October 5, 2022 3:30 a.m.

A county-by-county analysis recently released provides insights into the experiences of Oregonians in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oregon by the Numbers, a comprehensive data resource compiled annually by The Ford Family Foundation and the Oregon State University Extension Service, maps the unique realities of all 36 counties in ways that that community decision makers can easily use, according to a TFFF release.

Kasi Allen, director of learning and knowledge management for the Foundation, said staff anticipated that this year’s report would be the story of 2020 and the pandemic’s impact across the state. Allen said that turned out to be partially true. Allen said “For example, kindergarten readiness and third grade reading data were impossible to collect, but we did gather exciting data for five-year high school graduation rates, which increased across both rural and urban communities”.

The release said among the key trends, all 36 counties experienced negative job growth for the first time in Oregon by the Numbers five-year run, with rural areas faring marginally better. Allen said Oregon remains a childcare dessert, with all counties offering far below the ratio of 1 slot for every 3 children -a challenge only exacerbated by the pandemic. Allen said rural and urban communities alike experienced an influx of new residents in a year dominated by remote and hybrid work, with data continuing to show increasing racial and ethnic diversity among residents in all corners of Oregon.

The publication contains county level profiles and in-depth reports on the various measures -each with rankings that allow readers to see how their county compares with the rest of the state.

Printed copies of Oregon by the Numbers are available by contacting the Ford Family Foundation. More information on the organization is at: www.tfff.org.