Community plans often overlook important group

Local economic development efforts often concentrate on attracting young families back to small towns, and rightfully so.

Young families are a vital component of any thriving community, filling classrooms and athletic teams with young people, providing dedicated employees and stepping in as leadership for local organizations, churches and government.

At the same time, we may be overlooking a major population group that, while perhaps more difficult to attract, is important none the less.

Sept. 18-24 is National Singles Week, an observance started by the Buckeye Singles Council in Ohio in the 1980s to celebrate single life and recognize singles and their contributions to society.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, many who others might think of as single actually don't classify themselves that way, because they are parents, have partners or are widowed.

That leaves a lot of people, however, according to the Census Bureau.

Forty-five percent of all U.S. residents 18 and older are unmarried, a whopping 109 million, 53 percent are women and 47 percent are men.

Some 63 percent have never been married, 24 percent were divorced and 13 percent widowed.

Nineteen million singles are 65 and older, and there are 88 unmarried men 18 and older for every 100 unmarried women.

The latest figures show 59 million households are maintained by unmarried men and women, 35 million live alone and 36 percent of women age 15 to 50 with a birth in the last 12 months were widowed, divorced or never married.

It's not only economic development interests who should be interested in the single demographic, however.

Some 39 percent of voters in the 2012 presidential election were unmarried compared to 24 percent in the 1972 election. Thirty-five percent of voters in the 2014 November congressional election were unmarried.

Singles have retailers' attention as well, according to moneyeconomics.com, which noted Whole Foods is hosting wine-tasting events, Applebee's is converting into a nightclub after dinner and Ikea is pitching apartment furniture to divorced dads.

An economist at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics coined the term "selfies," for this group because they are more likely to spend selfishly rather than paying off mortgages, save for college or buy clothes for children.

McCook has made great strides in its effort to make it "a great place to live, work and play," as the Chamber of Commerce emphasizes in its mission statement, with new and improved restaurants and community events.

But we all need to think about ways to make sure that applies to singles as well as our "married-with-children" friends.