EDC+503+Su13+-+Woonsocket+Community

Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Authors:

Tammy
Woonsocket is the sixth largest city in Rhode Island. It lies north of Providence and extends to the border of Massachusetts. The city covers a total of eight square miles and his home to a diverse mix of religions. Woonsocket is also home to a Fortune 500 company and a full service medical facility. The city has modern waste water and water treatment facilities that are currently working well under capacity, a feature this city is using to attract new businesses. The public library is presently being renovated and a brand new elementary school is under construction. Federal monies are also being used to upgrade roads and parks. Woonsocket is a relatively lower income community. In 2010 the median household income ($39,329) is lower than the state median household income ($55,975) and US median household income ($52,769). The median family income ($50,095) is lower than the state median family income ($72,724) and lower than US median family income ($64,293). The per capita income ($21,313) is also lower than the state per capita income ($29,685) and US per capita income ($27,915). Woonsocket’s percentage of families below the poverty level (18.2%) is higher than the state percentage of families below poverty level (8.9%) and higher than US percentage of families below poverty level (10.2%). The percentage of individuals below poverty level in Woonsocket (22.2%) is higher than the state percentage of individuals below poverty level (12.8%) and higher than US percentage of individuals below poverty level (14.3%).

Woonsocket has a preponderance of white people, although the percentage of white people in this town (77.7%) is lower than the percentage for the state of Rhode Island (81.4%) and higher than US percentage of white people (72.4%). The next largest ethnic group is Hispanic (14.2%), followed by Black/African Americans (6.4%). Additionally, the Asian group represents 5.4% of the population. The 2010 census data tells us three percent of Rhode Island's children call Woonsocket their home. Of these 9,888 children under the age of nineteen, 46% of them live in a single-parent household as compared to 31% across the state of Rhode Island. There are significantly more households living below the poverty level in Woonsocket (35.8%) as compared to the state wide level of 17.9%. Surprisingly though, both Woonsocket and Rhode Island as a whole report 35% of their children participating in the school breakfast program. Over two-thirds of Woonsocket's children receive medical assistance as compared to less than half of all children in Rhode Island. In 2012, Woonsocket reported a teen pregnancy rate of 71.4, much higher than Rhode Islands reported rate of 25.5 (per 1000 girls ages 15-19). This city also records nearly twice as many reports of child abuse or neglect per one thousand children. Early Intervention in Woonsocket serves 16% of the cities children up from the state measure of 12% but then only 3% are enrolled in all-day kindergarten as compared to 68% statewide. The absence of all-day K may speak to the fact that only 56% of the fourth graders were proficient in reading and math in 2012 as compared to 69% and 64% respectively statewide although supporters of all-day K would have likely predicted a larger variance. Rhode Island as a state reports a high school graduation rate of 77% but Woonsocket lags behind at 65%.

= Works Cited =

(n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2013, from Rhode Island Kids Count: []

(n.d.). (RIDE) Retrieved July 5, 2013, from InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting: []

// Information Works //. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2013, from []