The feasibility study will focus on a proposed service area centered on Oakland, Arkansas, and extending into the surrounding Marion County community.
The service area is being considered based on geographic proximity, population characteristics, transportation considerations, and the likelihood that older adults could reasonably access a Senior Center in Oakland.
The service area is a working area for purposes of this feasibility study. It will be examined and refined as additional demographic, geographic, transportation, and community information becomes available.
The proposed service area is centered on Oakland because the community is located within Marion County and provides a central location for considering services for older adults in the surrounding area.
For purposes of this feasibility study, we are focusing on Marion County rather than extending the study into neighboring counties. This keeps the study area consistent with the geographic boundaries of the community being considered.
Geographic proximity will be an important consideration. A senior center is only useful to older adults who can reasonably reach it, so distance, transportation, road access, and the location of older adults within the service area will be considered as part of the study.
The proposed service area should therefore be viewed as a starting point for analysis rather than a final determination of who would or would not use a Senior Center in Oakland.
The feasibility study is being conducted within the geographic context of Marion County, Arkansas.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Marion County had a population of 16,826. The 2020 Census provides the population baseline for the county used in this study. Census.gov
Oakland is one of the communities within Marion County and is being considered as the potential location for a Senior Center. The population of Oakland itself is relatively small, so the feasibility study must look beyond the town limits when considering the potential population that could be served.
The next step is to examine the population and characteristics of the area surrounding Oakland rather than assuming that the population of Oakland alone represents the potential service population.
An initial 5-mile service area is being examined around Oakland as a starting point for understanding the population that could potentially be served by a Senior Center located in Oakland.
A 5-mile radius provides a consistent geographic area that can be analyzed using Census and other demographic information. It also provides a practical starting point for considering distance, transportation, and accessibility.
The 5-mile area does not mean that people outside the area would be excluded from using a Senior Center, nor does it mean that everyone within the area would be expected to participate. It is simply a geographic framework for analyzing the potential population and community characteristics surrounding Oakland.
As the feasibility study progresses, the Steering Committee will have an opportunity to review the geographic boundaries and determine whether additional analysis is needed.
As part of the feasibility study, a potential service area within Marion County is being examined to better understand the number and characteristics of older adults who could potentially be served by a Senior Center in Oakland.
The geographic boundaries of the potential service area are still being evaluated. Therefore, the demographic figures below should be considered preliminary estimates for planning purposes, rather than final population counts for a defined service area.
Population age 60+: 2,830 (30.4%)
Population age 65+: 2,110 (22.6%)
Population age 80+: 440 (4.7%)
Age 65+ living alone: 640 (30.3% of age 65+)
Age 65+ with a disability: 810 (38.4% of age 65+)
Age 75+ with a disability: 420 (39.0% of age 75+)
These preliminary figures provide an initial indication of the number of older adults within the potential service area and highlight several characteristics that may be important when considering the feasibility of a Senior Center.
In particular, the estimates provide information about:
• The size of the population age 60 and older
• The population age 65 and older
• The number of adults age 80 and older
• Older adults who live alone
• Older adults reporting a disability
• Potential transportation, mobility, and support considerations
These characteristics do not by themselves establish a need for a Senior Center. They provide demographic information that will be considered together with community survey results, existing services, transportation resources, community input, and other feasibility factors.
Primary data source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates.
The ACS provides demographic information including age and disability characteristics. The figures above were developed using Census ACS data for the geographic area identified in the preliminary feasibility-study mapping. Census.gov
Because the potential service area does not correspond exactly to a single standard Census geography, the figures should be treated as planning estimates rather than official Census population counts for a single Census-defined area.
The underlying source and methodology will be further reviewed as the potential service area is refined.
Census source: U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey. The Census Bureau confirms that ACS 5-year estimates are available for detailed demographic analysis and are presented as estimates, including age and other population characteristics. Census.gov