[Grovenet] Zippidy doo-dah

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Ha, ha!! I *assumed* they meant adults, but that's a good point. Like I said
"one mustn't put too much meaning in numbers...there's often more to numbers
than one might think...at first glance". 

Some years ago (1990's) in California a report claimed that 1 in 5 people
couldn't read well enough to understand the labels on foods in the grocery
stores. 

1 in 5 - 20% of the adult population functionally illiterate. And those
*were* adults. 

I wonder if that's changed? 

Ron D'Eau Claire 

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of Steven
Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 10:09 PM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Zippidy doo-dah


I wonder what ages do they follow? For instance is 9.4% of the FG population
under age 14?

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com]On
Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire
Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 8:37 PM
To: 'Grovenet'
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Zippidy doo-dah


That's fascinating, Mike. Thanks!

I couldn't help it. I had to compare where I used to live (97116 - Forest
Grove) with this tiny rural area  on the Oregon coast (97366 - South
Beach)

ZIP              97366   97116
<9th grade:       1.2%   9.4%
9-12th:          10.4%   11.4%
H.S. grad:       28.6%   27.4%
Some coll.:      32.2%   25.4%
2 yr deg.:        5.8%   5.7%
4 yr deg.:       12.8%   12.6%
Grad/prof:        9.0%   8.1%
H.S.+:           88.4%   79.2%
4 yr+:           21.8%   20.7%


So being a "college town" doesn't say much about the level of education of
the people who live there.

It does surprise me that over 9% of the people in Forest grove have less
than a 9th grade education though! That shouldn't be true *anywhere* in the
USA if we want to compete in the world. 1.2% is way too high in my book.

Yet the median income here is substantially lower: $31,500 to $41,600. And a
teeny difference in population: 1,109 and 66 people per square mile here to
20,986 and 290 people per square mile in Forest Grove. Well, I'd have to be
a millionaire to own this property anywhere near Forest Grove.

But one mustn't put too much meaning in numbers. After all, it says you have
0.1 sq miles of water in the zip code there, but we have zero square miles
of water here. What it doesn't say is that if I walk too far toward that
constant rumble outside my window I end up in the Pacific ocean <G>.

I'm sure they're right. I doubt if the post office makes a single stop
beyond the low water mark. Getting my feet wet is a good reminder that
there's often more to numbers than one might think - at first glance...

Ron D'Eau Claire




-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of Michael O'Brien
Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 12:44 PM
To: Grovenet
Subject: [Grovenet] Zippidy doo-dah


Here's an interesting site that compares zip codes based on demographic and
economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau:

http://www.zipskinny.com/

Just enter your zip code and reams of numbers quickly pop up.

You can also compare up to 20 zip codes at once.  After you check out 97116
and 97113, add some of the neighboring zip codes like 97123 and see what you
get.  (I also did a comparison with the town in New England where I grew
up.)

Warning:  it's easy to get completely absorbed in all this data!

Michael


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