Connected Terms: • Health Status • Food Assistance • Built Environment
County health rankings provides the percentage of adults reporting fair or poor health (age-adjusted), by county. Counties can be compared and contrasted with easy data and map export.
United Way has conducted research looking at state, national, and county data for 2016. According to their website, it looks at measuring and understanding the struggles of the growing number of households in our communities that do not earn enough to afford basic necessities, a population called ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). According to this research, 29.2% of Marion County households do not earn enough to afford basic necessities.
During 2018, prevalence of depression and mental distress in Marion County were negatively correlated with income. Those living in poverty carried the greatest burden of these disorders.
Food security describes when people have access to safe and healthy food. Food insecurity may lead to an increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and overweight/obesity. Marion County has higher rates of food insecurity than Indiana and the U.S. as a whole. There was an increase in Marion County SNAP benefits from 2012-2015, and a slight decrease in 2016. About 21% of Marion County residents live in a food desert, DR3792.
