“Over the Mountain”/Trussville
Interstate 20/59
Reducing income inequalities will help reduce health inequalities. People with low income are more likely to have poor health.
Improving high school graduation rates can help reduce health inequalities. An educated population is more likely to have opportunities to earn a suitable income and impact their individual and community’s health.
Increasing access to grocery stores and farmer’s markets helps reduce health inequalities. Families who have access to healthy foods have better health outcomes.
In 2011, 13.2% of the households in Jefferson County had annual incomes lower than the federal poverty level. Many of these homes bordered Interstate 20/59.
In Jefferson County, educational disparities disproportionately differ by race. More blacks do not graduate high school with a diploma than whites (16.7% vs 9.7%).
Almost 160,000 Jefferson County residents live in a food desert. Many of these residents are concentrated along the I-20/59 corridor.