2026 E-Insights Report

3.3: Foundational Stability

Foundational stability reflects the conditions that allow households to meet basic needs and avoid crisis. It encompasses economic security, health, and safety, factors that shape whether individuals and families can sustain daily life without persistent vulnerability. These indicators focus on how economic growth is experienced at the household level, particularly among populations most sensitive to shifts in cost, coverage, and access. Metrics are framed as measures of community well-being, as in fulfillment of needs.

Across the region, a substantial share of residents continue to live near or below key economic thresholds. Measures such as the percentage of the population living below 200 percent of the poverty level, the presence of full-time workers earning incomes insufficient to escape poverty, and poverty rates among children and older adults point to ongoing financial precarity even among those connected to the labor market. Reliance on public assistance and Social Security income further underscores the extent to which household stability depends on formal safety nets rather than earned income alone.

Health and coverage indicators reinforce these patterns. Rates of uninsured adults age 65 and older, access constraints reflected in HRSA designations, and measures of premature death suggest that economic vulnerability is closely tied to health outcomes and longevity. These indicators do not assess the performance of healthcare systems directly, but rather, they highlight whether residents are able to access care and maintain health as a basic condition of stability, particularly as they age.

Safety conditions also play a role in shaping foundational stability. Road safety indicators capture everyday risks that affect mobility, employment, and quality of life, especially for households with limited flexibility or access to alternative transportation. While often overlooked, these risks compound other forms of vulnerability by increasing the likelihood of injury, financial strain, or long-term disruption.

These indicators illustrate that foundational stability in the region is unevenly distributed. Economic participation alone does not guarantee security, and gains in aggregate performance do not automatically translate into improved living conditions for all residents. Understanding these baseline conditions is fundamental for interpreting downstream outcomes related to housing, opportunity, and overall quality of life.

Key Insights

Overall Takeaway

Economic security, health, and access to basic services remain critical foundations of quality of life, with notable variation across age and income groups.

Highlights
  • Poverty remains a concern: Poverty affects multiple life stages in the region, including children, working-age adults, and some individuals who worked full-time during the year, indicating persistent economic vulnerability despite labor force attachment.

  • Age-related risk: Older adults face elevated economic risk, with higher poverty rates and a greater reliance on Social Security income, reflecting financial pressure among fixed-income households.

  • Health and access: Health outcomes and access to care vary across the region, as reflected in differences in premature death rates, disability employment, insurance coverage, and the availability of health resources.

  • Digital access as a necessity: A meaningful share of households lack internet subscriptions, creating barriers to employment, education, health services, and access to public resources.