About the Indicators
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Poverty by Census Tract
The indicator shows the percentage of persons in households officially earning less than the poverty level in 1999. In 1999, the poverty threshold for one person was $8,501. For a family of one parent with two children, the threshold was $13,423. For a family of four (with 2 children under 18 years), the threshold was $16,895. The Spartanburg County census tract map illustrates levels of poverty throughout the county. Median Family Income This indicator measures how family income in Spartanburg County compares to the state and nation. Median family income is an annual income figure. Unlike per capita income, which is an average, the median divides income distribution into two equal parts: one-half below the median income and one-half above. As a point of comparison, the U.S. median income for a family of four was $50,046 in 1999, compared to $45,349 for Spartanburg County. Housing Costs This indicator shows the percentage of renters and owners who pay more than 35% of their income to housing costs in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, and the United States. Housing affordability is generally calculated by lending institutions to be approximately 30% of household income for gross housing expenses. Home Ownership This indicator shows minority and white home ownership depicted as a percentage of total housing in Spartanburg County in 1990 and 2000. Minority home ownership has increased from 9% in 1990 to 11% in 2000. In South Carolina, 54.4% of housing is white owner-occupied and 17.8% is minority owner-occupied. Unsound Housing This indicator shows the Spartanburg County Dwelling Condition Count for both incorporated and unincorporated areas, illustrating the number of dwellings assesed as "unsound" or not fit for habitation and how many people live in these dwellings. Availability for Full-Time Work This indicator shows the trend in the total labor force available for work and the employed labor force numbers for Spartanburg County. The gap between these lines is the unemployed labor force in Spartanburg County. Per Capita Income This indicator is a trend of income calculated as the personal income of the residents of Spartanburg County divided by its population. In computing per capita personal income, the Bureau of Economics Analysis uses the U.S. Census Bureau's annual mid-year population estimates. Personal income is the income that is received by persons from all sources. It is calculated as the sum of wage and salary disbursements, supplements to wages and salaries, proprietors' income with inventory valuation and capital comsumption adjustments, rental income of persons with capital comsumption adjustment, personal dividend income, personal interest income, and personal current transfer receipts, less contributions for government social insurance. |
