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Cluster 14

Central Cities

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All data is recorded as an average for all cities in the cluster.
Data for individual cities may vary significantly in some categories.

Community Conditions

Population

• Average Population Size, 1990-2002:

Year	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Pop.	147,542	150,371	152,379	155,339	158,829	161,591	163,762	172,185	174,865	177,122	179,556	181,628	183,931

• Population Density, 2000: 3,715 persons per square mile

• Population Growth Rate, 1990-2000: 44.4%

• Proportion of Housing Units Newly Built, 1990-2000: 17%

• Proportion of Adults with a Bachelor’s or Higher Degree, 2000: 29%

• Proportion of Population in Racial/Ethnic Minority, 2000: 25%*

Economy

• Median Household Income:

Year	1999	1989
Median Household Income	$40,244 (in 1989 dollars)	$36,548

• Median Household Income Growth, 1989-1999 (Inflation Adjusted): 11%*

• Poverty Rate, 1999: 14.7%*

• Unemployment Rate:

Year	2000	1990
Unemployment Rate	5.1%*	5.0%

• Unemployment Rate Growth, 1990-2000: 1.03%

• Major Local Employers by Industry:

Major Local Employers by Industry	% of Cities in Cluster (w/ Industry as 1 of 3 Top Employers)
Retail trade	100%
Health care and social assistance	88%
Manufacturing	75%
Professional, scientific, & technical svcs	25%
Educational services	13%

Other Community Characteristics

• Date of Incorporation: 1890

• Local Conditions Most Improved:

Local Conditions Most Improved Since 1999	% of Cities in Cluster
Violent crime	43%
Vitality of downtown/main street	43%
Drinking water systems	29%
Parks & recreation	29%
City property tax base	29%

• Local Conditions Most Deteriorated:

Local Conditions Most Deteriorated Since 1999	% of Cities in Cluster
Traffic congestion	71%
Overall city budget condition	57%
Overall economic conditions of community	57%

• Local Conditions Most Important to Address:

Local Conditions Most Important to Address Over Next 5 Yrs.	% of Cities in Cluster
Overall city budget condition	57%
Overall economic conditions of community	57%
Traffic congestion	57%

Fiscal Conditions

General Financial Outlook

• Ability to Meet Needs Compared to Current Year:
  

	(% of Respondents)
	Less Able	Same	Better Able
Five years ago	80%	20%	0%
Next Year	80%	20%	0%
In Next Five Years	80%	0%	20%

Major Revenue Base

• Per Capita Assessed Value, 2002: $81,060

• Per Capita Sales Tax Revenue, 2002: $170

Significant Budget Drivers

• Top 3 Positive & Negative Budget Influences:

Top 3 Positive Budget Influences	% of Cities in Cluster		Top 3 Negative Budget Influences	% of Cities in Cluster
Value of city property tax base	57%		Tax-limiting voter initiatives	71%
Reliance on user fees to pay for city services	43%		Cost of employee health benefits	57%
Value of city sales tax base	29%		Value of city sales tax base	29%
Prices, inflation, cost of living	29%		Employee wages and salaries	29%
			Health of local economy	29%

Initiative Impacts

• Average Proportion of Operating Budget Lost Due to I-695 (MVET Repeal): 2.71%

• Impacts of Initiatives on City Services/Operations:

Impacts of Initiatives on City Services/Operations	% of Cities in Cluster
Increased Taxes	75%
Reduced Staff Training	75%
Increased User Fees	50%
Reduced Services	50%
Eliminated Staff Positions	50%
Eliminated Services	50%
Adopted New User Fees	0%
Diverted Services	0%
Used Reserves	0%

Transportation/Infrastructure

• Local Commuter Impacts
  Proportion of Employed Residents that Work in the City, 2000: 59%

• Infrastructure Needs
  (In order: most important to least important)

New Capacity Needs	Replacement Needs
Streets Stormwater Sewer Water Sidewalks Street lighting Bridges	Streets Stormwater Sewer Sidewalks Bridges Water Street lighting

• Delayed Capital Spending: Past and Future

Spending	% of Responding Cities (4) in Cluster
Delayed Spending over the Past 6 Years	50%
Expect to Delay Spending Over the Next 6 Years	75%

* = High degree of variability in cluster data

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