Foster the Region's Business Climate and
Prospects for Sustainable Growth

Total Number of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Sites on the Lower Connecticut River and Tributaries

Description:

As quoted from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, “Combined sewer overflows, or CSOs, were built as part of sewer collection systems that were designed to carry both sewage and storm water in the same pipe. When there is not a lot of storm water, this mix is transported to a wastewater treatment plant where it is processed. However, after heavy rainfall or snowmelt, storm water and sewage overload the system. Without CSOs, this mix would back up into homes, businesses, and public streets.  Combined sewer systems have regulator structures that allow overloaded systems to discharge into rivers, lakes and coastal areas subjecting them to higher pollutant loads. This can compromise a water body's uses and lead to water quality violations in the receiving waters.”  Throughout the Pioneer Valley, the total number of CSO sites on the Connecticut River has decreased from 75 to 68 between 2006 and 2007, representing a 9.3% reduction.  The urban core is the site of a majority of the CSOs in the Pioneer Valley (55 out of the 72 total in 2007). There was no decrease in the number of CSOs from 2006 to 2007.

Data Source: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 0.0%

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Amount of Non-School Local Aid Per Capita Received by the Region's Cities and Towns

Description:

The amount of non-school local aid includes all aid that a town receives for purposes other than education.  This includes the following sources: Lottery, Additional Assistance, Local Share of Racing Taxes, Regional Public Libraries, Police Career Incentive, Urban Revitalization, Veteran’s Benefits, Exemptions for Veterans, Blind and Surviving Spouses, Exemptions for the Elderly, State Owned Land, and Public Libraries.  In the Pioneer Valley, the per-capita non-school local aid increased by 2.3% between 2007 and 2008.  Urban core communities received significantly more aid per capita than the Pioneer Valley as a whole (almost an additional $93 per capita in 2008). While the trends in the urban core were similar to those of the region, the Pioneer Valley saw a slightly higher percent increase in local aid per capita than urban core areas where a 1.4% increase was experienced.

Data Source: Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Cherry Sheets (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 1.4%

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Rate of Property and Violent Crimes Reported

Description:

Property and violent crimes consist of the following crimes: Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter, Forcible Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny-Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft and Arson.  The rate of property and violent crimes reported in the Pioneer Valley decreased between 2006 and 2007 from 3.8 to 3.6 crimes reported per 100 people representing a -5.3% change.  Crime rates decreased at an even greater rate in the urban core (-8.2%) than they did in the valley, but were still significantly higher. Urban core crime rates remained about twice (7.3 and 6.7 per 100 people in 2006 and 2007) those in the region as a whole. Trends were similar for the two urban areas, with a change of about 8.2% from 2006 to 2007 for Springfield and Holyoke.

Data Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating -8.2%

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Percentage of Housing Units that are Owner-Occupied

Description:

Percentage of Housing Units that are Owner-Occupied includes all types of housing units and is calculated by dividing the number of owner-occupied housing units by the total number of housing units in the region.  Between 1990 and 2000, the percentage of housing units in the Pioneer Valley that were owner-occupied increased by 16.6% (from 45.1% to 61.7  percent).  Owner-occupied units were rarer in the urban core (35.5% of units in 2000). The urban core also experienced a much slower rate of increase than the Pioneer Valley as a whole, with a 1.2% change from 1990 to 2000. Of the urban core areas, Holyoke had the lowest percentage of owner-occupied units, with 27.7% in 1990 and 29.7% in 2000 while Springfield had the highest rates of owner occupation, with 36.4% in 1990 and 37.6% in 2000.

Data Source: United States Census Bureau, 1990 and 2000 Decennial Census

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 1.2%

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Percentage of Owners with Mortgages Paying more than 30% of Their Income on Selected Monthly Owner Costs

Description:

According to many government agencies, people who pay more than 30% of their income on housing costs are considered to be housing cost burdened.  The U.S. Census Bureau provides estimates on this statistic based on a survey of a sample of the population with the American Community Survey.  Data for this indicator includes all home owners who have mortgages.  Monthly owner costs include payment for mortgages, real estate taxes, various insurances, utilities, fuels, mobile home costs, and condominium fees.  Between 1990 and 2000, the percentage of home owners in the Pioneer Valley who were housing cost burdened increased from 19.9% to 21.3% (representing a 1.4% change).  In the urban core 23.7% of owners paid more than 30% of their income towards the cost of their property in 1990 and 17.9% in 2000. This was a 5.8% decrease. Trends varied amongst the three urban core areas, ranging from a 7.8% decrease in Holyoke to a 6.3% increase in the urban core areas of Chicopee.

Data Source: United States Census Bureau, 1990 and 2000 Decennial Census

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating -5.8%

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Percentage of Renters Paying more than 30% of Their Income on Rent

Description:

According to many government agencies, people who pay more than 30% of their income on housing costs are considered to be housing cost burdened.  The U.S. Census Bureau provides estimates on this statistic based on a survey of a sample of the population with the American Community Survey.  Between 1990 and 2000, the percentage of renters in the Pioneer Valley who were housing cost burdened decreased from 40.9% to 38.0% (representing a -2.9% change).  In the urban core, 45.0% of owners paid more than 30% of their income towards their mortgages in 1990 and 41.7% in 2000. This was a 3.2% decrease. Trends varied in the three urban core areas; Springfield and Holyoke both experienced decreases (-4.6% and -2.4%) while Chicopee’s urban core experienced an increase.

Data Source: United States Census Bureau, 1990 and 2000 Decennial Census

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating -3.2%

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Median Sale Price of a Single Family Home

Description:

Single family homes include all transfers over $1,000 classified by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue with a 101 use code.  Between 2007 and 2008, the median sale price of a single family home in the Pioneer Valley decreased 6.9% from $206,595 to $192,301. In the urban core changes in real estate sale prices even more drastic, with an overall increase of 11.6 percent. Within the two urban core areas, trends ranged from a 4.9% decrease in Holyoke to an extreme of 12.7% decrease in median sales prices in Springfield.  It would be remiss not to note that while the decrease in the cost of home sales is a a positive trend long term in the context of an economic development desire for more affordable housing in the region, the marked decrease in home sale prices in 2008 is indicative of the negative occurrence of a major crisis in the housing market nationally.  In the short term, of course, this might be more likely to be interpreted as a negative trend.  At the same time, when renter and home owner affordability is examined for the region between 2007 and 2008, this extreme drop in home prices has corresponded with a smaller percentage of residents in the region being housing cost burdened.  (Unfortunately, 2007 and 2008 data is not available for housing affordability data at the urban core geography level.) 

Data Source: The Warren Group

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating -11.6%

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