Population destiny has important associations with some quality of life variables. Some cities with higher population densities tend to have slower growth rates, higher unemployment and higher high school dropout rate. High density cities experience more violent crime, have more juvenile arrests, and have a lower number of family practice or general practitioner physicians than lower-density cities. Nonetheless, while these relationships are statistically significant, they are not particularly strong. For example, a city's high population density does not necessarily lead to a higher crime rate. Nor does a higher crime rate necessarily predict high population density's connection to the final score and general quality of life is relatively weak.
Population Change
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Of the three population variables, population growth rate has the strongest relationship to the quality of life indicators. Although no causal relationship is established, cities with faster population growth rates receive a better overall score. They tend to have lower percentages of children in poverty, lower rates of infant mortality and fewer teen births. These cities generally have higher family incomes and lower crime rates. On the other hand, higher population growth rates have loose-but significant associations with higher student-to-teacher rations and with poorer air quality.
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Even though the data indicates that children are better off living in cities with higher rates of population growth than they are living in cities that are losing population, this does not mean that a better quality of life is a result of population growth. Nor does it mean that related factors do not contribute to a higher quality of life.
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Population increases and an improved quality of life can have an interdependent relationship. When people have the resources, they tend to move to cities that can provide the quality of life they desire. A growing economy, a low unemployment rate and a low crime rate will draw new families into a community, thus contributing to population growth. When people migrate to an area, they attract and bring capital and investment. Their presence creates jobs, with the attending tax base necessary to improve the infrastructures, education, and social services.
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For the minority of children in this data who happen to live in a rapidly growing city, quality of life improvements can be see as a result from a better quality of life.
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Just as big population increases can correlate with a better quality of life, population declines caused by out-migration of the middle-class correlate with high rates of child poverty, infant mortality and teen births. The lowest ranking cities in the data saw population declines. The fastest declines city in the data is Hartford, CT. Hartford, ranked 169 out of 169, lost over percentage of its total population between 1980 and 1996.
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Education for both young and old is the key to find solutions for the many complex problems caused by the population explosion.
