Laserfiche WebLink
CHAPTER 4. KITTITAS COUNTY PROFILE <br />4-18 <br />Kittitas County has a 6.2 percent foreign-born population. Other than English, the most commonly spoken <br />language in Kittitas County is Spanish. The census estimates 2.8 percent of the county’s residents speak <br />English “less than very well.” <br />4.6.5 Disabled Populations <br />People with disabilities are more likely than the general population to have difficulty responding to a hazard <br />event. As disabled populations are increasingly integrated into society, they are more likely to require <br />assistance during the 72 hours after a hazard event, the period generally reserved for self-help. There is no <br />“typical” disabled person, which can complicate disaster-planning processes that attempt to incorporate <br />them. Disability is likely to be compounded with other vulnerabilities, such as age, economic disadvantage <br />and ethnicity, all of which mean that housing is more likely to be substandard. <br />Table 4-5 summarizes the estimates of disabled people in Kittitas County. According to 2016 ACS data, <br />13.2 percent of the county’s population has a disability. <br />Table 4-5. Disability Status of Non-Institutionalized Population <br />Age Persons with a Disability Percent of Age Group <br />Age 0 to 17 years 349 4.6 <br />Age 18 to 64 years 3,148 10.9 <br />Age 65 years and over 2,126 34.6 <br /> <br />4.7. ECONOMY <br />4.7.1 Industry, Businesses and Institutions <br />According to the Washington State Department of Employment Security, Kittitas County’s economy is <br />strongly based in the State and Local Government industry, with 26 percent of employees, followed by <br />Accommodation and Food Service at 18.1 percent, Retail Trade at 12.1 percent, and Health Services at 8.7 <br />percent. Table 4-6 shows the breakdown of industry types in Kittitas County. <br />Table 4-6. Industry Employment Distribution <br />Sector Number of jobs Share of employment <br /> 1. Accommodation and food services 2,612 18.1% <br /> 2. Local government 2,212 15.4% <br /> 3. Retail trade 1,746 12.1% <br /> 4. State government 1,525 10.6% <br /> 5. Health Services 1,250 8.7% <br /> All other industries 5,055 35.1% <br /> Total covered employment 14,400 100%