"the gender gap in wages narrowed last year for the first time since 2007"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"In a stark reminder of the damage done by the Great Recession and of the modest recovery that followed, the median American household last year finally earned more than it did in 1999. 

Incomes for a typical U.S. household, adjusted for inflation, rose 3.2 percent from 2015 to 2016 to $59,039, the Census Bureau said. The median is the point at which half the households fall below and half are above. 

Last year’s figure is slightly above the previous peak of $58,665, reached in 1999. It is also the first time since the recession ended in 2009 that the typical household earned more than it did in 2007, when the recession began. 

Trudi Renwick, the bureau’s assistant division chief, cautioned that the census in 2013 changed how it asks households about income, making historical comparisons less than precise. 

Still, the Census data is closely watched because of its comprehensive nature. It is based on interviews with 70,000 households and includes detailed data on incomes and poverty across a range of demographic groups."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 
http://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20170912/american-household-income-finally-topped-1999-peak-last-year

Census.gov is a welcoming website chock full of information. Every time I visit, I have to be careful not to get lost following the info and the various paths it can lead.

Franklin's quick stats can be found here
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/franklintowncitymassachusetts,MA/PST045216

 Franklin's quick stats can be found here

AARP Livability Index - leaves out Franklin

Given Franklin's demographics (forecasted to be getting to an older population rapidly), the AARP article caught my eye.

To compile AARP’s new lists of the most livable places in the U.S., it wasn’t only our research that counted—it was also your opinions. The top-10 lists that follow are based on the AARP Livability Index, a new online tool designed to help communities better serve the nation’s aging population. 

To create the index, the AARP Public Policy Institute surveyed 4,500 Americans 50 and older to determine the aspects of community most important to them. We then developed seven categories around those results—housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement and opportunity, taking into account 60 different factors to rate communities in those categories. 

The Bulletin crunched the numbers some more to find which cities and neighborhoods come out on top. We weren’t looking for the trendy or glitzy. We wanted the most livable. You might be in for some surprises.

One surprise is that Franklin gets only a middling score on their rating system.

Check out their Most Livable Cities

Check out their Best Cities for Staying Healthy

And where does Franklin rate?

If you’re like most of us, you probably want to stay in the community where you live now. The AARP Livability Index identifies how well your community is doing. Go to aarp.org/livabilityindex to find out.

The interactive system should allow you to chose up to three communities to compare. Maybe there were too many comparing when I did it, it did not respond. Trying again should be worth it. 

Demographics help explain

There are a significant number of residents under 18 years old living in Franklin. Between 1990 and 2003, Franklin’s total population increased by 33.8%; during the same time, the number of residents under 18 increased by 58.3%9.

...

In 2007, nearly 970 students enrolled in the Franklin Public Schools had a disability, of which, nearly 7% had physical disabilities.11 Franklin recognized the need to provide accessible areas to individuals of all ability levels and over the past several years, has been successful in upgrading all the Public School playgrounds to meet ADA compliancy requirements.

...

Another population of interest in Franklin is its elderly residents. Census 2000 indicates 8.2% of Franklins 2000 population was age 65 years or older. As Franklin’s population ages, it is important for the Town to ensure the needs of priority populations are met. In 2008 the Town opened the newly constructed Senior Center. The Center provides Franklin’s seniors with a location to gather and programs geared towards this population’s recreation needs.

When one wonders why the School Budget has become such an item, the demographics of the Town can provide some insights. Read more in the Open Space and Recreation Plan on the Town web site here (PDF)

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Planning/2008plan

Vote Analysis

I need to get to the Town Clerk's office to get the details on the recent election. I'd like to get into some planning for what may come up during 2008. With the requirements for fixing the library, renovating the high school amongst the major capital requirements, nevermind trying to restore the $2 million dollars the school budget got cut this past year, there are plenty of needs but few sources of income other than an other override.

I found this article with some insights on the youth vote. As strong as the elderly vote is here, the youth vote is going to become as important as any other section of the demographics.

Now a disclaimer, I plan to do this analysis not to play one group against another. That is not how to win at this game. I plan to do the analysis to simply better understand the demographics of the town.

For example:

Tip #1: The youth vote is not synonymous with students. In fact, students make up only a small part of the eligible youth vote. Only 21% of all 18-29 year olds are currently attending a college or university. That means that when you report on "students", you are leaving out the other 79% of all the individuals that make up the "youth vote." These people serve in our military, are struggling to raise families - and yes, have very different concerns from college students. I understand that makes it difficult for you to cram them into a cookie-cutter story about student aid activism and tuition costs, but you do them and your readers and our democracy a disservice when you limit your coverage to students.

Food for thought.