Mapping Quality of Life in Nebraska: Population Distribution by Race, Ethnicity, and Age

Authors

Sarah Taylor, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Maria Rosario T. de Guzman, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Grant Daily, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Rodrigo Cantarero, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Soo-Young Hong, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Aileen S. Garcia, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jeong-Kyun Choi, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Yan Xia, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2018

Document Type

Article

Citation

QOL Series (2018) 2.

A collaborative initiative involving the Rural Futures Institute, Nebraska Extension, Community and Regional Planning Program, Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Reaching One, Reaching All Interest Group.

Comments

Copyright 2018, the authors. Used by permission.

Jeong-Kyun Choi

Soo-Young Hong

Abstract

KEY POINTS

This section details key points from the data on racial, ethnic, and age groups across Nebraska.

RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES IN NEBRASKA

• The proportions of Nebraska’s racial and ethnic minority populations tend to be smaller by 4% (i.e., Asian) to 8% (i.e., Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino) than those of the US, except for the Hawaiian and Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaska Native populations (i.e., smaller only by 0.1% to 0.2%).

• Nebraska’s urban areas, which comprise 73.1% of the Nebraska population, have higher numbers of racial and ethnic minorities than suburban or rural areas. However, when the relative concentration of racial and ethnic minorities is taken into account, many of the lowest populated counties often have the highest relative concentrations of racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, American Indian and Alaska Natives, and Hispanic/Latinos, compared to the other counties.

• Counties across the central part of the state, as well as the northeast corner, tend to have the highest relative concentrations of racial and ethnic minorities.

NEBRASKA YOUNG CHILD AND YOUTH POPULATIONS

• Counties in northeast Nebraska have the highest relative concentrations of young children and youth compared to the relative number of young children and youth in the entire state.

• Other counties with high relative concentrations of young children and youth tend to be the state’s higher populated counties.

NEBRASKA ELDERLY POPULATION

• Counties with higher relative elderly concentrations tend to be in rural areas, specifically in western Nebraska and along the Nebraska-Kansas border.

• Counties with high relative elderly concentrations tend to be counties with lower relative concentrations of young child and youth populations.

INTERSECTIONS OF NEBRASKA RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND AGE GROUPS

• Counties with high relative concentrations of young children and youth tend to be the ones that also have high relative concentrations of racial and ethnic minority populations, specifically Hispanic/Latinos and American Indian and Alaska Natives (e.g., Thurston, Platte, Colfax, Dakota, and Dawson counties).

• Most counties in Nebraska with high racial/ ethnic minority concentrations have lower relative elderly concentrations, suggesting a low relative concentration of minority elders in these counties.