Haywood County is located in the Advantage West Economic Development Region and has a population of 59,658.1

UNEMPLOYMENT

Haywood County’s unemployment rate was 8.9 percent in November 2010; the state rate was 9.9 percent. In November 2011, the county unemployment rate was 8.4 percent; the state rate was 9.5 percent.2 27,644 workers were part of Haywood County’s labor force in November 2011. This is a 0.3 percent increase since November 2007.2 From November 2007 to November 2011, the number of employed persons in Haywood County declined by 1,165.2

POVERTY

14.6 percent of Haywood County residents (8,491 people) lived in poverty in 2010; the state rate was 17.4 percent.3 34.4 percent of Haywood County residents were low-income from 2008 to 2010, meaning their incomes were less than twice the federal poverty level ($44,628 for a family of four in 2010).

WAGES & INCOME

In 2010, Haywood County’s average weekly wage of $606 equaled 76.6 percent of the statewide average wage of $791.5 Median household income in Haywood County was $39,987, which equaled 92.1 percent of the statewide median household income of $43,417.3 The richest 5 percent of Haywood County households had an average income that was 18.9 times that of the poorest fifth of households and 3.1 times that of the middle fifth of households.

HOUSING

46 percent of renters were unable to afford the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom housing unit in 2010.6 There were 364 foreclosure filings in 2011 representing 1 in 95 properties in Haywood County.

HEALTH

On average, from 2008 to 2010, 18.2 percent of Haywood County residents did not have health insurance, compared to 16.2 percent of all North Carolinians.4 The life expectancy rate for an African-American child born in Haywood County is 81.1, whereas the rate is 77.2 for a white child. The average life expectancy for all children born in Haywood County is 77.3.8 10,398 people were eligible for Medicaid in Haywood County in December 2011, an 18.8 percent increase since December 2007.

EDUCATION

The 4-year cohort graduation rate for Haywood County in 2010-2011 was 79.3 percent, compared to the state rate of 77.9 percent.10 The 4-year cohort graduation rate for African-Americans in Haywood County in 2010-2011 was 85.7 percent, compared to 84.6 percent for Latinos and 79 percent for whites.10 On average, from 2008 to 2010, 21.8 percent of adults in Haywood County had bachelor’s degrees or higher.

SUPPORTS FOR WORKING FAMILIES In September 2007, 5,928 Haywood County residents received assistance from the food and nutrition or food stamp program. In September 2011, the number increased by 74.3 percent to 10,335 and the share of residents receiving assistance reached 17.3 percent.

Residents in Haywood County received state Earned Income Tax Credit refunds totaling $296,921, which supported local businesses and helped these workers earning low wages make ends meet.

THE 2010 LIVING INCOME STANDARD

A working family in Haywood County with 1 adult and 2 children needs to earn, on average, a total of $39,531 annually to afford basic living expenses in the county. This total is 225 percent of the 2010 federal poverty level for a family of three ($17,568).

A working family in Haywood County with 2 adults and 2 children needs to earn, on average, a total of $46,953 annually to afford basic living expenses in the county. This total is 212.3 percent of the 2010 federal poverty level for a family of four ($22,113).

Sources: 1N.C. Office of State Budget and Management, July 2011;  Local Area Unemployment Statistics (BLS), not seasonally adjusted, 2007, 2010, and 2011; U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008-2010; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2010; Out of Reach, 2011; 7N.C. Administration of the Courts, 2012; N.C. State Center for Health Statistics, 2006-2008; N.C. Division of Medical Assistance, 2007 and 2011; N.C. Department of Public Instruction, 2010-2011; N.C. Division of Social Services, 2007 and 2010; N.C. Department of Revenue, 2009; N.C. Budget & Tax Center’s 2010 Living Income Standard.