Description of the Indicator
The Children to Seniors indicator is a ratio of the number of children to elderly. Children are considered age 14 and under, and seniors are 65 and older.
Why is it important?
This indicator is important because it offers insight into the growth of an area. A higher ratio of children to elders indicates a growing community while a lower ratio could suggest decline in population.
How is the region performing?
The ratio of children to seniors in Lackawanna County was 0.84 in 2022, up slightly from 0.78 in 2020. The ratio in Luzerne County was 0.83, also up from 2020 (0.77). Wayne County experienced a negligible change. All parts of the region showed lower ratios than the state (0.89).