The St. Joseph Community Health Foundation released a study conducted by Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Community Research Institute, titled
Allen County, IN Vulnerable Populations Study:
A Review of Demographic, Socioeconomic and Poverty Indicators
on Wednesday, September 12.
St. Joe Foundation, which is committed to serving the poor and vulnerable, wanted more precise information on the patterns and geographic concentrations of vulnerable populations in Allen County. As part of their 20th anniversary year, they commissioned the Study.
According to Meg Distler, Executive Director of the St. Joe Foundation, “This information will first, influence our decisions, helping us to understand where the poorest and most vulnerable are located and the diverse challenges they face. Second, we hope it assists our community partners to more effectively reach and serve those most in need.”
The Study looks at leading indicators of vulnerability by ZIP code and census tracts for the following areas: Income, Unemployment, Education, Housing, Single-Mother Household, Health Insurance, English-Language Fluency, Country of Birth, and Food Deserts. The indicator and census-tract data about income and poverty is a compilation from the 2016 five-year U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Rachel Blakeman, Director of the Community Research Institute, stated, “The study clearly shows that no two ZIP codes in Allen County are alike. Each has very different characteristics. The study reveals a more precise picture of each ZIP code area, as well as where the most vulnerable are located and approximately how many individuals are in each geographic area.”
