Did you know there are over 150 different community indicators on Grant County Trends - each updated throughout the year? But which ones, and when?
This issue of the Grant County Trends Blog lists the most recently updated indicators on the Grant County Trends website.
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Recent Updates
In AGRICULTURE:
The Distribution of Farms by Total Market Value of Sales Shows Grant County Skews Big
As the 10th most important county in the U.S. by agricultural sales, Grant County tilts toward larger farms. The 2022 Census of Agriculture found that 57% of all farms in the County registered annual sales of $100,000 or more. This was far greater than the state average, which reported only 18% of farms in this category.
To simplify the graph, click off in the legend the items you would like to hide.
Acres of Farmland & Farmland as a Share of Total Land Remains Steady Here
While agricultural production’s footprint is shrinking in many counties, in the state and nationwide, this is not the case in Grant County. Washington State’s Department of Revenue reports that 1.04 million acres in the county were in farmland in 2022. That amount has not changed over the past 20 years.
As a share of total land in the county, the 2022 percentage was 60%, down by only one percentage point from two decades ago. The share is nearly three times as large as its statewide counterpart.
In ECONOMIC VITALITY:
Overall Average Annual Wage Has Climbed Robustly
What we earn from work is the largest component of personal income. (The other two components are federal transfer payments and investment returns.) The average annual wage reflects the recent success of employers in selling their goods or services, and longer-term, the sectoral make-up of the economy. As businesses succeed, they can pay higher wages and/or offer more hours.
Since the start of the pandemic (2020), county average earnings have accelerated. In 2023 they breached $60,000 for the first time. The cumulative increase between 2023 and 2020 was 21%; for the prior four years, 15%. This increase was large enough to offset inflation over the period, unlike the state average, as the graph shows. The state average, however, has been much higher.
The Share of Employment by Type of Employer Shows the County Has Many Government Workers
Census surveys annually in which sectors people work. The annual estimates are presented in this indicator in three overarching areas: private sector, government and the self-employed. In 2023, three quarters of the labor force was employed in the private sector, 18% in government and about 7% self-employed.
Compared to the state and the U.S., Grant County shows a higher share in government and a lower share in the private sector. Government employment is dominated by local government entities (county, cities, school districts, ports and PUDs). There has been little change in the overall mix over the past 15 years.
To simplify the graph, click off in the legend the items you would like to hide.
In EDUCATION:
The Extended Graduation Rate for Public High Schools Shows Little Improvement
High school graduation is a key milestone in a young person’s life. The rate at which a cohort of students achieves this is a key indicator of a school and district’s success. Sometimes a student needs another year to hit this milestone, so a 5-year rate is presented in addition to the “on-time” rate. The 5-year rate includes the number of continuing seniors who graduate in the extra year plus the on-time graduation rate for the seniors who received their diplomas the year before.
For the 10 public school districts in the county, the extended graduate rate for school year 2023-24 was slightly higher than 83%. This matched the average of the past decade. In other words, slightly less than one fifth of Grant County public school students do not graduate from high school. For the past four years, the county average has been less than the Washington average by one to three percentage points.
In EDUCATION cont.:
The Total & Share of Students Completing at Least One Dual Credit Course Rebounds
Students currently have several ways of receiving college credit for classes taken while still in high school. The most common method is Advanced Placement (AP) coursework with a qualifying grade. Others include Running Start, and where available, College in the High School.
A rebound of dual credit class-taking occurred among the county’s public-school districts in the most recent academic year. Over 3,500 students took at least one dual credit course. That translated into 52% of all high school students. While this represents a rebound, the level and rate are far below the peak reached in school year 2019-2020. The pandemic likely dented this activity. Note, too, that the Washington average is now 15 percentage points higher than the county rate, a striking reversal from the years up to 2019-2020.
The Share of the Adult Population (25+) with at Least a Bachelor’s Degree Remains Quite Low
The American Community Survey (ACS), from the U.S. Census, provides annual estimates of the educational profile of a jurisdiction. In particular, the survey asks respondents to give the highest level of education achieved. There are six categories, summarized in three indicators on the Trends site. This indicator takes up the two categories with the highest levels of education.
For 2023, the ACS estimates about 19% of the adult population in the county were in this category. This is far less than the shares observed statewide or in the U.S. Statistically, the county shares are unchanged from 2010.
To simplify the graph, click off in the legend the items you would like to hide.
In HEALTH:
The Share of 8th, 10th & 12th Graders Not Meeting Physical Activity Recommendations
Adult obesity has become epidemic in the U.S. (See Trends 5.3.4.) Often the condition begins in one’s youth, due to certain habits. One of those habits is the level of physical activity. This indicator tracks the (self-reported) share of middle and high school students not meeting the recommended physical activity levels set by the Centers for Disease Control.
There has been little, if any, improvement in the shares of each of these grades in the county over the past decade. Further, there is very little difference between teenagers here and those statewide.
To simplify the graph, click off in the legend the items you would like to hide.
The Share of Adults Diagnosed with Diabetes
Diabetes is a debilitating chronic disease that can lead to a diminished quality of life and amputations or early death. Type I appears at birth. Type 2, the much more common variant, is always acquired and nearly always preventable. This indicator measures adults who report that they have been told by a medical professional that they have diabetes.
For the most recently available data (2022), an estimated 12% of Grant County adults had been told this. This share is considerably higher than a decade ago, when it stood at about 8%. For the years covered by this indicator, the county rate has almost always been higher than the state average.
In HOUSING:
The Median Home Resale Price Has Recently Softened
The purchase of a home is typically the largest transaction a family or household will make. A home is often the largest asset of a family’s wealth as well. Price obviously influences the purchasing decision. From employers’ perspective, housing prices play a role in their ability to attract workers to their companies. And the resale price also affects assessed values, key to taxing districts such as school districts and local jurisdictions.
This indicator measures the median, not average. It doesn’t include newly constructed homes, on sale for the first time.
As the graph makes clear, county home prices peaked in mid-2022 and have receded since. The latest reading (final quarter of last year) put the median at slightly over $363,000. This is over $100,000 greater than five years ago but nearly $300,000 less than the current Washington average.
updated 05.14.25
New Intern Features
Cameron Burns
Hometown: Spokane, WA
Major: Computer Science
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2027
Post-graduation plans: Start a career designing computer systems.
After a few months of working on the Trends project, my favorite thing so far:
My favorite part of work is how the data we use reflects real people and communities. It's satisfying knowing the work we do goes to people who use it to make a difference.
Malina Weigel
Hometown: Okanogan, WA
Major: Economics Major w/ a minor in business administration
Expected Graduation Date: June 2026
Post-graduation plans: I’m hoping to go to graduate school for Economics or Data Science!
After a few months of working on the Trends project, my favorite thing so far:
In the time I’ve been working here my favorite thing is definitely being challenged to learn new topics I haven’t had experience with before.