, UnityPoint


INCREASING FOOD SECURITY

  • In central Iowa, 6.8% of the population is food insecure, including 8.9% of children under age 18 — nearly 15,000 children.
    - Source: Feeding America 

CREATING YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES 

  • In central Iowa, 6.6% of youth ages 16-19 are disengaged from school or work.
    - Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates,
    2018-2022

ADDRESSING CHILDCARE CAPACITY 

  • The median hourly wage for a childcare employee in the metro area is only $11.72. 
    - Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

  • Individuals working in childcare earn $4,500 below the living wage in central Iowa.
    - Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

  • In Polk County, there is only 1 licensed childcare slot for every 2 children.
    - Source: Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral