Thursday, September 28, 2017
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown is the most distressed among small and midsized cities in the United States, according to a new report.
The Distressed Communities Index recently released by the Economic Innovation Group, a Washington-based public policy organization focused on domestic economic issues, gave Youngstown a distress score of 99.9 with 93.5 percent of its population living in distressed ZIP codes.
Communities with scores higher than 80 are distressed; communities with scores that fall between 60 to 80 are at risk; communities with scores between 40 to 60 are midtier; communities with scores between 20 to 40 are comfortable; and communities with scores below 20 are prosperous.
The report combines seven metrics to study a community’s economic well-being: no high school diploma for 25-and-over adults; housing vacancy rate; adults age 25 to 64 not working; poverty rate; median income ratio; change in employment; and change in business establishments.
The report uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates for 2011-2015 and Business Patterns data from 2011 and 2015.
Trenton, N.J.; Camden, N.J.; Gary, Ind.; Hartford, Conn.; Flint, Mich.; Albany, Ga.; Hemet, Calif.; Saginaw, Mich., and Springfield, Mass., follow Youngstown as the most-distressed small and midsized cities.
“These are cites we get compared to on a consistent basis,” Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally said. “They are the same cities that keep popping up every time you have a report like this. One of the most disturbing things is the degree to which these cities are being left behind while other communities grow.”
The report found that 8 of the 10 most-distressed small and midsized cities lost population from 2011 to 2015.
The challenges Youngs-town faces are in the loss of population, the education system and its crime levels.
“The education system has to improve,” McNally said.
The mayor pointed out a positive in that the Youngstown City School District has about 4 percent more students during the third week of school this year compared with last year.
District CEO Krish Mohip said the increase indicated people are beginning to believe in the city schools again, as The Vindicator reported this week.
“You have to have [some] level of education,” McNally said. “If you don’t want to go to college, you have to have a plan. You have to get in a trade. If you are uneducated, you are going to be lost.”
Lack of education impacts the economy of a community, explained Mekael Teshome, PNC economist.
“There are only so many jobs you can create for people who don’t have a diploma,” Teshome said. “It does create a problem because firms want a skilled workforce.”
Teshome was a bit surprised by the report’s level of distress for Youngstown.
“We are still trying to find our footing,” Teshome said. “The last couple of years the country has continued to grow, but employment in Youngstown has actually fallen back.”
Read more about the report in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.