Washington County: the good, the bad and the in-between

Washington County residents on average earn more than most of their metro counterparts and pay less for housing.

Those findings are contained in Washington County's performance report, an examination of how well county government does its work. The report, released in August, sums up economic indicators, crime and safety, health concerns, library visits, water quality and other topics.

"We use this as information to show citizens and policy makers how we're doing as a county," said management analyst Amanda Hollis. Department managers, she said, build programs around the findings.

Median household income comparisons, drawn from 2006 Census statistics, show Washington County at $76,380, second only to Scott County at $79,262. Dakota County had $70,502. Ramsey County was the lowest of seven metro counties in household income at $50,777.

Four of the metro counties -- Anoka, Carver, Hennepin and Ramsey -- had a greater percentage of households paying a third or more of their income for housing, according to the same census figures. In Washington County, 33 percent of households pay a third or more. In Dakota County, it's 32.7 percent.

The performance report also measured social attitudes. Underage alcohol use ranked as the highest health concern in Washington County (78 percent), followed by drinking and driving (74 percent) and overweight adults and children (73 percent). Obesity is a special concern. About 62 percent of adult residents fit that profile, slightly above national estimates.

Binge drinking by ninth-graders continued its decline since 1995, but binge drinking by 12th-graders remained steady in the same period, the report said.

Libraries continue to be popular in Washington County. Visits in 2007 totaled 972,940, about 30,000 more than in 2003. Nearly 80 percent of Washington County residents have library cards, the report said.

County employees got high marks for their knowledge and responsiveness, according to a county survey. In addition, the county had fewer employees per 1,000 residents in 2007 (4.63) than in 2003 (4.94).

Washington County is projected to grow to 316,000 residents by 2020.

For details concerning the county's 2007 performance report, see: www.co.washington.mn.us/info_for_residents/your_county_government_links/performance_measurement/

Kevin Giles • 651-298-1554