County scores well
on civic health index

A new report that attempts to measure civic health — including access to news and information, civic participation, equity and justice, and health and opportunity — places Marion County performing better than 93% of counties nationwide.

The county’s weakest areas were:

• Percentage of youths ages 16 to 19 not working or enrolled in school, worse than 74% of counties nationwide.
• Percentage of households without broadband internet, worse than 63% of counties nationwide.
• Percentage uninsured, worse than 54% of counties nationwide.
• Voter turnout, worse than 50% of counties nationwide.

Overall, Marion County’s score was better than Lyon County’s 58%, Sedgwick County’s 64%, Saline County’s 65%, Reno County’s 66%, Chase County’s 74%, Butler County’s 80%, Dickinson County’s 84%, and Morris County’s 85%.

It was the same as Harvey County’s 93% and less than McPherson County’s 95%.

Areas in which Marion County did especially well were, in order, number of news outlets, lack of high-poverty neighborhoods, social associations, volunteerism, unemployment, charitable donations, rent as a percentage of income, literacy, percentage without medical debt, percentage with college degrees, and use of libraries.

The index was assembled by a group called Press Forward, a national coalition investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close gaps in news coverage, and advance public policy that expands access to local news.