Carroll County

Carroll County
Land Area: 477 square miles
Population (2000): 29,245

Pastoral hills and quiet hollows characterize the landscape in Carroll County, which lies just south of the upper reaches of the Tennessee Valley. To the east, the land rises into the scenic heights of the Blue Ridge Mountains. To the west lies the independent city of Galax and, a little further on, the spectacular reaches of the Iron Mountains.

Major elements of the economy include manufacturing, service industries, trade, and transfer payments (retirement pensions, disability income, and welfare benefits). In 1995, the largest employers in Carroll County were the school board, the Southwest Virginia Training Center (residential care), Barker Microfarads (makes electronic capacitors), and Cross Creek Apparel.

There are several small towns in Carroll County, including Cana (pop. 1,228), Fancy Gap (pop. 260), Fries (pop. 614), Hillsville (pop. 2,607), which serves as the county seat, and Woodlawn (pop. 2,249). Four Virginia State Parks are within 30 miles of Hillsville: Fairy Stone, Claytor Lake, Grayson Highlands, and the New River Trail. There are facilities at these parks for camping, picnicking, hiking, biking, swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding. The Old Mill Golf Course is near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway is famous for its scenic views.

Death rates from several common causes are higher in Carroll County than in Virginia - e.g., chronic lower respiratory diseases (+25%), pneumonia and influenza (+48%), chronic liver disease (+30%), and suicide (+40%). The death rates from heart disease (-0.5%), stroke (+3%), and unintentional injuries (-0.6%) are about the same for people in Carroll County and in Virginia as a whole. Death rates from the following causes are lower in Carroll than in Virginia : cancer (-17%), diabetes mellitus (-13%), septicemia (-50%), nephritis and nephrosis (-15%), and Alzheimer's disease (-63%).

The total pregnancy rate for women aged 15-44 in Carroll County is 28% lower than in Virginia . The teenage pregnancy rate is 13% lower in Carroll than in Virginia . Women in Carroll County are just as likely to get prenatal care in the first trimester as women in Virginia overall. Babies born to residents of Carroll County are 11% less likely to be low birth weight than babies born to Virginia residents and they are 42% less likely to die in the first year of life than babies in Virginia as a whole.

The population of Carroll County is somewhat less prosperous than the population of Virginia. The poverty rate in Carroll County is 30% higher than the Virginia rate and the per capita income for Carroll Countians is only 63% of the per capita income for Virginians. Proportionately fewer people in Carroll County are in the labor force and the proportion of Carroll Countians over the age of 25 without a high school diploma is 93% higher than in Virginia. Given the relative poverty and poor health status of the population, it is clear that Carroll Countians need increased, sustained access to primary care.

Population Health
Carroll Virginia

Disabled Population, Ages 5-20 (2000) 6.8% 8.1%

Disabled Population, Ages 21-64 (2000) 24.4% 17.5%

Disabled Population, Ages 65+ (2000) 50.4% 42.1%

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Diseases of the Heart 216.8 218.0

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Malignant Neoplasms 158.3 190.0

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Cerebrovascular Diseases 60.0 58.3

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - COPD 49.1 39.2

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Unintentional Injury 32.6 32.8

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Pneumonia and Influenza 33.5 22.7

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Diabetes Mellitus 18.9 21.7

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Suicide 15.6 11.1

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Septicemia 7.8 15.4

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Nephritis and Nephrosis 13.2 15.6

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis 10.0 7.7

Age Adjusted Death Rate Per 100,000 Population (1998 - 2002 avg.) - Alzheimers Disease 5.9 15.9

Total Pregnancy Terminations (Residents) Per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44 (1998 - 2002 avg.) 59.6 82.6

Teenage Pregnancies Per 1,000 Females Aged 10-19 (1998 - 2002 avg.) 27.3 31.3

Percent of Resident Live Births Beginning Prenatal Care in 1st Trimester (1998 - 2002 avg.) 84.8% 84.8%

Low Weight Live Births as a Percent of Total Births (1998 - 2002 avg.) 7.0% 7.9%

Resident Infant Deaths Per 1,000 Lives Births (1998 - 2002 avg.) 4.2 7.2

Economic Indicators

Population with Medicaid (2004) 16.9% 10.8%

Poverty Rate (2000) 12.5% 9.6%

Per Capita Income (2000) $16,475 $23,975

Population Aged 16+ in Labor Force (2000) 61.4% 66.8%

Population Aged 25+ w/o High School Diploma (2000) 35.7% 18.5%

Employment By Industry

Agriculture, Forestry, Mining, Fishing, Hunting 2.8% 1.3%

Construction 8.5% 7.3%

Manufacturing 31.9% 11.3%

Retail and Wholesale Trade 13.9% 14.1%

Transportation and Warehousing and Utilities 4.9% 4.6%

Information 0.9% 3.8%

Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental and Leasing 2.1% 6.6%

Professional, Scientific, Management, Adminstrative, and Waste Management Services 2.7% 11.6%

Education, Health, and Social Services 16.9% 18.3%

Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation and Food Services 6.6% 7.2%

Public Administration 4.2% 8.3%

Other Services 4.8% 5.4%

Links
Carroll County - http://www.mrpdc.org/econ_stats.htm
Carroll County newspaper - http://www.thecarrollnews.com/
Hillsville (town) - http://www.hillsville.com/
Laurel Fork (place) - http://www.hometownlocator.com/City/Laurel-Fork-Virginia.cfm
Mount Rogers Health District - http://www.vdh.state.va.us/LHD/mtrogers/index.asp