In the previous post we saw this chart showing the defense payroll for the Dayton MSA

 

 

But how does this map out?  Unfortunately there is no good way of mapping defense-related government workers (or the military).  But the census thematic map feature permits us to do this for all government workers.  The assumption is that the geography shown will also show civilian defense workers income concentration due to the fairly large workforce here

 

For the Dayton vicinity, a concentration quickly becomes visible between Xenia, Dayton, and Springfield (locations in red for reference only)

 

 

And here’s a close up of Governmentland, with some percentages for the highest concentrations (and the Wright-Patterson base tracts outlined in red…for base housing).  In some places (like the 31.7% tract just west of the base) this represents an overlap between local and federal government workers as this tract is a favored neighborhood for city workers who want to avoid the city school district.

 

 

But its quite evident Greene County and southwest Clark County have remarkable concentrations of government workers, over 20% per tract in most cases.

 

Yet, I surmise that a portion of the Professional, Scientific and Technical sector is subsidized by defense procurements, working for defense contractors.  And here is a graph showing the increase in PS&T employment in Greene County, for establishments based in Greene County

 

.

 

,,,and what’s noticeable is there is a acceleration in growth in the 2000s compared to the low slope from, say, 1996-2001.  Perhaps more tech stuff related to the War on Terror?

 

Mapping the “Nerd Belt”, the higher concentrations of private sector  PS&T employment, the base, and the cluster of office parks surrounding it…our own little version of Aerospace Alley or Northern Virginia. . Beavercreek and Sugarcreek Township are the big concentrations by %.  Incidentally tract 2104, at 10.46%, has the largest absolute number at 460 techies.  Exurban Bath Township and Bourgeois Bohemian Yellow Springs round out the picture.

 

 

How does this look for income?  For near term numbers one can indirectly measure this by using the Brooking Earned Income Tax Credit (or EITC) database, which counts numbers of returns by grouping of adjusted gross income.  For Greene County, the trends from 2000-2006 for the top five categories (starting at a notional living wage income of $50K/year)

 

 

 

Greene County is becoming an increasingly affluent place.  Perhaps due to defense spending and a spinoff  technical/professional sector?

 

And a closer look at Beavercreek, an already prosperous place becomes more so during the early and mid 2000s

 

 

 

The ultimate result was the Defense Edge City out along I-675, which is intensifying due to spec building in anticipation of the relocations due to BRAC.

 

 

 

Veterans Benefits

 

This is not as big an economic player as I expected before I ran the numbers. 

 

Veterans have their own geography, and since there are more of them concentrations are spread out more.  But it is noticeable that there is an overlap with government workers.  One can say that the overlap in geography between vets, government workers, and techies is the Defense Welfare State in its own place.

 

 

And a close up with percentages.  Again we have to include southern Clark County in this mix, along with Huber Heights and Riverside as notable concentrations.  One could gin up a second map on top of this one showing the various VFW and Legion halls in the area.

 

 

The highest concentration is, of course, the 44% at the VA, the old National Soldiers Home

 

 

Veterans benefits is about half  in one program, compensation to veterans for service-connected disability; combat wounds and other injury while in uniform.  This cost began to move up to a higher level at the tail end of the Clinton era and continued at a higher rate during the war on terror, really jumping in 2007.

 

 

 

Opening up the "other" a bit one is mostly looking at three benefit programs

 

 

 

“Veterans Dependency & Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Deaths” is the largest, followed  by “Pensions for Veterans’ Surviving Spouses and Children” and “Pension for non-Service Connected Disability”.  The first one saw a jump in 2007. 

 

The smaller other category includes things like vocational rehab, customization of cars and vehicles so disabled vets can drive them (“Automobiles and Adaptive Equipment”),housing modification for disabled vets, educational assistance, and, in the end, “Burial Expenses Allowance for Veterans”

 

 

“Burial Expenses Allowances” amounted to $126K for 2006, if one wants to put a price on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks!

Thanks, and I corrected the thread header to add those veterans benefits graphs.  Looks we are at over $100M in benefits now, due to increases in the 2000s. 

 

Sort of an appopriate post since we are getting near Memorial Day.