2006 status of rural texas - wrangling with change

Status of Rural Texas Series, 2006

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change

OFFICE OF RURAL COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

Rick Perry

Governor

Executive Committee

Michael Waters, Chair

Charles S. (Charlie) Stone

Executive Director David Alders

Nicki Harle Carol Harrel l William Jeter

Wallace Klussmann Lydia Rangel Saenz

Ike Sugg Patrick Wallace

January 1, 2007

The Honorable Rick Perry

Governor, State of Texas

The Honorable Tom Craddick

Speaker of the House of Representatives, State of Texas

The Honorable David Dewhurst

Lieutenant Governor, State of Texas

The Honorable Members

80th Legislature

House Bill 7 (77th Legislature) created the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA) and set forth the

following requirement:

“The office shall…compile an annual report describing and

evaluating the condition of rural communities.”

The following report is offered in fulfillment of the requirement and provides a snapshot of where rural

Texas stands today. The report speaks to the broad spectrum of issues that affect rural communities across

our state.

Currently, the population of rural Texas exceeds the population of 22 individual states and is greater than

the combined populations of Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

Each rural community contributes significantly to the people of the state of Texas and Texas’ economy. In

addition to offering a vast array of tourism and recreational opportunities, rural Texas is the primary source

of agricultural products, livestock, water, and mineral wealth that enhance the vitality of the Texas

economy.

In every sense of the word, rural communities are partners in the past, present, and future successes of

Texas. Indeed, the viability of rural Texas is critical to the viability of Texas as a state. And because rural,

suburban, and urban areas of Texas are inextricably linked, successes in rural Texas are successes for all

Texans.

It is our hope that this fifth report on the status of rural Texas will contribute to the ongoing dialogue that is

shaping Texas’ future. The report highlights some of the complex and diverse issues affecting rural Texas.

We will continue to monitor developments with all interested parties to maintain an objective focus on the

status of life in rural communities.

Thank you on behalf of the Executive Committee and the staff of the agency for the opportunity to

contribute to the future of our rural communities.

Respectfully submitted,

Charles S. (Charlie) Stone

Executive Director

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change

Table of Contents

RURAL TEXAS ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Characteristics of Texas' rural population

Rural Texas continues to grow (slowly) .................................................................................................. 3 Rural population as a percentage of Texas’ population decreases .......................................................... 3 Recent growth among young adults (ages 18 to 24)................................................................................ 4 Racial and ethnic makeup of rural Texas shows little change ................................................................. 5 Net migration increases in rural Texas .................................................................................................... 5 Fastest growth rural areas are adjacent to urban areas; nonadjacent rural areas show improved growth

too ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 Overall rural poverty decreases, urban poverty remains constant ........................................................... 6 Educational attainment in rural Texas ..................................................................................................... 7

Economy

Employment and unemployment ............................................................................................................. 8 Rural per capita income up, still lags behind state average ..................................................................... 8 Median income has decreased in many rural counties ............................................................................ 8

Healthcare in rural Texas

Disparities in number of healthcare providers highlight ongoing need for rural-focused recruitment and

retention programs ................................................................................................................................... 9 Rural Texans more likely to be uninsured ..............................................................................................10

Housing

Rural Texas has a higher percentage of older housing stock ..................................................................11 Fewer rural Texans have housing with available phone service.............................................................11

Focus on rural youth

While rural childhood poverty decreases, rates remain high ..................................................................12 Number and percentage of rural children receiving TANF down .........................................................13 Rural Medicaid enrollment increases .....................................................................................................13 Texas Children’s Health Insurance Program ..........................................................................................14 Juvenile violent crimes decrease in rural Texas .....................................................................................14 More rural children are living in single parent families .........................................................................14 Higher rates of rural children live in family violence shelters ...............................................................15 Number of confirmed victims of child abuse increases markedly ..........................................................15 Child deaths in rural Texas .....................................................................................................................15

Texas’ rural and urban counties

Legend

Rural

Urban

What is rural? For the purposes of this report, we use the 1993 U.S. Office

of Management and Budget classification scheme for counties. If, under this classification, a county is considered to be part of a Metropolitan Statistical Area, in this report the county is “urban.” If, under the 1993 classification, a county is outside of a Metropolitan Statistical Area or Nonmetropolitan, in this report the county is “rural.” In some cases, the 2003 U.S. Office of Management and Budget classification scheme is used. In these instances, we indicate that the 2003 classification is being used.

1

Housing units with no telephone service

available, 2000

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

Owner occupied 3.1% 1.3% 1.6%

Renter occupied 10.6% 5.3% 5.9%

Rural Urban Texas

Rural Texas – In 2005, with 3,256,691 residents, Texas has the largest rural population in the

nation. Recent trends indicate modest overall population growth and decreased poverty.

Texas’ population, 2005

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Legend

Rural

Urban

Texas

Healthcare providers, 20061

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Rural 10% 9% 10% 12% 9% 9%

Urban 90% 91% 90% 88% 91% 91%

PCP Dent. Pharm. PA NP RN

Source: Texas Department of State Health Services

Per capita income in Texas, 2004

$30,732

$23,427

$31,844

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Economic Research Service2

Educational attainment, 2000

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

< HS HS Grad. Some coll.

or assoc.

Bach. Grad.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census

1 PCP-Primary care physicians; Dent.-Dentists; Pharm.-Pharmacists; PA-Physician Assistants; NP-Nurse Practitioners; RN-

Registered Nurses 2 2003 U.S. Office of Management and Budget classification scheme is used for this chart.

14%

%%

86%

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change Summary


2

Rural Texas – Currently, the population of rural Texas exceeds the population of 22 individual states and is

greater than the combined populations of Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

Uninsured population, Preliminary estimates, 2002

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Rural 16% 34% 28%

Urban 14% 27% 23%

Under 19 19-64 Under 65

Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Poverty, 2002

18%

15%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau,

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Program

Children in family violence shelters, Per 1,000

2.4

2.8

3.2

3.6

2000 2001 2002 2003


Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Employment3 (total jobs)

Rural Urban Texas

2003 1,445,414 10,998,155 12,443,569

2004 1,465,643 11,186,624 12,652,267

Unemployment rate

4

Rural Urban Texas

2004 6.2 6.1 6.1

2005 5.5 5.3 5.3

3 2003 U.S. Office of Management and Budget classification scheme is used for this chart.

4 Ibid.

Rural Urban

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change Summary

3

Population growth in Texas, 2000 to 2005

(in thousands)

3,100

3,120

3,140

3,160

3,180

3,200

3,220

3,240

3,260

3,280

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

16,500

17,000

17,500

18,000

18,500

19,000

19,500

20,000

Texas, 2000

83%

17%

Texas, 2005

86%

14%

Rural Texas continues to grow (slowly) In 2005, with 3,256,691 residents, Texas has the largest rural population in the nation. Between

1990 and 2005, the population of rural Texas grew by 15 percent (Texas’ overall population

grew by 35 percent).

Rural population as a percentage of Texas’ population decreases

From 2000 to 2005, according to Census estimates, the population of rural Texas as a portion of

Texas’ overall population decreased from 17 to 14 percent as urban areas grew rapidly.

Between 2000 and 2005, population growth in rural Texas slowed down, according to Census

estimates. From 2000 to 2005, rural Texas accounted for 7 percent of Texas’ overall population

growth. From 1990 to 2000, rural Texas accounted for 9 percent of Texas’ overall population

growth.

Legend

Rural

Urban

Texas' total population,

all ages Rural Urban Texas

2005 (est.) 3,256,691 19,603,277 22,859,968

2000 3,159,940 17,691,880 20,851,820

1990 2,820,852 14,165,658 16,986,510

Change 2000-2005, no. (%)

96,751 (3%)

1,911,397 (11%)

2,008,148 (10%)

Change 1990-2005 435,839 (15%)

5,437,619 (38%)

5,873,458 (35%)

1990-2000 339,088 (12%)

3,526,222 (25%)

3,865,310 (23%)


Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change Characteristics of Rural Texas’ Population

Source: U.S. Census Bureau,

2000 Census Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005

Census Estimates


Rural Urban

4

Recent growth among young adults (ages 18 to 24) Between 2000 and 2005, rural Texas accounted for 24 percent of the state’s growth in young

adults (those between the ages of 18 to 24). Between 1990 and 2005, the number of young adults

in rural Texas grew by 30 percent, slightly outpacing overall growth among young adults in

Texas (28 percent).

Texas’ 18 to 24 population Rural Urban Texas

2005 (est.) 343,432 2,073,193 2,416,625

2000 292,225 1,906,656 2,198,881

1990 263,392 1,627,452 1,890,844

Change 1990-2005, no. (%) 80,040 (30%)

445,741 (27%)

525,781 (28%)

2000-2005 51,207 (18%)

166,537 (9%)

217,744 (10%)

1990-2000 28,833 (11%)

279,204 (17%)

308,037 (16%)


This trend accelerated between 2000 and 2005—from 1990 to 2000, the percentage of young

adults in rural Texas grew by 11 percent; from 2000 to 2005, the percentage of young adults in

rural Texas grew by 18 percent. The reasons for this trend are not immediately clear.


5

Race/Ethnicity, Percent change, 1990 to 2000

-8

-4

0

4

8

State of Texas -7.5 0.0 6.4 1.1

Rural Adjacent -3.7 -0.2 3.8 0.1

Rural Nonadjacent -4.8 0.3 4.3 0.2

AngloAfrican

AmericanHispanic Other

Urban Central City. Each urban area begins with an urbanized area. To be part of the urban central city, 50 percent or more of the county or tract population must be within the urbanized area (e.g., Harris County). Urban Suburban. Once the urban central city is established, nearby counties or tracts are examined to determine whether a “high degree of economic and social integration” exists with the core. Commuting flows to and from the urban central city (the number commuting in either direction as a percentage of resident workers) are used to measure integration (e.g., Waller County). Rural adjacent. These are nonmetropolitan counties that are physically adjacent to urban areas (e.g., Burnet County). Rural nonadjacent. These counties are not physically adjacent to urban areas. These counties can be considered “deeply rural” (e.g., Loving County).

Racial and ethnic makeup of rural Texas shows little change From 1990 to 2000, the changes in the racial and ethnic makeup of rural Texas’ population showed no

significant differences from Texas overall. Following statewide trends, the Anglo population, as a

percentage of the overall population decreased slightly, while the Hispanic population increased.

Net migration increases in rural Texas Between 1990 and 2000, rural areas of Texas (both adjacent and

nonadjacent to urban areas) saw an increase in net migration5.

Between 1990 and 2000, rural areas adjacent to urban areas saw the

largest influx and achieved a net migration rate of 10 percent. During

the 1980s, migration to rural areas adjacent to urban areas had been

negligible.

5 Net migration is the difference of immigrants and emigrants of an area in a period of time. A positive value indicates that more people are entering an area than leaving it.

Proportion of the Population in each Race/Ethnicity Group in 1990 and 2000 for the State of Texas and by Rural/Urban Status

Percent of Population

Anglo African

American Hispanic Other

Area Name 1990 2000 1990 2000 1990 2000 1990 2000

State of Texas

61 53 12 12 26 32 2 3

Urban Central City

55 46 13 13 29 37 3 4

Urban Suburban

78 73 8 8 12 16 2 4

Rural Adjacent

67 63 9 9 23 27 1 1

Rural Nonadjacent

70 65 7 7 23 27 1 1

Source: Texas State Data Center and the Office of the State Demographer

Net Migration, Net Migration Rates, and Annualized Net Migration Rates 1980-1990 and 1990-2000, and the Percent of Population Change Due to Migration for Urban and Rural Areas in

Texas, 1990-2000

Net Migration Net Migration Rate (Percent)

Annualized Net Migration Rate (Percent)

Percent Change Due to

Net Migration

Area 1980-1990

1990-2000

1980-1990

1990-2000

1980-1990

1990-2000

1990-2000

Urban Central City 460,477 835,380 5 7 0.5 0.7 35

Urban Suburban 511,956 879,913 28 35 2.8 3.5 77

Rural Adjacent 4,466 190,692 0 10 0.0 1.0 70

Rural Nonadjacent -35,250 40,044 -4 5 -0.4 0.5 59




Between 1990 and 2000, nonadjacent

rural areas reversed the population loss

experienced during the 1980s. Still,

net migration rates were lower in

nonadjacent rural areas when

compared to adjacent rural areas—the

net migration rate for nonadjacent

rural areas was half that of adjacent

rural areas during the 1990s.

The higher net migration rates of rural

areas adjacent to urban areas reflect

the ongoing suburbanization and

exurbanization1 of Texas.

6

While the fastest growth rural areas are adjacent to urban areas, nonadjacent rural areas show improved growth too

Between 1980 and 1990, rural areas adjacent to urban areas grew more than three times faster

than nonadjacent rural areas. Between 1990 and 2000, this trend continued with rural areas

adjacent to urban areas growing by 14 percent. From 1990 to 2000, nonadjacent rural areas

showed increased strength by gaining population at a rate four times higher than in the previous

decade.

Overall rural poverty decreases, urban poverty remains constant Rural Texas continues to have higher poverty rates when compared to both urban Texas and

Texas as a whole. Between 1998 and 2002, poverty in rural Texas decreased by 1.5 percent.

During that same time, urban poverty remained constant. In 2002, rural Texans accounted for 17

percent of Texas’ population living in poverty.

Percentage of rural Texans living in poverty, 1998-2002

Year Total poverty

population Total population Percent of population

Rural 1998 587,445 3,076,638 19.1%

2002 565,344 3,210,609 17.6%

Urban 1998 2,515,125 16,682,976 15.1%

2002 2,775,901 18,569,284 14.9%

Texas 1998 3,102,570 19,759,614 15.7%

2002 3,341,245 21,779,893 15.3%


Population and Population Change for Urban and Rural Areas in Texas, 1980-1990 and 1990-2000

Population Numerical Change Percent Change

Area 1980 1990 2000 1980-1990 1990-2000 1980-1990

1990-2000

Urban Central City 9,731,481 11,615,291 13,993,705 1,883,810 2,378,414 19 20

Urban Suburban 1,811,073 2,550,367 3,698,175 739,294 1,147,808 41 45

Rural Adjacent 1,841,723 1,962,353 2,234,027 120,630 271,674 7 14

Rural Nonadjacent 844,914 858,499 925,913 13,585 67,414 2 8



7

Educational attainment in Texas (2000)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Rural 14% 17% 32% 20% 4% 9% 4%

Urban 11% 12% 24% 23% 5% 17% 8%

< 9th 9th to 12th HS graduateSome

college

Associate

degree

Bachelor's

degree

Graduate

degree

Educational attainment in Texas, 2000

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Rural 30% 32% 24% 9% 4%

Urban 23% 24% 28% 17% 8%

< HS HS Grad.Some coll.

or assoc.Bach. Grad.

Educational attainment in rural Texas


Compared to urban areas, rural Texas has a higher percentage of individuals without a high

school education and fewer individuals that obtain bachelor’s or graduate degrees. These

percentages may be skewed due to rural Texas’ older population, but also reflect differences in

access to institutions of higher education.



8

Unemployment in Texas 1990-2004

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Th

ou

sa

nd

s

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Th

ou

sa

nd

s

Employment and unemployment From 2004 to 2005, the unemployment rate in rural Texas dropped from 6.2 percent to 5.5 percent. In 2004,

12 percent of Texas jobs were located in rural areas.

Rural per capita income up, still lags behind state average From 2003 to 2004, per capita income in rural Texas increased slightly and by a slightly greater rate than

per capita income in Texas overall.

Rural

Urban

Texas

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Economic Research Service6

Median income has decreased in many rural counties Between 2000 and 2002, median income decreased in 80.6 percent (158 of 196 counties) of rural counties

in Texas, compared with a decrease in 70.7 percent (41 of 58 counties) of urban counties7. This is a marked

change from the period between 1997 and 1999, when only two urban counties and 25 rural counties

experienced a decrease in median income.

Using the most recent data available, it is clear that from 2002 to 2003 the median income in many Texas

counties showed improvement and increased above the 2000 median income level; however, in 2003, 89

rural counties (45.4 percent) still had median incomes below the 2000 level and so did 20 urban counties

(34.5 percent). These data indicate that economic conditions are improving across Texas, but that rural

counties still lag behind urban counties in regaining income.

6 2003 U.S. Office of Management and Budget classification scheme is used for this chart.

7 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Program (SAIPE).

Employment

Rural* Urban* Total

Total number of jobs

2003 1,445,414 10,998,155 12,443,569

2004 1,465,643 11,186,624 12,652,267

Unemployment rate (percent)

2004 6.2 6.1 6.1

2005 5.5 5.3 5.3

Source: USDA Economic Research Service * For this table, urban and rural (metropolitan and nonmetropolitan)

definitions are based on the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) June 2003 classification.

Income

Rural* Urban* Total

Per-capita income (2004 dollars)

2003 22,999 31,352 30,236

2004 23,427 31,844 30,732

Percent change 1.9 1.6 1.6

Earnings per job (2004 dollars)

2003 27,919 46,409 44,261

2004 28,366 47,377 45,175

Percent change 1.6 2.1 2.1 Source: USDA Economic Research Service

* For this table, urban and rural (metropolitan and nonmetropolitan) definitions are based on the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) June 2003 classification

Per capita income in Texas, 2004

$30,732

$23,427

$31,844

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change Economy

Rural Urban

Source: Texas Workforce Commission

9

Distribution of Texas healthcare providers (2006)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Rural 10% 9% 10% 12% 9% 9%

Urban 90% 91% 90% 88% 91% 91%


Number of Texas healthcare providers (2006)

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

Rural 1,580 764 1,719 436 417 13,679

Urban 13,718 7,689 16,057 3,194 4,055 136,269


Texas healthcare providers per 100,000 (2006)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Rural 47 23 51 13 12 406

Urban 68 38 80 16 20 678

Texas 65 36 76 15 19 639


Disparities in number of healthcare providers highlight ongoing need for rural-focused recruitment and retention programs

This chart shows the number and

distribution of healthcare providers8 in

rural and urban areas of Texas in 2006.


In 2006, rural Texans accounted for 14

percent of the state’s total population. The

percentage of healthcare professionals is

lower than the overall population in six

key categories: primary care physicians,

dentists, pharmacists, physician assistants,

nurse practitioners, and registered nurses.


When looking at healthcare providers per

100,000 persons, rural Texas is below the

state average in six key categories:

primary care physicians, dentists,

pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse

practitioners, and registered nurses.

Rural Texas comes closest to matching

state and urban levels for physician

assistants.


8 PCP-Primary care physicians; Dent.-Dentists; Pharm.-Pharmacists; PA-Physician Assistants; NP-Nurse Practitioners; RN-

Registered Nurses

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change Healthcare in Rural Texas

10

Rural Texans are more likely to be uninsured In Texas, according to preliminary estimates from 2002, Texas had the following rates of

uninsured: Under 19 years, 14 percent; 19 to 64 years, 28 percent; and Under 65, 24 percent.

Uninsured Texans, 2002 preliminary estimates

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Rural 16% 34% 28%

Urban 14% 27% 23%

Age 19 19 - 64 Under Age 65


In 2002, in all ages groups, rural Texans were more likely to be uninsured when compared to

urban Texans and Texans overall.

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change Healthcare in Rural Texas

11

Owner occupied housing,

by period of construction

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Rural 17% 44% 39%

Urban 10% 44% 46%

Pre 1950 1950-1979 1980 to present

Renter occupied housing,

by period of construction

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Rural 18% 52% 30%

Urban 9% 48% 43%

Pre 1950 1950-1979 1980 to present

Rural Texas has a higher percentage of older housing stock Rural Texas contains 15 percent of Texas’ occupied housing stock. Compared with urban areas of

Texas, rural areas have a higher percentage of occupied housing stock built prior to 1950 for both

renter- and owner-occupied housing (Renter-occupied: rural, 18 percent rural; urban, 9 percent.

Owner-occupied: rural, 17 percent; urban, 10 percent).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census

Fewer rural Texans have housing with available phone service Homeowners, in rural and urban areas, are

more likely than renters to occupy housing

with available telephone service. Two percent

of homeowners in Texas live in housing that

lacks available telephone service compared

with 6 percent of renters.

Renters in rural areas are least likely to live in

housing units with available phone service

(more than twice as likely as renters in urban

areas). Eleven percent of renters in rural

counties, and 5 percent of renters in urban

counties, occupy housing that lacks available

telephone service. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change Housing

Housing units with no telephone service

available, 2000

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

Owner occupied 3.1% 1.3% 1.6%

Renter occupied 10.6% 5.3% 5.9%

Rural Urban Texas

12

While rural childhood poverty decreases, rates remain high

From 1998 to 2002, child9 poverty in rural Texas decreased from 29 percent to 25

percent.

Texas children living in poverty, 1998-2002

Year

Child poverty

population

Total childhood population

Percent of population

Rural 1998 234,145 805,701 29.1%

2002 206,384 835,123 24.7%

Urban 1998 1,064,348 4,886,521 21.8%

2002 1,119,225 5,216,810 21.5%

Texas 1998 1,298,493 5,692,222 22.8%

2002 1,325,609 6,051,933 21.9%

U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Program

In 1998, rural Texas children in poverty accounted for 40 percent of the rural Texas’ total

poverty population. By 2002, rural children made up 37 percent of rural Texas’ total

poverty population.

Percentage of rural Texans living in poverty, 1998-2002

Year Total poverty

population Total population Percent of population

Rural 1998 587,445 3,076,638 19.1%

2002 565,344 3,210,609 17.6%

Urban 1998 2,515,125 16,682,976 15.1%

2002 2,775,901 18,569,284 14.9%

Texas 1998 3,102,570 19,759,614 15.7%

2002 3,341,245 21,779,893 15.3%

U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Program

9 Those individuals between the ages of 0 and 17.

Rural Texas: Wrangling with Change Focus on rural youth

13

Percentage of children receiving TANF

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Children enrolled in Medicaid, percent change

from previous year

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Rural 1.0% -3.6% -9.0% 2.3% -0.2% 5.7% 22.7% 6.1% 11.4%

Urban -2.7% -6.7% -9.8% -1.4% 2.4% 8.6% 31.2% 20.7% 7.6%

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Texas children (0-18) enrolled in Medicaid

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 20022003 2004

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

Texas children receiving TANF

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Number and percentage of rural children receiving TANF down

As part of a statewide trend, the number and

percentage of rural children receiving Temporary

Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)10

has

decreased between 1993 and 2003.


Between 2001 and 2003, both the number and

percentage of rural children receiving TANF

decreased while the number and percentage of

urban children increased. This may be due to

decreased access to services or, conversely, tied

to decreased childhood poverty.


Rural Medicaid enrollment increases From 2000 to 2004, the number of rural children enrolled in Medicaid increased from 191,554 to

293,462—a 53 percent increase over five years. However, Texas enrollment increased by 79 percent during

the same time period—from 994,238 to 1,778,467. In 2000, 19.3 percent of Texas children enrolled in

Medicaid lived in rural areas; by 2004, rural children represented 16.5 percent of Texas enrollees.

Source for both charts: Texas Health and Human Services Commission

10 This chart includes data for TANF and its predecessor, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program (prior to 1997).


Rural Urban

Rural Urban

Rural Urban

14

Number of juvenile violent crimes

540

550

560

570

580

590

600

610

620

2001 2002 2003

4,400

4,450

4,500

4,550

4,600

4,650

Texas Children’s Health Insurance Program

From 2002 to 2003, the number of rural

children enrolled in the Children’s Health

Insurance Program decreased.


Juvenile violent crimes decrease in rural Texas

In rural Texas, between 2001 and 2003, the

number of arrests of children ages 10 to 17

for violent offenses decreased by seven

percent.

Source: Texas Department of Public Safety

More rural children are living in single parent families

Percentage of Texas children living in single parent families

Year Rural Urban Texas

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

2000 166,673 20% 1,060,519 21% 1,227,192 21%

1990 125,355 16% 759,865 19% 885,220 18%

Change 41,318 4% 300,654 2% 341,972 3%


Texas children enrolled in CHIP

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

2000 2001 2002 2003

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000


In 1990, 16 percent of rural

children (0-17 years) lived in

families headed by a parent

without a spouse present in the

home. Between 1990 and

2000, the percentage of such

children grew to 20 percent.

Rural Urban

Rural Urban

15

Children in family violence shelters, per 1,000

2.4

2.8

3.2

3.6

2000 2001 2002 2003

Confirmed victims of child abuse (0-17)

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Child deaths, Ages 1 to 14, 1990 to 2003

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

Higher rates of rural children live in family violence shelters

From 2000 to 2003, the rate of rural

children living in family violence shelters

increased from 2.9 children per 1,000 to

3.5 children per 1,000.


Number of confirmed victims of child abuse increases markedly

From 2001 to 2004, the number of

confirmed victims of child abuse in rural

Texas grew by 25 percent (nearly 1,800

children). The numerical increase was from

7,281 in 2001 to 9,068 in 2004.

Source: Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Child deaths in rural Texas

The number of child deaths in rural Texas

fluctuates annually, but has shown an

overall decrease since 1990. In 2003, 19

percent of child deaths in Texas took place

in rural areas. In 2003, rural children

represented 13 percent of Texas’ overall

child population (824,217 of 6,108,755).



Rural Urban

Rural Urban

Rural Urban

16

About this report

This report was prepared by Kim White and

Eric Beverly, Governmental Relations,

Research, and Policy Specialists with the

Office of Rural Community Affairs

Map prepared by Dave Darnell, Rural

Health Specialist, with the Office of

Rural Community Affairs

Other reports on the Status of Rural Texas Series

The Status of Rural Texas, 2002



Small Town Texas, 2005

1700 N. Congress, Suite 220, Austin, Texas 78701

P.O. Box 12877, Austin, Texas 78711

Phone: 512-936-6701 Toll Free: 800-544-2042 Fax: 512-936-6776

Email: [email protected] Web: www.orca.state.tx.us

Field Offices

Alice Field Office (Jim Wells County)

Jim Wells County Courthouse

200 N. Almond Alice, TX 78332

Phone: 361-661-1665 Fax: 361-661-1675

Levelland Field Office (Hockley County)

1611 FM 300

Levelland, TX 79336 Phone: 806-897-1113 Fax: 806-897-1114

Bedias Field Office (Grimes County)

3512 E. Main Street

Bedias, TX 77831 Phone: 936-395-2456 Fax: 936-395-2457

Nacogdoches Field Office (Nacogdoches County)

202 East Pilar, Room 303

Nacogdoches, TX 75961 Phone: 936-560-4188 Fax: 936-560-9182

Carrizo Springs Field Office (Dimmit County)*

307 W. Nopal Street

Carrizo Springs, TX 78834

Phone: TBA Fax: TBA * To open early 2007.

Sweetwater Field Office (Nolan County) 201 Elm Street

Sweetwater, TX 79556

Phone: 325-236-9672 Fax: 325-236-9722

Kountze Field Office (Hardin County)

Hardin County Courthouse Annex 440 Monroe (Highway 326)

Kountze, TX 77625

Phone: 512-914-3723 Fax: TBA

Vernon Field Office (Wilbarger County)

Vernon College

4400 College Drive Vernon, TX 76384

Phone: 940-553-3556 Fax: 940-553-3560

LaGrange Field Office (Fayette County)

254 North Jefferson Street, Room 100 LaGrange, TX 78945

Phone: 979-968-6764 Fax: 979-968-8714

Hard copies of this report are printed on 30% recycled paper.

To obtain copies of this report, contact us or access the report online at www.orca.state.tx.us

2006 status of rural texas - wrangling with change

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