Independence
2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate
Demographic Data
Economic Data
Civilian Labor Force 16,717 -- 16,903 -- 17,059 -- 17,508 -- 18,035 -- 17,700 --
  Population
Children (under 18) 8,389 -- 8,124 -- 8,103 -- 8,106 -- 8,111 -- 8,118 --
Adolescents (10 - 17) 4,067 -- 3,785 -- 3,712 -- 3,645 -- 3,581 -- 3,582 --
Adults (18 and Older) 25,908 -- 26,199 -- 26,319 -- 26,524 -- 26,562 -- 26,791 --
Total Population 34,297 -- 34,323 -- 34,422 -- 34,630 -- 34,673 -- 34,909 --
Population under 21 9,937 -- 9,574 -- 9,527 -- 9,507 -- 9,460 -- 9,458 --
School Enrollment
Public School Enrollment: Total (including pre-K) 5,786 -- 5,638 -- 5,604 -- 5,688 -- 5,863 -- 5,741 --
Public School Enrollment: 7 - 12 2,677 -- 2,666 -- 2,635 -- 2,645 -- 2,581 -- 2,551 --
Public School Enrollment: Elementary and Middle School 3,945 -- 3,715 -- 3,694 -- 3,784 -- 3,786 -- 4,061 --
Vital Statistics
Total Births 432 -- 486 -- 465 -- 475 -- 497 -- 471 --
Community Domain
Availability
Beer Permits -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Private Club Permits 0 0.0 6 0.2 6 0.2 8 0.2 8 0.2 8 0.2
Tobacco Sales to Minors (%) -- -- -- -- 18 34.6 18 23.1 2 5.1 6 11.8
Tobacco Distributors 51 1.5 61 1.8 50 1.5 50 1.4 46 1.3 44 1.3
Community Disorganization
Residences Without Complete Kitchen or Plumbing (%) 172 1.3 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Homicide Victims 1 0.0 4 0.1 0 0.0 1 0.0 0 0.0 2 0.1
State Correction Prisoners Received 62 1.8 45 1.3 97 2.8 138 4.0 136 3.9 135 3.9
Total Crime Index Offenses 1,408 41.1 1,485 43.3 -- -- 1,194 34.5 1,157 33.4 1,030 29.5
Total Property Crime Offenses 1,350 39.4 1,448 42.2 -- -- 1,159 33.5 1,136 32.8 1,013 29.0
Total Violent Crime Offenses 58 1.7 37 1.1 -- -- 35 1.0 21 0.6 17 0.5
Adult Arrests for Drug/Narcotics (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Adult Arrests for DUI (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Adult Arrests for Drunkeness (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Adult Arrests for Liq. Law Violations (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Total Arrests for Drug/Narcotics (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Total Arrests for DUI (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Total Arrests for Drunkeness (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Total Arrests for Liq. Law Violations (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Extreme Economic Deprivation
Unemployment 802 4.8 948 5.6 1,086 6.4 1,089 6.2 1,037 5.7 1,000 5.6
Children Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunches 2,490 430.3 2,613 463.5 2,807 500.9 2,869 504.4 3,066 522.9 3,065 533.9
Children Receiving TEA 466 55.5 427 52.6 382 47.1 345 42.6 288 35.5 276 34.0
Children Receiving Food Stamps 2,412 287.5 2,704 332.8 2,771 342.0 2,963 365.5 3,276 403.9 3,330 410.2
Low Birthweight Births 42 97.2 40 82.3 39 83.9 52 109.5 54 108.7 36 76.4
Infant Mortality 2 4.6 6 12.3 1 2.2 3 6.3 4 8.0 3 6.4
Transitions and Mobility
New Home Construction 17 0.5 20 0.6 21 0.6 24 0.7 0 0.0 26 0.7
Renter-Occupied Housing Units 3,449 256.1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Homeless Children Enrolled in Public School -- -- 2 0.4 14 2.5 49 8.6 52 8.9 70 12.2
Net Migrants to Arkansas (%) -- -- -58 -0.2 71 0.2 125 0.4 -61 -0.2 105 0.3
School Domain
Academic Failure
Percent 4th Graders Below Grade Level in Math 174 53.6 109 30.8 80 24.7 118 28.0 173 44.5 154 36.0
Percent 4th Graders Below Grade Level in Literacy 143 44.1 67 19.0 83 25.4 100 23.6 140 36.0 138 32.4
High School Dropouts 40 1.4 92 3.5 73 2.7 73 2.8 75 2.8 57 2.2
Status Dropouts 754 24.1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Lack of Commitment to School
Dropouts for "Lack of Interest" 32 1.2 12 0.5 11 0.4 8 0.3 5 0.2 3 0.1
Family Domain
Family Conflict
Victims of Child Maltreatment 110 13.1 115 14.2 94 11.6 105 13.0 84 10.4 88 10.8
Children Living With Relatives Other Than Parents 664 79.2 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Children Living With Nonrelatives 148 17.6 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Children Living in Foster Care 63 7.5 52 6.4 49 6.0 70 8.6 56 6.9 54 6.7
Divorces and Annulments 244 7.1 242 7.1 238 6.9 228 6.6 260 7.5 226 6.5
Children in Single-parent Families 1,573 187.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Family History of High Risk Behavior
Adults in Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment 282 10.9 227 8.7 207 7.9 197 7.4 226 8.5 370 13.8
Educational Attainment:  Below 9th grade 2,154 9.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Educational Attainment:  9th - 12th, No diploma 3,408 15.0 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Educational Attainment:  High School Graduate 9,021 39.7 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Educational Attainment:  Some College 4,346 19.1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Educational Attainment:  College Graduate 3,776 16.6 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Pregnant Women in Alcohol or Drug Treatment 4 9.3 9 18.5 1 2.2 -- -- 0 0.0 3 6.4
Births to Women with <12 Years of Education 77 178.2 86 177.0 78 167.7 104 218.9 99 199.2 92 195.3
Births to Women Using Tobacco During Pregnancy -- -- -- -- -- -- 138 290.5 145 291.8 103 218.7
Births to Women Using Alcohol During Pregnancy -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 4.2 2 4.0 2 4.2
Peer/Individual Domain
Alienation, Rebelliousness…
Adolescent Suicide (per 100k) 1 24.6 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 27.9 0 0.0
Early Initiation of Problem Behavior
Elementary/Middle School Alcohol Infractions 2 0.5 1 0.3 3 0.8 0 0.0 0 0.0 -- --
Elementary/Middle School Drug Infractions 14 3.5 11 3.0 22 6.0 7 1.8 3 0.8 6 1.5
Elementary/Middle School Tobacco Infractions 44 11.2 48 12.9 56 15.2 3 0.8 10 2.6 7 1.7
Elementary/Middle School Assaults on Students or Staff 20 5.1 32 8.6 26 7.0 7 1.8 14 3.7 39 9.6
Elementary/Middle School Weapons/Explosives Infractions 4 1.0 4 1.1 5 1.4 2 0.5 2 0.5 4 1.0
Elementary/Middle School Vandalism 5 1.3 13 3.5 6 1.6 0 0.0 0 0.0 -- --
Elementary/Middle School Gang Involvement -- -- 2 0.5 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 0.5 -- --
Peers Who Engage in Problem Behavior
Juveniles in Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment 64 7.6 43 5.3 24 3.0 36 4.4 35 4.3 17 2.1
Adolescent Pregnancy 22 11.6 30 17.0 26 14.9 33 18.9 14 8.1 20 11.6
Births to Mothers Age 10-17 16 8.4 23 13.0 22 12.6 27 15.5 12 7.0 18 10.4
High School Alcohol Infractions 2 1.1 1 0.5 3 1.6 4 2.1 1 0.5 5 3.0
High School Drug Infractions 11 6.0 11 5.7 22 11.5 9 4.7 18 9.7 8 4.8
High School Tobacco Infractions 35 19.0 27 14.0 49 25.7 97 50.9 52 27.9 60 35.7
High School Assaults on Other Students and Staff 17 9.2 25 13.0 19 9.9 20 10.5 16 8.6 9 5.4
High School Weapons/Explosives Infractions 3 1.6 2 1.0 4 2.1 3 1.6 9 4.8 3 1.8
High School Vandalism 4 2.2 13 6.8 6 3.1 5 2.6 1 0.5 2 1.2
High School Gang Involvement -- -- 1 0.5 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 -- --
Students Leaving School for Incarceration -- -- 5 1.9 0 0.0 3 1.1 0 0.0 5 2.0
Juv Arrests for Drug/Narcotics (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Juv Arrests for DUI (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Juv Arrests for Drunkeness (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Juv Arrests for Liq. Law Violations (NIBRS) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0.0
Consequences
Public Health/Safety Outcomes
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 32 0.9 55 1.6 89 2.6 115 3.3 138 4.0 116 3.3
New HIV Cases -- -- -- -- 0 0.0 4 0.1 4 0.1 7 0.2
New AIDS Cases -- -- -- -- 0 0.0 -- -- 0 0.0 10 0.3
Alcohol or Drug Related Traffic Injuries -- -- -- -- -- -- 57 1.6 89 2.6 66 1.9
Alcohol or Other Drug Related Traffic Fatalities 6 0.2 1 0.0 9 0.3 4 0.1 2 0.1 3 0.1
Alcohol or Other Drug Related Traffic Crashes -- -- -- -- -- -- 56 1.6 79 2.3 57 1.6
Crash Injuries and Deaths: Underage Drinking Drivers -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 11 1.2 -- --
Traffic Crashes Involving Underage Drinking Drivers -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 8 0.8 3 0.3
Lung Cancer Deaths (per 100k) 39 113.7 27 78.7 35 101.7 30 86.6 35 100.9 25 71.6
Deaths from Alcoholic Liver Disease (per 100k) 3 8.7 0 0.0 2 5.8 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 2.9