NURSING – Community Health Paper

Population Demographics

According to county demographic data located on the Florida Community Health Assessment Resource Tool Set (CHARTS) website (Florida Department of Health [FDOH], 2015), a total of 73,829 people lived in Putnam County in 2012. The age distribution is similar to the state, with the highest percent of the population (28.8%) in the 45- to 64-year age group. The median age in Putnam County is 42.4 years, slightly lower than Florida’s median age of 40.3 years. The distribution of the population by race is also similar to the state; 80.4% of the county population is White, 16.7% Black, and 2.9% Other. In Florida, 78.4% of the population is White. The proportion of the county population with Hispanic ethnicity is 9.3%, which is lower than the proportion of the state population (23.3%).

Physical and Social Determinants of Health

Putnam County residents fall in the fourth (least desirable) quartile when compared to other Florida counties on measures of economic stability. In 2006-2010, 23.3% of Putnam County residents lived at or below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), compared to 13.8% of residents statewide. Nearly one-third of Putnam County children below the age of 18 years (32%) lived in families at or below the FPL. Unemployment rates for Putnam County adults averaged 11.3% between 2006-2010, compared to 8.9% among Florida adults. The average annual income for Putnam County adults ($34,645) falls short of the statewide average of $47,661 (FDOH, 2015).

Measures of educational achievement among Putnam County residents also falls short of the state average, with 22% of county residents over the age of 25 years having less than a high school diploma (compared to 14.7% statewide). However, less than 4% of Putnam County residents over the age of 5 years speak English less than very well, compared to 11.8% statewide (FDOH, 2015).

Within the southern region of Putnam County, there is a census tract where people experience a higher rate of poverty and lower education. Near the town of Crescent City, over 40% of the population lives in poverty, and 30% of the population has less than a high school education (Community Commons & IP3, 2015).

References

Community Commons & IP3. (2015). Vulnerable population footprint: Putnam County, Florida [interactive map]. Retrieved February 10, 2015 from http://communitycommons.org.

Florida Department of Health, Division of Public Health Statistics & Performance Management. (2015). Florida Community Health Assessment Resource Tool Set [web content]. Retrieved February 10, 2015 from http://www.floridacharts.com