Community Health and Population Essay

McKinney, Texas is â€Å"unique by nature†. As one of the fastest growing cities in the US, McKinney has a current population of more than 149,000, located 30 miles north of Dallas and is the seat of Collin County. McKinney offers rolling hills, lush trees, a historic downtown square and unique neighborhoods and developments. The city ranks number 2 in the CNN’s Money Magazine Best Places to Live in America’s list (Live Edit, n.d.). According to the US Census Bureau (2010), McKinney was one of the most populous places to live with a census of 54,369 in 2000 and 131,117 in 2010 (QuickFacts, para 1). The 141.7% increase over ten years signifies why it was rated number one on the list of Top 10 fastest growing cities with a population of 50,000 or greater (Live Edit, n.d.). In this 100% urban city, there is more than 2300 acres of open space containing 47 parks, 50 miles of hike and bike trails, neighborhood centers and sports complexes. As of the 2012 census, McKinney had a population of 143,223 (49% males and 51% females) with a median age of 32.7. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 64.5% non-Hispanic white, 10.2% non-Hispanic black, 0.7% Native American, 1.0% Indian (from India), 3.1% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.1% reporting two or more races and 18.6% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The median income for the household in the city was $81,894 and $92,868 median family income with only 9% of local residents living in poverty. Considering that 67.9% of McKinney’s residents are employed, the percentage of population with a bachelor’s degree or higher is significantly above the state’s average is explicable. Falling marginally below average at 94.6 (US average is 100) is the cost of living index in McKinney (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012).