Geography

Regional Information: The Comal County region (FIPS code:48091) had an estimated population of 78,021 in 2000. The region consists of 575 square miles with a population density of 135.69 residents per square mile compared to a statewide density of 79.54. This county ranked 42^nd in 2000 population compared to all 254 counties in Texas. Comal County is a member of TWC's Alamo Local Workforce Development region. This area is a metropolitan county. This county also ranked 238^th in size by square miles when compared to all counties in Texas. The Comal County area is assigned to the following district(s): Texas Representative District(s) of 73 and State Senatorial District(s) of 25. The area is in the U.S. Congressional District(s) of: 21. The county seat is New Braunfels and the county's major city, town or place is New Braunfels. See Texas Online at http://www.state.tx.us/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=11.1 for State and local updates. Comal County is classified as a metropolitan county by virtue of either its close relationship with a significant central city or lack thereof. Using 2000 Census population data, roughly 86.05 percent of all Texas population could be found in the 76 metropolitan counties defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 2003. In 1993 the county was classified as a metropolitan county. Texas has established a network of 24 Councils of Government (COGs) to assist local governments in planning for common needs and to coordinate regional economic development activity. Comal County falls within the Alamo Area Council of Governments region. For additional information and links to the COG regions see www.txregionalcouncil.org/.

The Office of the State Climatologist in College Station, under the guidance of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, maintains 10-year intervals of weather compilations. For most recent interval as of January 1, 1993, the rainfall in the region averages 34.3 inches per year compared to the Texas average of 30.1 inches per year. The average growing season in the Comal County region is 261 days. Texas is so climatically diverse that statewide averages are generally irrelevant as a means of comparison. The average temperature in January gathered by the Office of the State Climatologist ranges from 37 degrees to an average for July of 95 degrees. The Texas Department of Agriculture estimates the freeze dates range from Nov 25 to Mar 12. Current and past climate information can be found at http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/uszone5.html and http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html.


 

Natural amenities of the area, according to the U.S. Department of Interior, reflect an overall percent of surface water of 2.3 percent compared to 2.5 percent statewide. The land surface form topography for the region is described as open high hills. Considerably more detailed information can be found at: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/texaswater/sb1/ and http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/tx_geography.htm.

Local Workforce Boards: Comal County is a member of the TWC Alamo local workforce board area. In order to contact the board or TWC's Tele Center by phone, call 1-800-939-6631. Local addresses, references to specific needs and services can be found at the Alamo web site at http://www.twc.state.tx.us/dirs/wdas/wda20.html. For further information on all Local Workforce Board go to http://www.twc.state.tx.us/dirs/wdbs/wdbmap.html.


Population

According to the 2000 Census, Texas grew from 16,986,510 in 1990 to 20,851,820 in 2000 reflecting an increase of 22.8 percent growth. During this same time period, the Comal County region had an increase from 51,832 persons to 78,021 persons which reflected a 50.5 percent change. A variety of data topics for Texas and all the counties is available at: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html.

The region's race/ethnic distibution in 2000 is estimated by the Census Bureau to be:

º Hispanic count includes White, Black and other representation when reported.

Population Age

The age distribution of an area can provide valuable insight into the region's economic composition and income potential. By national standards, Texas has a relatively young population. The 2000 Census estimates for Texas show a population composition as follows:

While the median age for Texas was 32.30 years in 2000, the Comal County area had a median age of 39.00 according to the 2000 Census.


Population Gender

The gender distribution of an area can provide additional insight into the region's overall distribution in the population by male and female. Of the area's population, 38,221 were male which represents 49.0 percent and 39,800 were female which represents 51.0 percent. This compares to the statewide percentage of 49.6 percent for male and 50.4 percent for female.

Special Age Groups and Gender

Youth and Older Workers: Other age cohorts may be of special interest for Workforce Development Board's summer youth programs and older worker programs. The Comal County region has 9,154 persons age 14-21 representing 11.4 percent of the population. This compares with 13.3 percent statewide. For the potential older age cohort, 11,689 persons or 14.5 percent are 55 or over in the Comal County region based on the 2000 Census. This compares to 9.9 percent statewide.

Ages 25-44: If the population cohort 45 and over is higher than the state average, this suggests a stable, mature population comprised of mainly "empty-nesters," retirees and the aged. When the 25-44 age cohort is higher than the state average, this is a healthy economic situation since this group contains the greatest share of the labor force. Decreases over time in this group, especially when similar changes are not occurring statewide, can be an indication that people are moving out of an area they consider to be a poor labor market. In Comal County the total number in the age groups of 25 to 44, was 24,347 or 30.3 percent. This compares to a statewide percentage of 31.9 percent.

Ages 18 and Older: For the population generally considered in the ages to participate in the labor market, the total population who were 18 years and over totaled 14,965,061 in Texas which represented 71.8 percent of the total population. In this study area, the total persons in this age group was 58,107 or 74.5 percent of the total population. Within this age group in Texas the number of males in 2000 who were 18 years and over represented 7,338,177 persons or 35.2 percent of the total population while females age 18 years and over represented 7,626,884 or 36.6 percent. In the Comal County area, males 18 and over represented 28,028 or 35.9 percent in comparison and females totaled to 30,079 or 38.6 percent.

Veteran Status: According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, the area had 57,801 persons in the population age 18 years and older in the year 2000. Of that number, 9,977 or 17.3 percent responded as being a civilian veteran, compared to 11.8 percent statewide. A "civilian veteran" is a person 18 years old or over who has served (even for a short time), but is not now serving, on active duty in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or the Coast Guard, or who served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. People who served in the National Guard or military Reserves are classified as veterans only if they were ever called or ordered to active duty, not counting the 4-6 months for initial training or yearly summer camps.

Disability Status: From the 2000 Census, data on Disability Status were derived when respondents reported long-lasting conditions: (a) blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment, (sensory disability) and (b) a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying (physical disability). Disability status was also derived if the individuals in the working age range of 21 to 64 years had a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more that made it difficult to perform certain activities such as: (a) learning, remembering, or concentrating (mental disability); (b) dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home (self-care disability); (c) going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor's office (going outside the home disability); and (d) working at a job or business (employment disability).

It was reported in the 2000 Census that the area had an estimated 17,808 persons residing there between the ages of 5 to 20 years of age with approximately 1,414 or 7.9 percent with a disability. In Texas, the percent with disabilities in this same age bracket was 7.9 percent. In the working age population group - ages 21 to 64 years, the area had approximately 43,341 persons, of which 7,209 were categorized to be in a disability status. This represented 16.6 percent compared to 19.9 percent in the state overall. For those persons in this age group that had a disability, approximately 4,419 or 61.3 percent were employed. For those who had no disability, an estimated 27,858 or 77.1 percent were employed. For the retirement age group of 65 years of age and older, 10,903 persons resided of which 4,314 were disabled. The percent of this age group with a disabled status was 39.6 percent and this compared to 44.8 percent in Texas overall.

Ages 65 and Older: For the population who are considered to be at the age of retirement or older - 65 years and older, the total number of persons in Texas was 2,072,532 or 9.9 percent of the total population in 2000. This region had a total of 11,568 or 14.8 percent in this older age group. In the same age group of 65 years and over, males in Texas represented 862,181 or 4.1 percent of the total population and females totaled to 1,210,351 or 5.8 percent, while in this study area, males totaled to 5,036 or 6.5 percent of all persons in this area and females represented 6,532 or 8.4 percent of all persons. For other general and special population information from the 2000 Census as well as specific populations topics, link to http://www.census.gov/census2000/states/tx.html.

Population Projections

The Office of the State Demographer for the State of Texas distributes the most widely used population projections for Texas. Projection estimates in these tables and the methodology for migration scenarios have been revised as of June, 2004 by the Texas State Data Center and Office of the State Demographer - now housed at University of Texas San Antonio. Each projection series includes three scenarios resulting in three alternative sets of population values for the State and each county are presented in these projections. These scenarios assume the same set of mortality and fertility assumptions in each scenario but differ in their assumptions relative to net migration. The net migration assumptions made for three scenarios are derived from 1990-2000 patterns which have been altered relative to expected future population trends. This is done by systematically and uniformly altering the adjusted 1990-2000 net migration rates by age, sex and race/ethnicity. The scenarios so produced are referred to as the zero migration (0.0) scenario, the one-half 1990-2000 (0.5) scenario, the 1990-2000 (1.0) scenario and the 1990-2000 (2.0) scenario.

The recommended scenario for most county based projection reporting used is believed to be the 0.5 scenario as most appropriate scenario for most counties in Texas. This scenario has been prepared as an approximate average of the zero (0.0) and 1990-2000 (1.0) scenarios. It assumes rates of net migration one-half of those of the 1990s. The reason for including this scenario is that many counties in the State are unlikely to continue to experience the overall levels of relatively extensive growth of the 1990s. A scenario which projects rates of population growth that are approximately an average of the zero and the 1990-2000 scenarios is one that suggests slower but steadier growth than occurred during 1990-2000 (For a more detailed discussion see http://txsdc.utsa.edu).

Using this projection scenario, the following table represents population projections for Comal County:

     * Anglo, Black,and Other excludes Hispanic counts.

For comparison purposes, the Texas population projections, using the same scenario methodology, are as follows:

     * Anglo, Black,and Other excludes Hispanic counts.

County to County Migration

Out Migration: Using Internal Revenue Service (IRS) information regarding changes in residences between two filing years 2000 and 2001, statistics regarding moving in and out of counties can reveal patterns of migration as well as patterns of out of state and foreign migration to and from selected counties. During this time Comal County reported 29,080 total tax returns with sufficient Out-Migration data. Of these returns approximately 9.9 percent showed a change in residences by moving out from their originating county in 2000 to another county in 2001. Of these who moved out of their original county, 78.0 percent moved to another county within Texas, while 20.8 percent moved to a different state but within the U.S. Those who moved from their originating county in the year 2000 to a foreign country in 2001 was approximately 1.2 percent.

In-Migration: During the period 2000 to 2001, there were approximately 30,060 total tax returns with sufficient In-Migration data. Of these returns approximately 12.9 percent showed a change in residences by moving in from their originating county in 2000 to a county in the study area in 2001. Of these who moved into the study area from another county, 77.8 percent moved from other counties in Texas, while 21.1 percent moved from a county in a different state but within the U.S. Those who moved into the study area during the 2000-2001 period from a foreign country was approximately 1.1 percent.

Vital Statistics: According to the Texas Department of State Health Services for vital statistics for the year 2002, the Comal County area had a total of 1,115 live births which represents a live birth rate of 12.5 births for every 1,000 persons in the study area compared to a statewide rate of 16.7 births per 1,000 persons in the population. The area had a total of 795 deaths representing a rate of 8.9 for every 1,000 persons compared to a statewide rate of 7.0.


Employment

Civilian Labor Force (CLF): The most recent civilian labor force estimates from TWC for Texas statewide in September 2006 is 11,535,540 which is an increase in the labor force of 240,018 persons since September 2005. This represents a 2.1 percent change in Texas during this time period. These estimates are not seasonally adjusted. Comal County had a civilian labor force of 49,161 for September 2006 which was a change of 1,057 in CLF since September 2005. This change represented an increase of 2.2 percent for the study area. For another glimpse into TWC/LMI's Texas and County information, link to: http://www.tracer2.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Labforce.

Economic Diversification: Relative to the Texas economy, the LMCI economic diversification index measures the degree to which a county economy is diversified. Significant concentrations of employment in only one or two industrial sectors makes an area less diversified and more susceptible to widespread economic decline should a key sector suffer a significant loss. While economic diversification or a balanced distribution of employment across all major industry sectors, is generally desirable, in some cases, especially where a region is exploiting a comparative advantage (such as access to raw materials, access to transportation routes, etc.) a statistically diverse economy does not necessarily correlate with higher growth. Of the three levels of diversification ranging from below average, average and above average, Comal County had an economic base which is of average diversity.

Occupations: The best source of occupational information at the county level is from the 2000 Census. The total number of persons 16 years of age or older who were employed in Comal County during the 2000 Census was 36,319. The following presents a table of those employed by occupational categories for this region compared to statewide percentages:

Class of Worker: Another way to view the types of workers in an area's labor force is by class of worker. According to the 2000 Census, the area had 27,352 employees who were private wage and salary workers representing 75.3 percent of all workers. The region had another 5,466 persons who were government workers or 15.0 percent, 3,295 who were self employed workers or 9.1 percent and 206 who were unpaid family workers representing 0.6 percent. This compares to the Texas statewide distribution of 78.0 percent for private wage and salary workers, 14.6 percent for government workers, 7.1 percent for self employed, and 0.3 percent for unpaid family workers.

Unemployment: According to TWC unemployment figures for September 2006 Comal County had an unemployment estimate of 1,817 persons which represents a rate of 3.7 compared to a Texas statewide unemployment rate of 4.7 for the same month. For the study area these estimates represent a decrease from September 2005 unemployment rate of 3.9 percent. The Texas statewide unemployment rate was 5.2 for September 2005. For the latest unemployment rates, see TWC's LMI website - Unemployment Rates (LAUS): http://www.tracer2.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Labforce and for a description of methodology link to: http://www.tracer2.com/article.asp?ARTICLEID=148.

Reporting Establishments: The TWC indicates 2,301 business reporting units operating in Comal County in the first quarter of 2006 with an average of 14.38 workers per unit. Average firm size makes a difference for job hunting and job development strategy because larger firms tend to have better defined ports of entry and in-house training capabilities. Although definitions vary greatly, small business can be defined as less than 50 workers and medium sized is 250 or less. The Texas average is 23.19 workers per unit. Regions with higher than average number of workers per unit tend to be dominated economically by a few very large employers.

Commuting to Work: Commuting to work for workers 16 years and over has a number of implications for transportation and municipal services study. Comal County had a total of 28,976 or 80.6 percent who drove their car to work alone, 4,716 or 13.1 percent who car pooled, 43 or 0.1 percent used public transportation, 435 or 1.2 percent who walked to work, 447 or 1.2 percent of regional workers who used other means to work, and 1,326 or 3.7 percent who worked at home. These methods of commuting to work compare to the Texas statewide results by: car alone (77.7%), car pool (14.5%), public transportation (1.9%), walked (1.9%), other means (1.3%), and worked at home (2.8%). The average travel time to work in minutes was 28.20 for the region as compared to an overall statewide average of 25.4 minutes.

Employers by Employee Size Class: According to the information used by the Industrial Profiles system which utilizes the American Labor Market Information System's (ALMIS) employer contact data from INFOUSA, Inc. for Fall, 2004, the area had approximately 627 establishments which employed 10 or more employees. Of these employers, approximately 0.3 percent employed over 1000 employees. 0.5 percent employed between approximately 500 and 999 employees, 7.5 percent employed between approximately 100 and 499 employees, 12.0 percent employed between 50 and 99 employees, 28.9 percent employed between 20 and 49 employees, and 50.9 percent employed between approximately 10 and 19 employees.

Top 12 Manufacturers for the Comal County Region:

·  Checks In The Mail Inc

·  New Braunfels Smoker Co

·  Coleman Co

·  Moll Industries

·  Symons Corp

·  Texas Industries Inc

·  Detex Corp

·  Simpson Performance Products

·  Mission Valley Textiles Inc

·  Cemex

·  Dyna Group Intl Inc

·  Great American Products Inc


Income

Personal Income: According to the most recent data released by the BEA 2004, Comal County's total personal income, excluding farm, was $2,792,374,000 which represented an increase of $194,006,000 when compared to the 2003 total personal income, excluding farm, of $ 2,598,368,000. For Statewide personal income, the total of $650,874,586,000 for 2003 and $690,587,968,000 for the year 2004, shows an increase of $39,713,382,000. This indicates that Comal County has a personal income showing a rate change of 7.5 percent compared to the statewide income at a rate change of 6.1 percent for the same period. Income from all government and government enterprises for the area was a total of $187,222,000 for the year 2004. This was an increase of 4.8 percent from the 2003 figure of $178,562,000. Texas statewide had an increase of 5.4 percent for government income. Military income, excluding federal civilian income, for 2004 was $7,303,000 compared to $6,533,000 in 2003 for the study area. This was an increase of 11.8 percent compared to a statewide change of a decrease of 6.7 percent percent for the same period. For further information link to: http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Per Capita Income: Total personal income is a widely used measure of regional economic health while per capita income is generally used to compare the relative well-being of residents across areas (not accounting for differences in area cost of living). The per capita personal income for 2004 was $30,405 in Comal County while Texas statewide had a per capita income of $30,732. For more information on this data, please go to http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Government Transfer Payments: The Comal County region received over $387,300,000 in transfer of payments in FY2004 which reflected a $4,217 per capita transfer payment compared to the Texas per capita payment of $3,882. Transfer payments includes the total amount of government allocations to people who qualify for income assistance. This consists largely of supplemental security income payments, family assistance, general assistance payments, food stamp payments, and other assistance payments, including emergency assistance. For more information on this data, please go to http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Residence Adjustment: Some areas function as major employment centers and others serve as "bedroom communities". This means that residents may work in one region but live, pay taxes and spend most of their income in their resident region. The degree to which a regional area serves as a bedroom community can be measured by a "residence adjustment" to the area personal income. The residence adjustment in the Comal County region was $587,018 in 2003. By 2004 the adjustment represented an increase to $656,434. A negative number implies that workers commute into the region to earn income but do not reside there. Growth over time of negative residence adjustments generally implies an eroding tax base for the region. Similarly, a positive figure implies that on balance the region exports jobs and income to residents of other regions. For more information on this data, please go to http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Average Weekly Wage: TWC reported an average weekly wage during 1^st quarter 2005 for all covered wages and salaried employment in the Comal County region to be $562.58. Average weekly wages for 1^st quarter 2006 was $614.82, an increase of 9.3 percent. This is compared to an increase of 8.6 percent statewide for the same period of time. The Texas statewide average weekly wage in the 1^st quarter of 2006 was $824.64.  These wage data are the result of the reported quarterly wages and salaries paid by employers divided by 13 weeks. For the most current information, link to: http://www.tracer2.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Industry

UI Benefits: The region had $4,949,305 in Unemployment Insurance benefits paid during calendar year 2001. In the Comal County region, the average duration before exhausting regular UI benefits in calendar year 2001 was approximately 18.30 weeks, while the statewide average duration before exhausting regular UI benefits in calendar year 2001 was approximately 15.85 weeks. The most likely interpretation of longer duration times is greater difficulty finding a job. Therefore, duration can serve as a good barometer for local general economic conditions. The average weekly benefits payment for Regular UI in 2001 was $237.89 for the Comal County region compared to $238.53 in Texas statewide.

Personal Income by Place of Residence: Personal income by place of residence, based on the 2000 Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates was roughly $78,299 for the Comal County region. This compares to $78,626 statewide. This figure is much higher than the per capita income level because it includes all wage earners living within a single household. Also, income data from BEA will be different than income data from other agencies due to that fact the BEA includes other sources of income such as farm wages, dividends, interest, rent and transfer payments. For more information on this data, please go to http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Poverty Population: The U.S. Department of Census estimated a 2002 poverty population for the Comal County region for people of all ages at 7,966 persons. That figure represents 9.4 percent of the non-institutional population compared to a Texas percentage of 15.4 percent for people of all ages. The estimated number of people under the age of 18 in the study area in poverty was 2,364 in 1999. This figure was 3.2 percent of all people under 18 in the study area compared to Texas statewide which was 6.0 percent of all people under 18 as estimated in 1999. According to the 2000 Census, the number of families living below poverty status in 1999 were 1,415 which was 6.4 percent of all families in the study area. This compared to 12.0 percent of all families statewide living in poverty status in 1999. The total number of individuals living below poverty status was 6,585 in 1999 which was 8.4 percent of all individuals in the study area. This compared to 15.0 percent of all individuals living below poverty status statewide. For the most recent Poverty information, see: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/county.html .

Gross Retail Sales: Income can be viewed in several ways and under different definitions. Per capita income tends to have a direct relationship with the growth of gross sales and most service sector industries in an area. Gross sales for the region estimated by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts were $767,312,068 in the 4^th quarter 2004 which represented an increase of 5.2 percent to $807,545,445.00 by the 4^th quarter 2005. The statewide change for the same period was an increase of 8.6 percent in gross sales. The total number of reporting outlets for the same period was 1,154 in the 4^th quarter 2004 and 1,015 in the 4^th quarter 2005. This region had a decrease of -12.0 percent in the study area compared to the statewide change for the same period of a decrease of -13.0 percent. For the most recent Gross Retail Sales information, please see: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/.


Housing

Household Units and Size: The total number of housing units in 2000 in Comal County according the Census was 29,066 with an average household size of 2.6 persons. The average household size for Texas was 2.7 persons for the same period. Home ownership rates for this area was 77.2 percent compared to Texas statewide which had a rate of 63.8 percent. While in Texas statewide the percent of households with persons under 18 years of age in 2000 was 40.9 percent, this study area had a percent of 36.6. The percent of households with persons 65 years of age or older was 19.9 percent in Texas statewide while 26.7 percent of Comal County had households with individuals 65 years of age and older.

Types of Structures: While Texas had approximately 63.4 percent of the housing units in the category of one detached structures in 2000 according to the census, the study area had approximately 70.2 percent. Mobile homes in the area made up 15.8 percent when compared to a statewide percentage of 9.0 percent. More recently built housing structures in the area shows new development has taken place in the region. The total number of new housing structures built between 1995 and March 2000 was 7,368 or 22.5 percent in Comal County compared to 13.2 percent statewide.

Owner and Renter Occupied: According to the 2000 Census, the percent of owner-occupied units with a value of $100,000 or greater in Comal County was 59.0 percent compared to 36.7 percent for the state. The percent of renter-occupied units with rent values of $500 per month or greater was 68.6 percent as compared to the Texas percentage of 60.4 percent. The median home value in Comal County according to the 2000 census was $117,000.00 compared to a statewide median value of $82,500.00. Median rent for the area was $626.00 compared to $574.00 for the state. For this area, the total number of renter-occupied housing units was 6,626 which represented 22.8 percent of all occupied housing units in 2000. This compares to a Texas statewide percentage of 36.2 percent for the same period.


Education

The total number of public independent school districts in Comal County for the school year 1999-2000 was 2 according to the Texas Education Agency. The overall average daily attendance for the same year was 15,479.

Enrollment: School enrollment data from the 2000 Census showed that there were 19,006 persons in the population who were 3 years of age and older and enrolled in school in the study area during the census collection period. Of this population, the following table shows a breakdown of what types of schools persons were enrolled compared to similar statewide information:

Educational Attainment: The total number of persons 25 years of age or older who responded to the level of educational attainment during the 2000 Census was 52,549. Of those persons, the following presents a table on various levels of educational attainment for this region compared to statewide percentages:

Another useful grouping of these statistics shows that the percent of high school graduates or higher was 83.9 percent for the area compared to 75.7 percent for Texas. Also, the percent with bachelor's degree or higher was 26.2 percent as compared to 23.2 percent for Texas.

Dropout and Attrition Rates: Information from the Texas Education Agency on student dropouts from public schools for 2000-2001 shows that 81 students, grades 7-12, dropped out of school in this study area. This represents a dropout rate of 0.94 percent as compared to a Texas statewide percentage of 0.94 percent of all students who dropped out during this period. Attrition rates are often viewed as measures of the percentage of students that begin high school but do not graduate with a diploma. It is arguably a more reasonable way to view dropouts from an economic viewpoint. One way to view educational progress in a region is to estimate the number of persons who persist to high school graduation as opposed to standard dropout statistics. Attrition rates are calculated by the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA). IDRA conducts research and development activities; creates, implements and administers innovative education programs; and provides teacher, administrator, and parent training and technical assistance. The attrition rates for Comal County during the period 2000-2001 by race and ethnicity were 36 percent for all students, 65 percent for Blacks, 28 percent for Whites, and 53 percent for Hispanics. In order to review the latest Secondary Schools Enrollment and Dropouts information posted on the Texas Education Agency, link to: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/research/dropout/9899/long.


Health

Health Facilities - The number of acute and psychiatric care hospitals in Comal County as of September 2006 was 1, with an average total beds capacity of approximately 132.0 compared to a statewide ratio of 122.0 beds per hospital according to statistical reports from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Link to http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for more data reporting on health care facilities. The Texas State Board of Pharmacy data for September 2006 shows there are 17 licensed pharmacies in the study area. The total number of licensed pharmacies statewide is 5,813. For additional information on Texas Pharmacies, link to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy at http://www.tsbp.state.tx.us/index.htm.

Health Practitioners - According to the Texas Department of State Health Services September 2005 report, there were 173 direct patient care and primary care physicians who practiced in the region. The ratio of total persons to each physician in the area was 533.2 residents per each physician. This compares to a statewide ratio of 446.4 persons for each physician in Texas. Another way of reporting these figures is by showing the number of physicians as a ratio per 100,000 residents. In this study area, the ratio in direct patient care was 768.7 as compared to the statewide ratio of 642.3 in direct patient care physicians per 100,000 population as of 2005. The ratio of physicians in primary care was 1,740.5 compared to a statewide ratio of 1,463.5 physicians in primary care per 100,000 persons in the population statewide. Link to http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for more data reporting as well as http://www.texasshcc.org.

The study area had a total of 451 registered nurses (RN) working in the study area, representing a ratio of 204.5 persons for each RN in the area. The statewide ratio was 159.1 persons for each RN in the state. For the same time period, the ratio of RNs per 100,000 population was 489.0 compared to 628.5 per 100,000 statewide. Link to http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for more data reporting as well as http://www.texasshcc.org.

The number of licensed vocational nurses (LVN) who practiced in the area was 275 representing a ratio of 335.4 persons per each LVN in the area. This compared to 371.7 persons per each LVN statewide. The ratio of LVNs per 100,000 population was 298.2 compared to 269.0 per 100,000 population statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us as well as http://www.texasshcc.org for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

The Texas Department of State Health Services information for September 2005 also reports that there were 47 dentists in the study area, with a ratio of 1,962.6 persons for each dentist in the area. The ratio of dentists per 100,000 residents was 51.0. By comparison, there was a statewide ratio of 35.7 dentists per 100,000 residents, with a total of 8,213 dentists statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us as well as http://www.texasshcc.org for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services for September 2005, there were 328 licensed Emergency Medical Technicians, or EMTs, for the study area; a ratio of 355.6 licensed EMTs per 100,000 residents. The statewide ratio was 218.6 EMTs per 100,000 residents, with a total of 50,291 EMTs statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us as well as http://www.texasshcc.org for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

Also, according to the September 2005 report from the Texas Department of State Health Services, there were 54 pharmacists in this area, which is a ratio of 1,708.2 persons for each pharmacist. Texas has 16,944 pharmacists statewide, or a ratio of 1,357.6 persons for each pharmacist in the area. The ratio of pharmacists per 100,000 residents was 58.5 compared to 73.7 per 100,000 residents statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us as well as http://www.texasshcc.org for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

The Texas Department of State Health Services information for September 2005 shows that for the study area there were 19 occupational therapists; a ratio of 4,854.9 persons for each occupational therapist. The statewide ratio was 4,296.3 persons for each occupational therapist, with a total of 5,354 occupational therapists statewide. The ratio of occupational therapists per 100,000 residents was 20.6 compared to 23.3 statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us as well as http://www.texasshcc.org for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

Medical & Health Services Employment^*

^* Includes: Hospitals, Medical/Health Offices; Home Health, Nursing, Elderly Residential facilities;
Individual/Family, Emergency & Other Relief Svcs., Vocational Rehab. Svcs.
[NAICS: 6211,6212-19,6221-23,6231-32,6239,6242-43]
Due to confidentiality, employment for small areas may be suppressed and reported as zero.

Health Statistics - Some of the leading causes of mortality in Texas include malignant neoplasms or cancer, heart disease, and chronic lower respiratory disease. From information gathered by Texas Department of State Health Services for 2003, the study area had a total of 165 reported deaths from malignant neoplasm cancer. On a statewide level, Texas had 33,782 reported deaths from malignant neoplasm cancer. Texas Department of State Health Services reports that for 2002 there were 172 deaths from heart disease, and 32 deaths from lower respiratory disease in the selected study area. By contrast, Texas statewide had 41,654 deaths from heart disease and 7,548 deaths from chronic lower respiratory disease. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Texas health, disease and related information.

Several state agencies collect statistics on health status indicators that can be used to assess the strengths or weaknesses of public health in a local area or community. For this study area, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported for August 2003 there were 7 infant deaths, as compared with a statewide rate of 2,369. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Texas health, disease and related information.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported that for August 2003 there were 60 total teen pregnancies in this area. There were different teen pregnancy rates in the study area depending on race, with 0 for Black teens, 44 for Hispanic teens and 16 for White teens. Statewide rates for teenage pregnancy were 19,730 for total teenage pregnancies, with 3,003 for Black teens, 12,693 for Hispanic teens and 4,034 for White teens. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Texas health, disease and related information.

In the Health and Human Services 2003 Data Book, figures show that the number of children under 19 in this area whom were not covered by health insurance is 2,419, which is 8.9% of the reported population in that age group. The number of uninsured children statewide is 885,999, or 7.1% of the reported population for children under 19. For more information, or to view or download the entire data book, see http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us.


Information On The Web

The Bureau of Census has a variety of useful Quick Facts for each county in Texas. The Quick Fact report for Comal county can be accessed at the following URL: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48091.html. Some counties maintain their own Internet sites for local information. If a county hosts its own Web site, it may be accessed through a URL with the following format http://www.co.County Name Goes Here.tx.us.

To research additional websites on Counties, consider any of the following:

Texas A-Z List of counties with web sites: http://www.state.tx.us/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=6.2.1
Texas Conference on Urban Counties: http://www.cuc.org
State of Texas Web Site - Texas Counties:http://www.state.tx.us
Texas Economic Development: http://www.marketplace.state.tx.us
TWC's LMI unit, Tracer: http://www.tracer2.com/
Texas Association of Counties: http://www.county.org
V.G. Young Institute of County Government: http://vgyi.tamu.edu/
Real Estate Center, Texas A&M University: http://recenter.tamu.edu
Bureau of Business Research, University of Texas: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/bbr
National Association of Counties: http://www.naco.org
"Uniform Crime Statistics, County Reports" Geostat-Geospatial & Statistical Data Center, University of Virginia: http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/crime

Other Facts of Interest

·         According to the Texas Secretary of State's Office, for the November 2004 presidential election, there were 65,739 registered voters in Comal County. The voter turnout was 41,043 representing 62.4 percent of eligible voters. The election results were 31,574 or 76.9 percent for Bush/Cheney, 9,153 or 22.3 percent for Kerry/Edwards, and 316 or 0.8 percent for all other presidential candidates. The statewide results were 61.1 percent for Bush/Cheney, 38.2 percent for Kerry/Edwards, and approximately 0.7 percent for all other candidates. See: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/index.shtml for other topics of interest.

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