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Among the many unique features of Lancaster County is the beautiful

countryside that we enjoy. As development occurs, there may be concern that we are losing our open space.

The Lancaster County Conservancy is actively engaged in preserving our natural lands. Since 2000, the Conservancy has preserved 2,718 acres of natural land. The county has nine parks and recreational trails totaling over 1,860 acres. Plus, the Susquehannock State Park over 224 acres. The National Parks and Recreation

Association has a standard of 15 acres per 1000 residents of county and local

government owned parkland. Given our population growth and limited public funding, this has yet to be achieved.

Time Spent Commuting

A common complaint heard in the community is the amount of traffic congestion that exists. As the population grows, our transportation infrastructure does not necessarily grow at the same pace. One measure of congestion is time spent commuting. Of course, other factors such

as the location of one’s job have an impact on

commuting time. For example, the percentage of employees who either work outside the county or the state increased from 14.4 percent in 2000 to 16.6 percent 2012.

Despite the growth that occurred in Lancaster County and the increase in out-of-county workers, the time required for commuting has been relatively steady. Residents throughout the state take longer to get to work than we do in Lancaster County.

37 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Tons 187222 189708 185062 185605 191813 202113 220210 221205 160000 170000 180000 190000 200000 210000 220000 230000

Tons of Materials Recycled

Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, PA Department of Environmental Protection

Rank=2

Physical Environment

Recycling

One way to reduce our impact on the environment is to recycle. In 2013, county residents recycled 221,205 tons of material. This is a notable increase since 2006. The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority reports that a 43 percent recycling rate was achieved in 2013. The county ranks second of the six counties being compared. Ranking is done per capita using 2012 population data.

Summary

Indicators of Well Being of People Rationale

Appeal of Lancaster County as a

place to live • Population growth exceeds state

Life Satisfaction Index • Best rank out of nine MSAs in state included in study;_{improved overall ranking over 2012}

Real income • Second year of positive growth

Relative affluence • Holding steady with 2011

Housing affordability • Percentage spending 30% or more of income on_{housing continues to be high}

Teen pregnancy • Downward trend since 2010 continues

Education Indicators Rationale

School readiness • Steady decrease in percentage of students in public_{funded pre-K programs}

Academic achievement • While improvement is needed on many test results, thecomposite Academic Scores are generally positive and most of the schools are meeting growth expectations High school graduation rate • 11 of 17 high schools with rates 90% or higher; all but 3have rates that exceed the state; majority have

improved rate over past 4 school years

Postsecondary school plans • No clear pattern across school districts over time; 6 of_{the 16 districts have rates close to or exceeding state} Educational attainment • Increase since 2000; however, no clear trend from 2010_{to 2012; lower than state}

Summary

The end goal of the indicators project is to provide information on the state of Lancaster County. As we work towards being a model of a prosperous community in the 21st century, we will want to examine the indicators and, where possible, draw conclusions about our progress. As mentioned in the introduction, this report presents information on where we are presently. When the data was available, it also provides a perspective over time and a comparison with surrounding counties. Presented below is our assessment of the state of the Lancaster County based on the indicators. The dashboard indicator that we use has three levels – improving (greenarrow), getting worse (redarrow), and no change or insufficient data to draw a conclusion (a black horizontal arrow). The dashboard indicators are primarily based on trends within the county.

Health & Safety Indicators Rationale

Health care insurance

coverage • Steady downward trend since 2006; lower than state and rankslowest in 6 county ranking Health status • Annual fluctuations, but relatively steady; among top 10_{healthiest counties in state for past 5 years} Obesity • While small, there has been a decrease in the percentage of_{adults and children who are obese; lower than state} Low birth weight • 2013 has taken the percentage back to historical levels Crime rates

Violent Property

• While both violent and property crimes are lower than in 2006, there is no definite pattern indicative of a long term trend

Economic Indicators Rationale

Unemployment rate • Steady decrease since 2009

Business growth • Number of businesses increased since 2009 Industry mix • Mix of industries continues to be diverse

Patents • Number of patents increased from 2008 to 2011. Minority owned businesses • Increase in minority owned businesses

Building permits • Increase from 2011 to 2013

Summary

Summary

41

Community & Culture Indicators Rationale

Voting • Lower percentage of registered voters than state; voter_{turnout comparable/slightly higher than state} Volunteering • For a third year, the percentage volunteering is higherthan in the state and nation; may be trending downward

locally

Charitable giving • Remained flat for 7 years reported; higher than state and_{adjacent counties} Cultural/arts participation • Percentage increased overall since 2009; leveled_{off/slightly decreased in recent years}

Population diversity • Increase in diversity since 2000

Physical Environment

Indicators Rationale

Air quality • While still low, the percentage of days with good air qualityhas increased since the previous study; same with number of unhealthy days

Water quality • Not enough data to discuss trend

Open space and parks • Preserved natural lands increased since 2000

Time spent commuting • Small increase since 2000; shorter commuting time than state;_{2ndshortest commute time in 6 county comparison}