NACCHO Report

Attachment L: HHE local health department survey, NACCHO report

2010
National Profile

of LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

Attachment L: HHE local health department survey, NACCHO report

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http://www.naccho.org

About NACCHO
NACCHO is the national organization representing local health departments.
NACCHO supports efforts that protect and improve the health of all people
and all communities by promoting national policy, developing resources and
programs, seeking health equity, and supporting effective local public health
practice and systems.

Funding for this project was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (under cooperative agreement U38/HM000449-03) and the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation® in Princeton, New Jersey. The contents of this
document are solely the responsibility of NACCHO and do not necessarily
represent the official views of the sponsors.

©2011. All rights reserved.

10Attachment L: HHE local health department survey, NACCHO report

CHAPTER 2 | OVERVIEW OF LHDs: JURISDICTION AND GOVERNANCE

NACCHO 2010 National Profile of Local Health Departments

Background
Chapter 2 begins with an analysis of the population sizes served by LHDs.
These findings are based on Profile study findings and additional secondary
data regarding respondent and non-respondent LHD size of population served,
and thus include all 2,565 LHDs in the study population. The population data
used for these analyses are based on estimated population figures of the U.S.
Bureau of the Census 2008. Additionally, information presented here regarding LHD governance builds on work performed by the Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the National Opinion Research Center
(NORC), in conjunction with NACCHO, to classify the governance relationships that state health departments have with LHDs. For additional information about ASTHO’s classification system, visit http://www.astho.
FIGURE 2.1 | Percentage Distribution
of LHDs, by Size of Population Served
org/research/data-and-analysis/. All other national data shown in
the chapter (and in the rest of the report) are taken from the 2010
500,000–
1,000,000+
Profile study questionnaires and are weighted to represent all LHDs.
2%
999,999

4%
200,000–
499,999
8%
100,000–
199,999
10%

<10,000
18%

50,000–99,999
15%

What Size Populations Did LHDs Serve?
Among the 2,565 total LHDs in the United States, the largest numbers of LHDs served jurisdictions with small populations. About 63
percent served populations less than 50,000 persons (Figure 2.1).
Another 15 percent served populations from 50,000 to 99,999,
and 18 percent served populations from 100,000 to 499,999.
Six percent served populations of 500,000 or more.

10,000–24,999
24%

Figure 2.2 shows both the percent of all LHDs by population
category and the percent of the U.S. population served. About
5 percent of all LHDs covered 49 percent of the U.S. population;
whereas 32 percent of all LHDs covered 40 percent of the U.S. population and 63 percent covered 11 percent of the U.S. population.

25,000–49,999
21%
N=2,565
Note: Due to rounding, percentages do not add to 100%.

Percentage of LHDs and Percentage of U.S. Population Served,
by Size of Population Served

FIGURE 2.2 |

80%

Percentage

60%

63%
49%

40%

40%
32%

20%

Q

Percentage of U.S. Population
Served

Q

Percentage of All LHDs

N=2,565

5%

11%
0%
Small (<50,000)

Medium (50,000–499,999)
Size of Population Served

Large (500,000+)