Pawtucket+Community+Report

 = Pawtucket Community Description =



= Welcome to Pawtucket! = Pawtucket is located in northeastern Rhode Island and his home to 72,958 citizens. The city boasts itself on being the birthplace of the industrial revolution and is home to the luscious Black Stone River. This town is divided into two zip codes, 02860 and 02861. Although neighboring districts, apparent differences are seen among the two. Both Eastern and Western parts of Pawtucket are comparably low in relation to the income and economics of Rhode Island. Still, the eastern side (02861) is generally wealthier than western (02860). Pawtucket is rich in diversity and accounts for a range of ethnicity and cultures which make up Rhode Island. Below, is a general introduction to the structure of Pawtucket with relation to economics, population and education. Comparing the data of both districts, there is a large contrast among some of the aspects, while other areas of concern remain constant.

Income Poverty
Compared to both Rhode Island and the United States, Pawtucket is relatively poor. The median household income ($ 39,048 in eastern and $28,104 in western) are both less than both RI ($54,060) and the US ($50,007) averages. The median family incomes and per capita ($18,888 in the east and $15,900 in the west) are also lower. The families and individuals below poverty in Pawtucket ranges greatly, but overall there are more people facing poverty here (7.2% in the east and 19.7% in the west) than in the rest of RI (8.3%) and the US (9.8%). The percentage of people in the labor force (63.2%) is just slightly below the average for RI (66%) and the US (63.9%). Another important aspect to point out is the great difference between the two areas within Pawtucket. The median household income in the east ($39,048), is significantly higher than that of the west ($28,104). Furthermore, only 7.2% of the population is facing poverty in eastern Pawtucket, compared to a shocking 19.7% in the west. This trend of the east vs. the west is seen in many other areas as well.

Ethnic Diversity
There is a great range of ethnic diversity between the two communities in Pawtucket. In eastern Pawtucket there is 91.1% White population, compared to 66.4% in western. This value in the eastern community is greater than the average value for both RI and the US, while the western numbers are lower. Only 2.1% of the population in the eastern community is African American, versus 10.3% in the western. There is also a very large Hispanic community on the west side, 18.5%, and only 5.8% on the east side. The other minor ethnic groups are dispersed equally throughout the community. There seems to be a relationship between the distribution of wealth and ethnicity. Overall, the areas that contain a larger white population tend to be wealthier.

Children Statistics
The children of Pawtucket are at a disadvantage because of their home lives. **** Out of the 18,151 children living in Pawtucket, 42% of them live in single-parent homes, a number significantly higher than that of the state (30%). ** Just over 25% of these children are living in families that fall below the federal poverty line, much more than the percentage for the state (16.9%). ** In this community, 13.4% of teens are not in school and not working, almost double the percentage for Rhode Island as a whole (7.3%). ** The overall family/housing situations are possibly having a negative effect on the children of Pawtucket. Pawtucket also suffers from a lack of economic well-being when compared with Rhode Island as a whole. Of Pawtucket's population, 75% take advantage of the Food Stamp program, more than the state's percentage (71%). However, there is only a 28% participation rate for the school breakfast program, a decrease from the state's (31%). Of the child population in Pawtucket, 16% come from families that are receiving cash assistance, which is higher than the state's percentage of 10%. In Pawtucket, 21% of births are to mothers with less than a high school diploma, which is higher than the state's percentage of 15%. There is a clear cause and effect relationship between the parental education and their children's economic well-being.

In addition to being relatively poor, the children of Pawtucket are less healthy as compared to their neighbors across the state. In Pawtucket, there are 9,954 children under the age of 19 receiving medical assistance (55%). Just below ten percent of the community's children have elevated blood lead levels, more than the state's 8.4%. The teen birth rate (per 1,000 teens ages 15-17) is 31.8%, much higher than the state's 20.6%. The infant mortality rate in Pawtucket is 8 deaths/1,000 births, while Rhode Island's is only 6.5. This may be due to the percentage of women with delayed prenatal care which is 12.9% in Pawtucket and only 8.9% in all of Rhode Island. Overall, it could be said that Pawtucket is slightly less healthy than the rest of the state.

Compared to the state of Rhode Island, the city of Pawtucket has a lower priority of child care. The child abuse and neglect rate was higher in Pawtucket (16.7%) than for the state of Rhode Island (10.7%). However, the percentage of domestic violence incidents with children present was about equal in Pawtucket (30%) when compared to the state's (31%). Also, the number of children who have incarcerated parents in Pawtucket (11.2%) was about equal to the percentage for the state of Rhode Island (11.3%). The apparent unsafe upbringing for children in Pawtucket appears to have a negative effect toward their education. Children from such communities tend to be more indepedent because they have less support from their families. School and education is put on the back burner while concern for ones safety is priority. An unsafe community can contribute to receiving a poor education.

Education Indicators
**Pawtucket, in some aspects, gives a fair representation of education indicators for Rhode Island. There is a slightly higher percentage of students who participate in early intervention programs in Pawtucket (9%) than the percentage for the state (8%). In addition, the high school attendance rate (88%) is slightly lower than that of the state (90%). **The number of children who are receiving child care subsidies (1,350) is about 10% of all the children in Rhode Island receiving it. **However, the percentage of children who are English language learners in Pawtucket (9%) is higher than the percentage for the state (6%). Despite economic and familial disadvantages, the community manages to participate in school programs about as well as the rest of Rhode Island.

**

Conclusion
In conclusion, there are both positive and negative aspects about the city of Pawtucket. Although it is rich with diversity and historical background, there are some present day issues which need to be addressed. The average family income from both the Eastern and Western parts of Pawtucket is substantially lower than the state’s averages. Also, there is a clear divide among the two districts, with the Eastern side being wealthier, but still below the average. Poor living conditions are not only distracting children from a fulfilling education, but they are also harming their health. Perhaps these unstable conditions are the reason for the increasing school drop-out rates and teenage pregnancies. Although parts of Pawtucket may experience the effects of poverty, the city maintains its character and shows hope for improvement.

Authors: Virginia Kreger Shaina Fimbel Cara Brown Briana Paulo Chris Staniszewski = =