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KITTITAS COU NTY PROFILE <br />Kittitas County is in the center of Washington State on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. The <br />county is surrounded by several mountain passes (Blewett, Snoquatmie, Manastash) and is nearty 2 <br />hours away from the largest urban area in the state (Seattte.) Other larger cities nearby inctude <br />Yakima (45 minutes away) and Wenatchee (1.5 hours away.) ln other words, there are muttiple <br />geographic barriers to accessing a comprehensive range of services. <br />With a poputation of about 48,140 peopte and about hatf tiving in unincorporated areas, there is one <br />primary care physician per 1,890 residents, one mental heatth provider per 560 residents, and one <br />dentist per 2,280 residents.2 (University of Wisconsin Population Heatth lnstitute, n.d.) These ratios <br />woutd be even worse taking into account only those providers who accept Medicaid as insurance. <br />Access to medical, denta[, and mental heatth care is made more difficutt by the shortage of providers <br />in addition to the fact that one in every ten adults lacks heatth insurance. (University of Wisconsin <br />Poputation Heatth lnstitute, n.d.) <br />Residents of Kittitas County experience higher rates of physical inactivity, adutt smoking, excessive <br />drinking, mental distress, child mortatity, and sexualty transmitted infections compared to Washington <br />State as a whole. Residents have less access to healthy food sources and exercise opportunities and <br />lower rates of vaccination for flu and COVID-19. However, there are lower rates of low birthweight <br />babies, diabetes, HlV, atcohol-impaired driving deaths, teen births, and preventabte hospital stays. <br />(University of Wisconsin Poputation Heatth lnstitute, n.d.) <br />Unemptoyment rates are 5.5%3, twetve percent of children live in poverty, income inequatity is high, <br />and the median househotd income is significantly lower than Washington State as a whote. Severe <br />housing probtems are prevatent as welt: significantty fewer peopte own homes, and 20% of households <br />spend 50% or more of their income on housinga. However, violent crime is significantty lower than <br />Washington State, and high schoot graduation rates are higher. (University of Wisconsin Population <br />Health lnstitute, n.d.) <br />Leivffiil/orth <br />C6shm€re <br />UA wonnIchec <br />g <br />[3 <br />Cle lJr"rrn <br />Ouillcy <br />0etr!e <br />0arerl ,4jre <br />Ellensburg <br />!f <br />rrk <br />rrgll'lichei <br />Yakimo <br />2 Compared to Washington State ratios of 1:1180 primary care, 1:250 menta[ heatth, and 1:1200 dentists. <br />3 Compared to 4.3% for Washington State as a whole. <br />a Compared to 14% for Washington State as a whole. <br />f,d <br />7