| Group | 2016-2018 | 2017-2019 | 2018-2020 | 2019-2021 |
| Overall | 75.8 | 76.1 | 75.8 | 74.9 |
| White | 76.2 | 76.4 | 76.1 | 75.3 |
| African American | 65.6 | 67.3 | 66.9 | 63.7 |
Two weeks ago I posted on the rise in mortality in the African American community in Cambria County during the pandemic. The table above shows the decline in life expectancy in Cambria County during the pandemic. As mortality increases, life expectancy decreases. Last week I looked at clinical variables from County Health Rankings by race to provide clues to this disparity. This week I will look at social variables which may provide some clues to this racial disparity during the pandemic.
Children in Poverty %
| Group | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Overall | 23% | 23% | 16% | 19% | 22% |
| White | 20% | 20% | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| African American | 75% | 67% | 57% | 41% | 47% |
The above table shows that child poverty rates improved for African Americans in Cambria County until 2021. There was a slight increase in 2022. This was when pandemic era protections started to expire. Their rates are still well above white rates.
Injury Death Rates
| Group | 2014-2018 | 2015-2019 | 2016-2020 | 2017-2021 |
| Overall | 123 | 128 | 133 | 134 |
| White | 121 | 126 | 131 | 132 |
| African American | 214 | 221 | 220 | 292 |
Injury death rates in Cambria County did increase overall during the pandemic from 123/100,000 in 2014-2018 to 134/100,000 in 2017-2021, a 9% increase. For whites it increased from 121/100,000 to 132/100,000, a 9% increase, over the same period. At the same time for African Americans the rate increased from 214/100,000 to 292/100,000, a 36% increase.
Median Household Income $
| Group | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Overall | $45,200 | $48,800 | $48,700 | $52,400 | $54,600 |
| White | $47,200 | $48,100 | $48,900 | $52,300 | $55,600 |
| African American | $17,000 | $18,900 | $28,500 | $30,200 | $24,700 |
Median Household Income improved for the county and whites overall. However for African Americans, incomes improved during the pandemic but decreased in 2022. Improvements during the pandemic may have been due to measures such as the stimulus packages passed by congress. Median Household Income is defined as the income that would appear in the middle if all incomes in the county were ranked from highest to lowest.
Residential Segregation Black/White
| Group | 2014-2018 | 2015-2019 | 2016-2020 | 2017-2021 | 2018-2022 |
| African American | 72 | 72 | 70 | 74 | 74 |
The index of racial segregation increased during the pandemic in the county. For 2018-2022 the index for Pennsylvania was 72 while for the U.S. it was 63.
Homicide Rates
| Group | 2012-2018 | 2013-2019 | 2014-2020 | 2015-2021 |
| Overall | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| White | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| African American | 50 | 50 | 48 | 37 |
Homicide rates in the county decreased by 26% for African Americans while holding steady for whites in the county. Homicides cannot account for the increase in mortality during the pandemic.
Driving Alone to Work %
| Group | 2014-2018 | 2015-2019 | 2016-2020 | 2017-2021 | 2018-2022 |
| Overall | 82% | 82% | 81% | 80% | 79% |
| White | 84% | 84% | 83% | 82% | 81% |
| African American | 59% | 62% | 62% | 51% | 49% |
The % of African Americans who drive alone to work in the county decreased from 62% in 2016-2020 to 49% in 2018-2022, a 21% decrease. Whites had only a 2% decrease over the same period. There was increased use of public transportation during the pandemic with free bus service.
These are all of the statistics provided by County Health Rankings. Overdose and injury death rates contribute to the decrease in life expectancy in the county. Homicide and child mortality were not contributing factors. Social variables provide some context for the pandemic disparity with respect to race. These variables boil down to issues with poverty. The image below shows the leading causes of death in the county for people under age 75. These statistics are not broken down by race. Malignant neoplasms are another term for cancer.
