college-towns

Community Snapshot

These 154 counties are scattered around the country and are generally located near large colleges and universities.

College Towns are home to 18.2 million people. These counties also hold a large number of college graduates; 38.8% of their population have at least a bachelor’s degree. Despite high levels of education, median household income in College Towns is $61,054, below the national average. Access to healthcare in these communities is more prevalent than in other places, with nearly 100 fewer people per primary care physician than the national average. Similarly, the average ratio of population to mental health providers is 321:1, compared to the national average of 350:1.

Access to healthcare

1,244:1 Population per physician

Average ratio of population to primary care physicians

Vol. 3 2020-2021

Deaths of Despair Across America

The American Communities Project is undertaking a 30-month study of Deaths of Despair in its 15 community types.

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