HomeMy Public PortalAboutCHAPTER THREE SOCIAL & ECONOMIC FACTORS C HAP T E • THREE
SOCIAL AN I
ECONOIVzIc FAC1uKs
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Ill SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS
In regards to demographics, "When planning for parks and recreation, you need to know
about people who use them to better understand the recreation issues facing your
community."- (IDNR: Outdoor Rec. 1999 Master Plan Guide).
Population: Existing Characteristics
The City's population is •a figure that directly influences the level of recreational
opportunities that should be available. The age composition, education levels, and
incomes for the local populace are also important factors that local parks and recreation
advocates need to be aware of when compiling their plan goals and objectives. In
conjunction with demographic data, the geographic distribution of the population helps
identify where recreation opportunities should be placed to compliment the influences
augmented by the community.
In their document, "A Marketing & Development Model for Greencastle, Indiana", the
Hometown Greencastle Alliance completed a comparison between the following
communities in central Indiana: Avon, Brownsburg, Crawfordsville, Danville, Franklin,
Greencastle, Noblesville, and Plainfield. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the
last five years, Greencastle's population has grown at a slower rate (4.1 percent) than the
other communities studied, with the exception of Crawfordsville, which experienced a
negative one-percent drop. Not surprisingly, Avon grew at a dramatic rate of nearly 41
percent, which has likely been the indicator that triggered national brand retailers to
proliferate the area. The Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at Indiana
University's Kelley School of Business projects Putnam County will grow by up to 3,000
residents by 2010. By 2040, Putnam County joins 15 other Indiana counties, mostly in
the central and southeast areas of the state, projected to grow at a rate that is greater than
what is considered to be a natural increase,placing Putnam County squarely within what .
will be considered the greater Indianapolis metropolitan area.
At the moment, Greencastle's median household age is 27.1 years of age, lower than any
other in the competitive set and lower yet than the state's average, which is 35.7 years.
Generational shifts, however, will impact Greencastle just as they are impacting Indiana
and the entire nation.
These demographic realities will add new pressures on the health care industry. In
addition, older age groups and retirees will influence the housing market with increased
demand for larger but lower-maintenance residences, more and better restaurants, retail
establishments, as well as more recreation and leisure opportunities.
Greencastle has fewer "married with children" households than,most others in the
competitive set, and more"single with children"than all but Franklin and Crawfordsville.
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Greencastle has more non-white residents than all communities studied, a.t a little more •
•• than six percent. Danville is the least diverse, with fewer than two percent non-white
residents. Greencastle has the lowest median household income in the competitive set, •
• .and at$3Q,248 is 31 percent-lower than the Indiana average of$43,323.
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Population Growth .
OP • The U.S. Census Bureau also predicts that Greencastle and Putnam County will
experience greater than what is considered to be a natural increase in population in the
next thirty-five years.. It is in this scenario that Putnam County joins Hamilton,
Hendricks, Boone, and Johnson counties, all of which have seen considerable growth in
• the last decade, in the expansion pattern associated with the greater Indianapolis region.
Interestingly, Montgomery County is not projected to see the same degree of growth as
Putnam County. .
This information can be backed up with U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000 Census of
Population and Housing and prediction statistics from. ESRI, Environmental Systems
Research Institute, Inc. ESRI predicts that Greencastle will grow from a population of
9,880 in 2000,to 10,065 in 2007,to 10,240 persons in 2012. Putnam County is predicted
to grow from 36,019 people in 2000,to 37,582 in 2007,to 38,660 in 2012.
Housing Market
Local real estate professionals are a good source of information about the housing
market, and Greencastle agents confirm many of the state and national statistical findings.
Prospects looking at Greencastle want new homes, accessibility to restaurants and retail,
recreation and fitness amenities, and maintenance services like housekeeping and lawn
care.
411 Population Forecasts
Population projections are necessary to determine whether adequate recreational facilities
exist to serve the area in the future, or whether additional amenities and services will be
required. The economic impact of an increased population indicates that more residents
will require recreation facilities and services, leading to a need for new improvements to
the park system. Overall, the recreational service area of the Greencastle Parks and
Recreation Department is expected to increase over the next 5 years, 2007-2012, with an
ESRI prediction of .35% growth to 10, 240 people living in Greencastle and a .57%
increase to 38, 660 residing in Putnam County.
Table 1-1: Population Trends
%of Growth
2000 2007 2012 2007-2012
Greencastle 9,880 10,065 10,240 + .35%
Putnam County 36,019 37,582 38,660 + .57%
Source: 2000 U.S.Census Population;and Gove Associates,Inc.
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• Age . • .
Everyone belongs to a particular stage of life at one point in time. Each stage of life
• tends to lead to a different set of needs and desires than the'preceding stage: The age '
• . • demographic analysis assists greatly.in determining projected and future,growth in the • '
community and an associated stage of recreational activity needs. Census statistics show
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that within the City's community make-up, the largest age group of, 24%, is comprised of
the 18-24 .year olds. The student population at DePauw University proportionally
accounts for this age category to be larger than that of any other.
Table 1-2: Age/Stage of Life- Greencastle
Age. 2000 City %of Total
Category Population Population Stage of Example of Needs and Desires
Life
0-4 616 6.3% Pre-School Toys,infant and toddler needs
Toys,clothes,sporting equipment,
5-17 1,682 17.1% School-Age bicycles,movie theatre/video stores
• College- Clothing,bookstore,nightclub,music
18-24 2,404 24.3% Age store,party store
Young • Clothing,grocery,computer store,
25-44 2,195 22.2% Family sporting goods,restaurants
Established
45-54 903 9.1% Family Clothing,grocery,auto dealers
Mature Formal restaurants,jewelry,
55-64 665 6.7% Family bookstore,auto dealers
Inexpensive restaurants,drug store,
65+ 1,415 14.3% Retired medical center
noon 100%
7,00v
Source 2000 U.S.Census Population,and Gove Associates,Inc.
Comparatively, the remaining categorical age distribution is similar to the demographic
make-up of most communities of similar size to Greencastle, with exception of the senior
citizen population. A larger proportion and seemingly growing number of citizens fall
into the 55-64 year and 65+ age categories. These figures indicate that the current and
future need should strongly emphasize both youth oriented activities, and retiree aged
recreational user group needs.
Households
Different types of households can place different demands on recreational facilities
within a service area. A high percentage of single-head family households might indicate
a need for after-school recreational programming, or a retirement household community
will likely require a high percentage of ADA accessible and passive recreational facilities
and programming.
Table 1-3 depicts the distribution of households in Greencastle, Putnam County and•the
State of Indiana. In 2000, within the City of,Greencastle, approximately 61-percent of all
• households were family households, the smallest percentage share of the three statistical
areas, each of-which consist of married couples with or without children, single-female
headed households with or without children,and non-traditional.families such as single-
finale headed households. . About 39-percent of households were non-family oriented,
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those that are either one-person households or have non-related.persons occupying the
same home. Of the non-family one-person households in each area, Greencastle has a
higher percentage of one-person.households. It also has a higher percentage share of
• one person households held by a person age 65 years or older, comprising of 41% of the
City's total count of one-person households. An additional 13% of City households have
persons over the age of 65 years, residing in either non-family quarters or family
households.
Table 1-3: Household Characteristics as a percentage of Total Households in 2000
Non-Family Households Family aouseholds
One Households
Non- One Person Total with Female Non- Persons
Number of Family Person Households Family Children Single Married Per
Households Households Households over 65 yrs Households under 18 Parent Families Household
Greencastle
%of 3,352 39.2% 34.3% 13.9% 60.8% 32.2% 8.3% 6.4% 2.28
Households
Putnam
County 12,374 26.3% 22.4% 9.4% 73.7% 36.5% 5.0% 6.3% 2.56
Households
Indiana
%of 2,336,306 31.4% 25.9% 9.5% 68.6% 35.7% 6.9% 8.1% 2.53
Households
Source 2000 U.S.Census Population,and Gove Associates,Inc.
These numbers indicate that over one-fourth of Greencastle's households require
recreation services to meet the needs of seniors specifically single seniors. These
numbers are at a moderately higher percentage than that of the County and State, and
may realistically be higher, if the proportional shift brought by the DePauw University
Student housing stock were discounted from the community's demographic snapshot.
Despite this, Greencastle does house the majority of the County's retirement and assisted
living facilities,making it an ideal area for the over 65 year age group.
Conversely, Greencastle holds a smaller percentage of family households with children
under the age of 18 years of age at 32% of households. Greencastle also holds a larger
percentage of single-female headed households with children. Overall, Greencastle holds
a proportionally larger percentage of non-family households than that of the surrounding
areas.
Much of this information indicates a probable recreational need in the community to
focus not only on traditional recreational activities but also on providing amenities that
meet the interests of an aging, non-traditional adult population in conjunction with those
needs typically sought by children of single-parent headed households.
Education
The level of education attained by individuals within the Greencastle area can have a '
• significant impact upon his or her decision-making•habits. Specifically, higher levels of •
education typically provide opportunities for the introduction of a wider variety of •
recreational activities,.presented by academic and athletic / leisure programs. As the
. . education level increases,, so does exposure,. effectively influencing•a more diverse .
demand•for a variety•in recreational services and the immediate interests of the•
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community. Further, level.of education is closely associated with level.of income. In
III general, the higher'a person's level education attainment, the greater their earning power.
An analysis of educational background, along with income earning capacity, will provide
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• insight into which recreational services might be familiar or affordable to residents of the
area.
Of those residents of the city 25 years or older, 84% are high school graduates or have
been to college. About 10%have some type of post-high school degree, of which 75%or
7.8% of Greencastle population hold a four-year college degree or higher. Based on
these figures,'in theory, a large percentage of the City's population should have ample
exposure and interest in several of the more traditionally school taught and group
oriented activities such as: baseball, tennis; swimming, football, basketball, and soccer.
At the same time, however, many people may not be familiar with specialized and many
times more cost intensive activities such as Taekwondo, yoga, Pilates, handball, or
volleyball„which are often only offered by a specialized or university forum. Some of
the latter, less traditional recreation activities, if offered would be more attractive to many
members of the community and help to engage a broader level of participation in the
recreation system as a whole. Extra effort should therefore be encouraged to offer non-
traditional activities and programs within the park system to expand familiarity and
increase exposure and opportunities that will meet all ages and backgrounds within the
community's user base.
Income
A moderately influential factor in determining recreational patterns is income. The
money a household has left over after fixed expenditures, such as housing, utilities,taxes,
and transportation, is available for spending on "discretionary" items. The purchase of
discretionary items, such as entertainment, appliances, automobiles, furniture, and so
forth, is made with that left over "discretionary income". Of the items listed above, the
entertainment category is typically the recipient of the largest amount of discretionary
income. Recreation is considered an entertainment activity, making discretionary income
a factor in determining the capacity, or level of service and interest, in recreating in the
community.
Discretionary income figures are obtained by subtracting annual payroll deductions,
housing, transportation costs, and savings from household incomes. Although it is not
possible to obtain a precise account of the total discretionary income of the residents of
the city, an analysis of the figures researched provides a broad indication of the amount
of money available for recreation and purchases in the city. Income estimates calculated
by the Indiana Business Research Center propose that Greencastle residents should have
an average amount of discretionary income at their disposal, indicating that the
community should not be greatly restricted. in its pursuits of reasonable recreational
• spending options. •
Summary •
The population of Greencastle has experienced a steady increase over the past•10-years
and is anticipated to continually increase,over the scope of the implementation of the •
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II upcoming City of Greencastle Parks and Recreation Departmental Master. Plan.
Recreational activities should be targeted to emphasize the predominant age categories of ,
young children, empty nesters and retirees, with a special emphasis on children of single=
parent headed households, non-traditional family needs, and those of the single-elderly
population. Educational attainment and discretionary income hold average percentages
in the community, indicating that opportunities to pursue both traditional and non-
traditional recreation activities and programs should be encouraged. The overall
demographic trends underscore the importance that recreation will have toward the future
efforts of the City to enhance the quality of life in the Greencastle area, in providing a
community recreation system that should meet a wide array of user needs.
Early figures do show that the City of Greencastle has grown, and it will be interesting to
analyze the results gathered during the 2010 Census in depth and complete a comparison
with those of the 2000 census. Will the 2010 Census report results reflect the world
economic situation.seen over the last few years? A question arises as to how the various
single-parent households in Greencastle will be affected. These results could
significantly change their ability to spend discretionary income on recreation pursuits,
and would likely severely limit their recreational free time as well. The department's
ability to offer certain types of programs may be further limited.
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