Recommendations for a Strategic Plan for Economic Development for Tattnall County, Georgia

Attachment A

Georgia Tech EDI

Local Economic Review of Tattnall County, Georgia

July 2, 2002

Overview[1]

Located in Southeastern Georgia, Tattnall County was created in 1801 from parts of Montgomery and Washington counties. It is approximately one hour from Savannah.

Tattnall County is a Tier 1 community located in Region 9, the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha River area. Most of its neighboring counties are also Tier 1 communities, due to relatively high unemployment, low per capita income, and high poverty rates. The county’s economic base has agricultural roots. Tattnall is the state’s largest producer of Vidalia sweet onions and hosts the Glennville Sweet Onion Festival each year in honor of the county’ significant production. Tattnall’s largest employers include Claxton Poultry Co., Evans Memorial Hospital / Glennville Nursing Home, Rotary Corporation, and Georgia Department of Corrections.

The Wiregrass Trail and the Woodpecker Trail both run through Tattnall County. The county has five incorporated communities: Cobbtown, Collins, Glennville, Reidsville, and Manassas. Nearly, 70 percent of the residents in Tattnall County live in unincorporated areas.

The Tattnall County Development Authority is responsible for economic development activity in the county.

Methodology

Socioeconomic data were gathered and analyzed for Tattnall County and comparable counties. Groupings of comparable counties include the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Region (Region 9), the Tattnall County Labor Market Area (LMA), and a peer group of three counties.

The Region

The Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Region (Region 9) includes Tattnall County and the following 16 counties:

Appling County

Bleckley County

Candler County

Dodge County

Emanuel County

Evans County

Jeff Davis County

Johnson County

Laurens County

Montgomery County

Telfair County

Toombs County

Treutlen County

Wayne County

Wheeler County

Wilcox County

The Labor Market Area

The Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) defines Tattnall ’s Georgia Labor Market Area (LMA) as including counties from two different regions, Region 9 and Region 12. The economic ties between the following counties and Tattnall provide the basis for logical comparison.

Appling County

Candler County

Emanuel County

Evans County

Liberty County (Region 12)

Long County (Region 12)

Toombs County

Wayne County

The Peer Group

Although it is important to compare Tattnall County to counties within its region and LMA, counties often exhibit similarities to others that are not within close geographic proximity. Therefore, to provide a better understanding of where Tattnall County is doing well and areas where there is room for improvement, it is important to relate it to a peer group of most similar counties. To determine the peer group for Tattnall, Georgia counties were screened according to the following criteria:

1. Counties with a population that fell within a range of 75 to 125 percent of Tattnall’s population

2. Counties outside an urban area (that is, rural counties)

3. Counties that have received a Tier 1 designation as defined under the OneGeorgia program

4. Counties without direct interstate highway access

5. Counties located in south Georgia

6. Counties with a similar percentage of their residents living in unincorporated areas.

The initial measure reviewed was population, as it does not make sense to compare Tattnall County to other communities that are significantly larger or smaller in size and, therefore, have different dynamics at play within their economies. Counties located in metropolitan areas were excluded because Tattnall County does not have a nearby central city that acts as an economic engine.

Because Tattnall is a Tier 1 county, only other Tier 1 counties were considered for comparison. The county lacks direct interstate highway access and is several miles from an interstate. Consequently, counties not experiencing similar geographic isolation were excluded. As Tattnall is a south Georgia county, counties located elsewhere in the state were not considered. Nearly 70 percent of Tattnall County’s population live in unincorporated areas, indicating that a significant portion of the community’s residents can’t benefit from city-maintained infrastructure and services. The final criterion, therefore, was that only counties with a similar approximation of their residents living in unincorporated areas were included in the comparison.

Tattnall County’s peer group includes three counties.

Dodge County (Region 9)

Wayne County (Region 9)

Worth County (Region 10)

Socioeconomic Performance Measures

Economic development is often measured in terms of job growth, but this measure alone does not explain the well-being of the residents within a community. To understand whether economic development has truly reached the individual resident, one must review other measures such as social, health, and educational statistics.

Tattnall County’s performance according to 16 key socioeconomic measures has been reviewed in context to its region, LMA, peer group, and state. These measures are:

ü Population Growth

ü Per Capita Income

ü Job Growth

ü Unemployment Rate

ü Bank Deposits Per Capita

ü Manufacturing Employment

ü Average Weekly Wages in Manufacturing

ü Poverty Rate

ü Teenage Pregnancy Rate

ü Infant Mortality Rate

ü Food Stamp Participation Rate

ü Crime Rate

ü Juvenile Arrest Rate

ü High School Dropout Rate

ü Education Test Scores

Other Economic Development Measures

Tattnall County has been compared to its peer group counties – those counties to which it is most similar – for the following additional economic development measures.

ü Tax Rate

ü Commercial and Industrial Property Valuation

ü Per Capita Tax Digest

ü Long-Term Debt Per Capita

ü Fiscal Capacity Index

ü Fiscal Effort Index

ü Human Capital Index

ü Technology in Schools

ü Technical College Graduates

ü Percent of High School Graduates Eligible for HOPE Scholarships

ü Per Capita Fund Expenditures for Public Schools

ü Homeownership Rate

ü Voter Participation Rate

ü Availability of Freeport

ü Attention from Statewide Developers

Highlights

Socioeconomic Performance Evaluation Matrix

The following matrix illustrates Tattnall County’s socioeconomic position, relative to the average for its counterparts within its region, labor market area, peer group, and the state. A plus (+) score signals that it fared better, within the most recent year or time period; an equal (=) score indicates that it fared average, and a minus (-) score means that it fared worse.

Tattnall County’s Socioeconomic Performance Evaluation Matrix

Measure	Region	LMA	Peer Group		State
Population Growth	+	+	+	-
Per Capita Income Growth	+	+	+	-
Job Growth	+	-	+	-
Unemployment Rate	-	-	-	-
Bank Deposits Per Capita	+	+	+	-
Manufacturing Employment	-	-	-	-
Average Weekly Wages in Manufacturing	-	-	-	-
Poverty Rate	-	-	-	-
Teenage Pregnancy Rate	-	-	-	-
Infant Mortality Rate	+	+	+	+
Food Stamp Participation Rate	+	+	+	-
Crime Rate	-	-	-	+
Juvenile Arrest Rate	-	-	-	-
High School Dropout Rate	-	-	-	-
Education Test Scores
Average SAT Score	-	-	-	-
Average ITBS Score	-	+	-	-
*The state figures used in comparison for population growth and job growth are county averages excluding Tattnall County’s data from the calculation. State figures used in comparison for average SAT score and average ITBS score are weighted averages. Source: Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute

Peer to Peer Evaluation Matrix

The following matrix illustrates how Tattnall County compares to its peers according to various measures relating to fiscal strength, human capital, technology assets, civic participation, and economic development competitive issues. A “á” indicates that Tattnall County’s measure is higher than that for its peer. A “â” indicates that the county’s measure is lower than that for its peer. A “=” indicates that the county’s measure is equivalent to that for its peer.

Tattnall County’s Peer-to-Peer Evaluation Matrix

Measure	Dodge	Wayne	Worth
Tax Rate	á	á	á
Commercial and Industrial Property Valuation*	â	â	â
Per Capita Tax Digest	á	â	â
Long-term Debt Per Capita	â	â	â
Fiscal Capacity Index	â	â	â
Fiscal Effort Index	á	â	á
Human Capital Index	â	â	â
Technology in Schools (Students Per Computer)	â	á	á
Technical College Graduates	á	á	á
Percent of High School Graduates Eligible for HOPE Scholarships	â	â	á
Per Capita Fund Expenditures for Public Schools	â	â	â
Homeownership Rate	â	â	â
Voter Participation Rate	á	â	â
Availability of Freeport	á	á	=
Attention from Statewide Developers	â	â	=
*Tattnall County is currently undergoing a property value reassessment. Source: Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute

Socioeconomic Performance Measures

Population

Population is the number of people who live in a community.

As its population jumped 25 percent from 1990 to 2000,Tattnall County gained over 4,500 new residents and exceeded the average growth rate for counties within its region, LMA and peer group. Normally, this indicates that more residents have moved in than out. See Table 1.

Normally, significant growth in population signals an increase in the community’s ability to attract residents. However, there are other factors lending partial explanation in Tattnall County. A portion of Tattnall County’s population growth during the past decade can be explained by the opening of Smith State Prison in Glennville in 1993. As of 2002, this prison housed approximately 1,175 inmates, accounting for approximately one-fourth of the population growth.

Table 1

Population Shifts

Population	1970	1980	1990	2000
Tattnall County	16,554	18,102	17,722	22,305
Regional Average	12,070	13,641	13,991	15,662
Georgia LMA Average	12,950	17,351	19,767	22,984
Peer Group Average	16,191	18,655	19,902	22,568
State Average	29,043	34,608	40,889	51,672
Actual Change	1970-1980	1980-1990	1990-2000
Tattnall County	1,548	(380)	4,583
Regional Average	1,572	350	1,671
Georgia LMA Average	4,401	2,416	3,218
Peer Group Average	2,463	1,248	2,665
State Average	5,565	6,281	10,783
Percent Change	1970-1980	1980-1990	1990-2000
Tattnall County	9.4%	-2.1%	25.9%
Regional Average	13.0%	2.6%	11.9%
Georgia LMA Average	34.0%	13.9%	16.3%
Peer Group Average	15.2%	6.7%	13.4%
State Average	19.2%	18.1%	26.4%

Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, Peer Group Average, and State Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau

Figure 1 below compares the population in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, LMA, peer group, and state for the years 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000.

Per Capita Income

Per capita income is the average income earned by each resident in a community. It is calculated by dividing the community’s total income by total population. It can be inferred that the higher the per capita income, the higher the buying power of the average resident.

Tattnall County has experienced a significant increase in its per capita income. From 1980 to 1990, the county’s growth exceeded the rate for the state and the average county in its region, labor market area, and peer group. From 1990 to 2000, such growth continued to outpace that of its labor market area and peer group. Tattnall’s per capita income is higher than the average for counties in its peer group, labor market area, and region. See Table 2. In 2000, Tattnall County’s per capita income was higher than each of its three peer group counterparts, six of its eight labor market counterparts, and 12 of its 16 region counterparts.

Table 2

Per Capita Income Shifts

Per Capita Income	1980	1990	2000
Tattnall County	$5,415	$13,082	$20,027
Regional Average	$6,083	$12,710	$19,568
Georgia LMA Average	$6,034	$12,418	$18,602
Peer Group Average	$6,298	$12,660	$19,034
State	$8,474	$17,738	$27,703
Actual Change	1980-1990	1990-2000
Tattnall County	$7,667	$6,945
Regional Average	$6,626	$6,858
Georgia LMA Average	$6,384	$6,184
Peer Group Average	$6,362	$6,374
State	$9,264	$9,965
Percent Growth (Decline)	1980-1990	1990-2000
Tattnall County	141.6%	53.1%
Regional Average	108.9%	54.0%
Georgia LMA Average	105.8%	49.8%
Peer Group Average	101.0%	50.4%
State	109.3%	56.2%

Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, and Peer Group represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation. Figures for the State are the actual figures reported.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis

Figure 2 compares the per capita income in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and state for the years 1980, 1990, and 2000.

Job Growth

Job growth is an important economic measure as it reflects an increase in employment opportunities for residents within a community. It represents a net change that is calculated as the difference in employment between two selected years. Communities experiencing job growth are creating more jobs than are being lost.

Over 2,000 new jobs have been created in Tattnall County since 1990. Such growth is notably impressive, and exceeds the percentage growth of the average county within its region, labor market area, and peer group. See Table 3.

Table 3

Job Growth

Jobs	1980	1990	2000
Tattnall County	6,520	7,580	9,627
Regional Average	5,676	6,486	7,618
Georgia LMA Average	8,080	8,975	11,177
Peer Group Average	6,920	7,460	8,728
State Average	17,167	23,066	30,383
Jobs Created (Lost)	1980-1990	1990-2000
Tattnall County	1,060	2,047
Regional Average	809	1,132
Georgia LMA Average	895	2,202
Peer Group Average	540	1,268
State Average	5,899	7,317
Percent Growth (Decline)	1980-1990	1990-2000
Tattnall County	16.3%	27.0%
Regional Average	14.3%	17.5%
Georgia LMA Average	11.1%	24.5%
Peer Group Average	7.8%	17.0%
State Average	34.4%	31.7%

Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, Peer Group Average, and State Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis

Figure 3 compares total jobs in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and state for the years 1980, 1990, and 2000.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate reflects the percentage of the civilian labor force that is not employed. It is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed persons by the number of people composing the civilian labor force (number of employed and unemployed persons 16 years and older) and multiplying by 100.

Unemployment rates typically correspond with general economic cycles. For example, rates dropped significantly all over Georgia during the latter half of the 1990s, an economic boom period. However, Tattnall County and the average county within its region and labor market area experienced an increase in unemployment rates over the past two decades. The county’s unemployment rates are significantly higher than the average for its peer group, labor market area, and region. See Table 4.

In 2000, Tattnall County’s unemployment rate was higher than that of each of its three peer group counterparts, five of its eight labor market area counterparts, and nine of its 16 region counterparts.

Table 4

Unemployment Rate

		Unemployment Rate	1980	1990	2000
		Tattnall County	5.0	5.2	7.9
		Regional Average	6.6	6.7	7.2
		Georgia LMA Average	6.4	6.8	6.7
		Peer Group Average	6.7	6.3	5.6
		State Average	7.2	5.4	3.7
		Actual Change	1980-1990	1990-2000
		Tattnall County	0.2	2.7
		Regional Average	0.0	0.5
		Georgia LMA Average	0.4	-0.1
		Peer Group Average	-0.4	-0.7
		State Average	-1.8	-1.7
	Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, and Peer Group Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation. Figures for the State are the actual figures reported. Source: Georgia Department of Labor
Figure 4 compares the unemployment rate in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and the state for the years 1980, 1990, and 2000.

Bank Deposits Per Capita

Bank deposits per capita is defined as the community’s total deposits in financial institutions divided by its total population. It reflects the level of potential investment income in a community.

Tattnall County’s bank deposits per capita jumped significantly from 1990 to 2000. In 2000, the county’s bank deposits per capita exceeded the average for counties within its region, labor market area, and state. These deposits have grown by more than $4,000 per person per decade for the past 20 years. See Table 5. In 2000, Tattnall’s bank deposits per capita were higher than each of its three peer group counterparts, five of its eight labor market area counterparts, and eight of its 16 regional counterparts.

Table 5

Bank Deposits Per Capita

Bank Deposits Per Capita	1980	1990	1999
Tattnall County	2,740	6,815	11,196
Regional Average	2,708	7,928	10,959
Georgia LMA Average	2,254	6,822	9,684
Peer Group Average	2,042	6,225	8,286
State	2,828	10,503	12,463
Actual Change	1980-1990	1990-1999
Tattnall County	4,074	4,381
Regional Average	5,220	3,031
Georgia LMA Average	4,568	2,862
Peer Group Average	4,182	2,061
State	7,675	1,960
Percent Growth (Decline)	1980-1990	1990-1999
Tattnall County	148.7%	64.3%
Regional Average	192.7%	38.2%
Georgia LMA Average	202.7%	42.0%
Peer Group Average	204.8%	33.1%
State	271.4%	18.7%

Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, and Peer Group Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation. Figures for the State are the actual figures reported.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Figure 5 compares the bank deposits per capita in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and the state for the years 1980, 1990, and 1999.

Manufacturing Employment

Although prevailing national and state economic trends have shown that manufacturing accounts for a smaller share of overall employment, industrial jobs continue to be important to the economy of rural areas. The share of manufacturing employment is calculated by dividing total manufacturing employment by total employment.

Following prevailing trends in Georgia, Tattnall County’s share of manufacturing jobs dropped notably from 1990 to 1998; this after it showed a 3.2 percent growth in the previous decade. Tattnall County’s share of manufacturing jobs in 1998 was lower than the average for the counties within its region, labor market area, peer group, and the state. These trends, coupled with the county’s overall job growth, signals that other industry sectors are accounting for a larger share of Tattnall County’s employment base and are increasing significantly in their importance to the community’s economic future. See Table 6.

Table 6

Manufacturing Share of Employment

	Manufacturing Share	1980	1990	1998
	Tattnall County	13.0%	16.2%	9.2%
	Regional Average	26.2%	25.8%	19.3%
	Georgia LMA Average	18.9%	18.1%	16.3%
	Peer Group Average	25.2%	20.5%	14.1%
	State Average	19.3%	15.6%	12.7%
	Actual Change	1980-1990	1990-1998
	Tattnall County	3.2%	-7.0%
	Regional Average	-0.4%	-6.6%
	Georgia LMA Average	-0.8%	-1.8%
	Peer Group Average	-4.7%	-6.4%
	State Average	-3.8%	-2.9%
Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, and Peer Group Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation. Figures for the State are the actual figures reported. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis

Figure 6 compares the manufacturing share of employment in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and state for the years 1980, 1990, and 1998.

Average Weekly Wage in Manufacturing

Average weekly wage in manufacturing reflects the earning potential available in what continues to be a significant industry sector for rural areas. It is calculated by dividing total annual wages in manufacturing by total employment in manufacturing, then dividing this total by 52.

Tattnall County’s manufacturing base is composed significantly of low-wage jobs, as is that for its region. The county’s growth in average weekly wages from 1995 to 1999 exceeded the average for counties within its region, labor market area, peer group, and state. However, Tattnall County still had the lowest weekly average wage in manufacturing compared to the average for these comparison groups. There is a significant disparity in the earnings figures between Tattnall County and its peer group, or counties that are most similar from an economic development perspective. See Table 7.

Average weekly wages in manufacturing within Tattnall County is lower than each of its three peer group counterparts, seven of its eight labor market area counterparts, and 12 of its 16 regional counterparts.

Table 7

Average Weekly Wage in Manufacturing

	Average Manufacturing Wage	1980	1990	1999
	Tattnall County	212	228	324
	Regional Average	262	334	402
	Georgia LMA Average	337	426	459
	Peer Group Average	342	388	530
	State Average	449	555	683
	Actual Change	1980-1990	1990-1999
	Tattnall County	16	96
	Regional Average	72	68
	Georgia LMA Average	89	33
	Peer Group Average	46	142
	State Average	106	128
	Percent Change	1980-1990	1990-1999
	Tattnall County	7.5%	42.1%
	Regional Average	27.4%	20.4%
	Georgia LMA Average	26.5%	7.8%
	Peer Group Average	13.5%	36.7%
	State Average	23.6%	23.1%
Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, and Peer Group Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation. Figures for the State are the actual figures reported. Source: Georgia Department of Labor

Figure 7 compares the average weekly wage in manufacturing in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and state for the years 1990, 1995, and 1999.

Poverty Rate

Poverty rate is the percentage of persons living below the poverty level. Such persons lack the economic means to support their basic needs.

Despite the growth in per capita income and bank deposits per capita, Tattnall County’s poverty rate continued to be rather high in 1997 as more than one-fourth of its residents were impoverished. The county is located within a region and labor market area with average poverty rates higher than the rate for the state as a whole. While Tattnall’s poverty rate has decreased some since 1989, it remains higher than the average for counties within its peer group, labor market area, and region. See Table 8. Tattnall County’s poverty rate in 1997 was higher than each of its three peer group counterparts, seven of its eight labor market area counterparts, and 11 of its 16 regional counterparts.

Table 8

Poverty Rate

Poverty Rate	1989	1997
Tattnall County	27.8	25.6
Regional Average	23.7	23.3
Georgia LMA Average	22.8	22.6
Peer Group Average	23.4	22.3
State	14.9	14.7
Actual Change	1989-1997
Tattnall County	-2.2
Regional Average	-0.4
Georgia LMA Average	-0.2
Peer Group Average	-1.2
State	-0.2
Percent Growth (Decline)	1989-1993
Tattnall County	-7.9%
Regional Average	-1.7%
Georgia LMA Average	-1.0%
Peer Group Average	-5.0%
State	-1.3%
Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, and Peer Group Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation. Figures for the State are the actual figures reported. Source: Georgia Department of Human Resources.

Figure 8 compares the poverty rate in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and state for the years 1989 and 1997.

Teenage Pregnancy Rate

Teenage pregnancy rate is the number of pregnancies between the ages of 10 and 19 per 1,000. Higher rates reflect a higher incidence of pregnancy among teens. Pregnant teens are typically single and less likely to complete high school or pursue an advanced education. A high teenage pregnancy rate signals that there is a risk to the community’s future earning potential.

While average rates dropped in the region, labor market area, peer group and state since 1980, the opposite was true for Tattnall County. The county has historically posted comparatively high rates. In 1998, 68 per 1,000 teen women in Tattnall County were pregnant. This is a critical issue for the community. See Table 9.

Tattnall County’s teenage pregnancy rate in 1998 was higher than every county within its peer group, labor market area, and region, and the third highest among Georgia counties.

Table 9

Teenage Pregnancy Rate

	Teenage Pregnancy Rate	1980	1990	1998
	Tattnall County	66.4	68.9	68.0
	Regional Average	53.2	52.9	47.7
	Georgia LMA Average	60.5	62.6	51.7
	Peer Group Average	54.8	59.6	37.0
	State	58.9	60.3	44.0
	Actual Change	1980-1990	1990-1998
	Tattnall County	2.5	-0.9
	Regional Average	-0.2	-5.2
	Georgia LMA Average	2.1	-10.9
	Peer Group Average	4.8	-22.6
	State	1.4	-16.3
	Percent Growth (Decline)	1980-1990	1990-1998
	Tattnall County	3.8%	-1.4%
	Regional Average	-0.4%	-9.9%
	Georgia LMA Average	3.4%	-17.4%
	Peer Group Average	8.8%	-37.9%
	State	2.4%	-27.0%
Note: Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, Peer Group Average, and State Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation. Figures for the State are the actual figures reported. Sources: Georgia Department of Human Resources; U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau.

Figure 9 compares the teenage pregnancy rate in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and state for the years 1980, 1990, and 1998.

Infant Mortality Rate

Infant mortality rate represents the deaths of infants less than one year of age (excluding fetal deaths) per 1,000 births. This measure, in part, reflects the level of health care available to newborns.

Tattnall County has a relatively low infant mortality rate compared to the average for the counties within its region, labor market area, peer group, and the state. See Table 10.

Table 10

Infant Mortality Rate

	Infant Mortality Rate	1980	1990	1998
	Tattnall County	14.4	3.7	5.5
	Regional Average	14.5	13.2	9.4
	Georgia LMA Average	17.7	9.8	10.0
	Peer Group Average	17.1	15.9	8.3
	State	14.7	12.4	8.5
	Actual Change	1980-1990	1990-1998
	Tattnall County	-10.8	1.8
	Regional Average	-1.3	-3.8
	Georgia LMA Average	-7.9	0.3
	Peer Group Average	-1.2	-7.6
	State	-2.3	-3.9
	Percent Growth (Decline)	1980-1990	1990-1998
	Tattnall County	-74.5%	50.3%
	Regional Average	-8.8%	-28.6%
	Georgia LMA Average	-44.8%	3.0%
	Peer Group Average	-7.2%	-47.7%
	State	-15.8%	-31.6%
Notes: (1) Figures for Regional Average, Georgia LMA Average, and Peer Group Average represent the county average for each geographic grouping and exclude Tattnall County’s data in the calculation. Figures for the State are the actual figures reported. (2) Large year-to-year variation in infant mortality rates at the county level is often reflective of absolute numbers that are very small, as is the case in Tattnall County. For example, the number of infant deaths in Tattnall County has ranged from 1 to 4 since 1980. Source: Georgia Department of Human Resources

Figure 10 compares the infant mortality rate in Tattnall County to the average for counties in its region, labor market area, peer group, and state for the years 1980, 1990, and 1998.

Food Stamp Participation Rate

Food stamp participation rate is the number of food stamp recipients per 1,000 residents. This rate is a measure of community self-sufficiency such that the higher the rate, the lower the ability to provide for basic food needs.

Tattnall County’s food stamp participation rate in 2000 was higher than that for the state as was the average for its region, labor market area, and peer group. While in 1995, the county’s rate exceeded that of the average county in its comparable groupings, the opposite was true in 2000. See Table 11.

Tattnall County’s food stamp participate rate in 2000 was lower than two of its three peer group counterparts, five of its eight labor market area counterparts, and five of its 16 regional counterparts.

Table 11

Food Stamp Participation Rate

Food Stamp Participation Rate	1990	1995	2000
Tattnall County	137.2	173.0	101.6
Regional Average	133.7	171.3	124.2
Georgia LMA Average	126.2	171.9	117.8
Peer Group Average	139.4	167.9	108.4
State Average	78.2	116.5	66.3
Actual Change	1990-1995	1995-2000
Tattnall County	35.8	-71.4
Regional Average	37.6