Iraq War's Small Town Sacrifice

Chevy Bel Air at the Thursday night car show, Kokomo, Indiana

Photo: Raul Mosely

The Yonder reported last week that those soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan disproportionately come from rural communities. The casualty rate among those of military age (18 to 59) in rural America is fifty percent higher than in urban areas.

Rural communities send more of their young to the military than big cities. And, it appears, the same holds true for small cities. America’s small urban areas send a much higher proportion of their population to the conflicts in the Middle East than do large urban regions.
The Yonder has compared the death rates of all U.S. metropolitan areas. There are plenty of exceptions, but the trend is clear: the smaller the city, the higher the death rate.

Valdosta, Georgia; Kokomo, Indiana and Bismarck, North Dakota all have death rates that are 12 times higher than that of San Francisco. (The Yonder excluded cities with fewer than two casualties in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Including those cities does not change the trends.)

The average population of the 20 metropolitan areas with the lowest death rates is 1.8 million. The average population of the 20 metropolitan areas with the highest death rates is 151,000.

The difference in death rates among cities is far greater than the difference between urban and rural America. The average death rate for these 295 cities is 18.5 deaths per million population. The death rate in Casper, Wyoming is 56.8.

Determining the true hometowns of soldiers killed overseas is an inexact science. Every soldier is required to state a “home of record” at the time of enlistment. In the majority of cases, this is the place the young man or woman was living at the time he or she enlisted. It is the place the soldier grew up, or where his parents live or where she graduated from high school.

However, when a soldier leaves the military, even for a day, and then re-enlists, she can pick a new home of record. That could well be the military base where she is stationed. As a result, towns near military bases on this list could be slightly over-represented ““ places such as Fayetteville, North Carolina or Killeen, Texas, or Clarksville, Tennessee.

(The Yonder use the federal government’s designation of metropolitan statistical areas instead of political boundaries in this study. Austin, Texas, for example, fits within one county. Its metro area, however, spans five counties.)

What is driving death rates higher in towns like Kokomo or Bismarck? The Yonder prints this list with a lot of questions. What is going on in Bismarck or Lubbock, Texas, for example, that leads to higher enlistment rates than, say, Lancaster, Pennsylvania?

We would like to hear from readers about the local conditions that may help explain higher (or lower) death rates. In the meantime, here’s the list of the 295 metropolitan areas, their population in 2006; the total number of soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan through October 20, 2007; and a death rate. (The death rate is the number of casualties divided by total population multiplied times one million.)

Rank	Metropolitan Area	Deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan	Total Population, 2006	Death Rate*
1	Valdosta,GA	8	126,305	63.3
2	Kokomo,IN	6	100,877	59.5
3	Bismarck,ND	6	101,138	59.3
4	Casper,WY	4	70,401	56.8
5	Altoona,PA	7	126,494	55.3
6	Mansfield,OH	7	127,010	55.1
7	Corvallis,OR	4	79,061	50.6
8	Cheyenne,WY	4	85,384	46.8
9	Elizabethtown,KY	5	110,878	45.1
10	Salisbury,MD	5	117,761	42.5
11	Fayetteville,NC	14	341,363	41.0
12	Bangor,ME	6	147,180	40.8
13	Flagstaff,AZ	5	124,953	40.0
14	Lawton,OK	4	109,181	36.6
15	CorpusChristi,TX	15	415,810	36.1
16	Owensboro,KY	4	112,093	35.7
17	Anniston-Oxford,AL	4	112,903	35.4
18	Fairbanks,AK	3	86,754	34.6
19	Killeen-Temple-FortHood,TX	12	351,322	34.2
20	Redding,CA	6	179,951	33.3
21	Clarksville,TN-KY	8	240,500	33.3
22	St.Joseph,MO-KS	4	122,306	32.7
23	Champaign-Urbana,IL	7	216,581	32.3
24	Lafayette,IN	6	185,745	32.3
25	LittleRock-NorthLittleRock,AR	21	652,834	32.2
26	Farmington,NM	4	126,473	31.6
27	Odessa,TX	4	127,462	31.4
28	Savannah,GA	10	320,013	31.2
29	ElCentro,CA	5	160,301	31.2
30	Columbus,GA-AL	9	288,847	31.2
31	Oshkosh-Neenah,WI	5	160,593	31.1
32	LasCruces,NM	6	193,888	30.9
33	Anderson,IN	4	130,575	30.6
34	Lubbock,TX	8	261,411	30.6
35	GrandJunction,CO	4	134,189	29.8
36	Missoula,MT	3	101,417	29.6
37	Saginaw-SaginawTownshipNorth,MI	6	206,300	29.1
38	Decatur,IL	3	109,309	27.4
39	Wheeling,WV-OH	4	147,329	27.2
40	Fargo,ND-MN	5	187,001	26.7
41	Yuma,AZ	5	187,555	26.7
42	Davenport-Moline-RockIsland,IA-IL	10	377,291	26.5
43	Gulfport-Biloxi,MS	6	227,904	26.3
44	Macon,GA	6	229,326	26.2
45	Morgantown,WV	3	115,136	26.1
46	MountVernon-Anacortes,WA	3	115,700	25.9
47	Spartanburg,SC	7	271,087	25.8
48	Monroe,MI	4	155,035	25.8
49	Sandusky,OH	2	78,116	25.6
50	Sherman-Denison,TX	3	118,478	25.3
51	Abilene,TX	4	158,063	25.3
52	RapidCity,SD	3	118,763	25.3
53	Elkhart-Goshen,IN	5	198,105	25.2
54	Winchester,VA-WV	3	118,932	25.2
55	Anchorage,AK	9	359,180	25.1
56	Reno-Sparks,NV	10	400,560	25.0
57	Flint,MI	11	441,966	24.9
58	Amarillo,TX	6	241,515	24.8
59	Parkersburg-Marietta,WV-OH	4	161,724	24.7
60	Gainesville,FL	6	243,985	24.6
61	SantaCruz-Watsonville,CA	6	249,705	24.0
62	Weirton-Steubenville,WV-OH	3	125,168	24.0
63	TerreHaute,IN	4	168,217	23.8
64	Tallahassee,FL	8	336,502	23.8
65	Stockton,CA	16	673,170	23.8
66	Lafayette,LA	6	254,432	23.6
67	Shreveport-BossierCity,LA	9	386,778	23.3
68	Monroe,LA	4	172,223	23.2
69	Pocatello,ID	2	86,357	23.2
70	Pittsfield,MA	3	131,117	22.9
71	Anderson,SC	4	177,963	22.5
72	Dalton,GA	3	134,397	22.3
73	SanAntonio,TX	43	1,942,217	22.1
74	FortWayne,IN	9	408,071	22.1
75	Canton-Massillon,OH	9	409,764	22.0
76	GrandRapids-Wyoming,MI	17	774,084	22.0
77	Kalamazoo-Portage,MI	7	319,738	21.9
78	Kingston,NY	4	182,742	21.9
79	Duluth,MN-WI	6	274,244	21.9
80	Dubuque,IA	2	92,384	21.6
81	Yakima,WA	5	233,105	21.4
82	Olympia,WA	5	234,670	21.3
83	StateCollege,PA	3	140,953	21.3
84	Augusta-RichmondCounty,GA-SC	11	523,249	21.0
85	Harrisburg-Carlisle,PA	11	525,380	20.9
86	JohnsonCity,TN	4	191,136	20.9
87	LakeCharles,LA	4	192,316	20.8
88	GrandForks,ND-MN	2	96,523	20.7
89	WichitaFalls,TX	3	145,528	20.6
90	Hanford-Corcoran,CA	3	146,153	20.5
91	Johnstown,PA	3	146,967	20.4
92	Racine,WI	4	196,096	20.4
93	FondduLac,WI	2	99,243	20.2
94	Cumberland,MD-WV	2	99,759	20.0
95	ColoradoSprings,CO	12	599,127	20.0
96	Evansville,IN-KY	7	350,356	20.0
97	Brunswick,GA	2	100,613	19.9
98	Houma-BayouCane-Thibodaux,LA	4	202,902	19.7
99	Pueblo,CO	3	152,912	19.6
100	Portland-SouthPortland,ME	10	513,667	19.5
101	Omaha-CouncilBluffs,NE-IA	16	822,549	19.5
102	BoiseCity-Nampa,ID	11	567,640	19.4
103	Montgomery,AL	7	361,748	19.4
104	Columbia,MO	3	155,997	19.2
105	Tucson,AZ	18	946,362	19.0
106	SanAngelo,TX	2	105,752	18.9
107	Peoria,IL	7	370,194	18.9
108	Lima,OH	2	105,788	18.9
109	OklahomaCity,OK	22	1,172,339	18.8
110	Oxnard-ThousandOaks-Ventura,CA	15	799,720	18.8
111	Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton,OR-WA	40	2,137,565	18.7
112	Bloomington-Normal,IL	3	161,202	18.6
113	Lewiston-Auburn,ME	2	107,552	18.6
114	NewOrleans-Metairie-Kenner,LA	19	1,024,678	18.5
115	Waterloo-CedarFalls,IA	3	162,263	18.5
116	Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Tonawanda,NY	21	1,137,520	18.5
117	BayCity,MI	2	108,390	18.5
118	Albuquerque,NM	15	816,811	18.4
119	SanDiego-Carlsbad-SanMarcos,CA	54	2,941,454	18.4
120	Jackson,MI	3	163,851	18.3
121	Cleveland,TN	2	109,477	18.3
122	Pittsburgh,PA	43	2,370,776	18.1
123	MichiganCity-LaPorte,IN	2	110,479	18.1
124	Greenville,NC	3	165,776	18.1
125	Spokane,WA	8	446,706	17.9
126	Jackson,TN	2	111,937	17.9
127	Tulsa,OK	16	897,752	17.8
128	Joplin,MO	3	168,552	17.8
129	Boulder,CO	5	282,304	17.7
130	BowlingGreen,KY	2	113,320	17.6
131	Harrisonburg,VA	2	113,449	17.6
132	Lansing-EastLansing,MI	8	454,044	17.6
133	Lincoln,NE	5	283,970	17.6
134	Modesto,CA	9	512,138	17.6
135	Victoria,TX	2	114,088	17.5
136	AnnArbor,MI	6	344,047	17.4
137	Manchester-Nashua,NH	7	402,789	17.4
138	Mobile,AL	7	404,157	17.3
139	FortSmith,AR-OK	5	288,818	17.3
140	Springfield,MO	7	407,092	17.2
141	Muskegon-NortonShores,MI	3	175,231	17.1
142	Akron,OH	12	700,943	17.1
143	IdahoFalls,ID	2	116,980	17.1
144	Wichita,KS	10	592,126	16.9
145	GreenBay,WI	5	299,003	16.7
146	Lynchburg,VA	4	239,510	16.7
147	Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir,NC	6	359,856	16.7
148	FortWaltonBeach-Crestview-Destin,FL	3	180,291	16.6
149	Bremerton-Silverdale,WA	4	240,604	16.6
150	Madison,WI	9	543,022	16.6
151	Honolulu,HI	15	909,863	16.5
152	Houston-Baytown-SugarLand,TX	91	5,539,949	16.4
153	Charleston,WV	5	305,526	16.4
154	ElPaso,TX	12	736,310	16.3
155	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton,PA-NJ	13	800,336	16.2
156	Baltimore-Towson,MD	43	2,658,405	16.2
157	Athens-ClarkeCounty,GA	3	185,479	16.2
158	Riverside-SanBernardino-Ontario,CA	65	4,026,135	16.1
159	Ogden-Clearfield,UT	8	497,640	16.1
160	Beaumont-PortArthur,TX	6	379,640	15.8
161	McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr,TX	11	700,634	15.7
162	Columbus,OH	27	1,725,570	15.6
163	CollegeStation-Bryan,TX	3	192,152	15.6
164	Salem,OR	6	384,600	15.6
165	GlensFalls,NY	2	129,455	15.4
166	Youngstown-Warren-Boardman,OH-PA	9	586,939	15.3
167	Wilmington,NC	5	326,166	15.3
168	Coeurd’Alene,ID	2	131,507	15.2
169	Austin-RoundRock,TX	23	1,513,565	15.2
170	Norwich-NewLondon,CT	4	263,293	15.2
171	Richmond,VA	18	1,194,008	15.1
172	Knoxville,TN	10	667,384	15.0
173	Napa,CA	2	133,522	15.0
174	Cincinnati-Middletown,OH-KY-IN	31	2,104,218	14.7
175	Greensboro-HighPoint,NC	10	685,378	14.6
176	Vallejo-Fairfield,CA	6	411,680	14.6
177	Burlington-SouthBurlington,VT	3	206,007	14.6
178	Prescott,AZ	3	208,014	14.4
179	IowaCity,IA	2	139,567	14.3
180	Erie,PA	4	279,811	14.3
181	Columbia,SC	10	703,771	14.2
182	Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor,OH	30	2,114,155	14.2
183	Springfield,OH	2	141,872	14.1
184	Jacksonville,FL	18	1,277,997	14.1
185	Florence,AL	2	142,657	14.0
186	Huntington-Ashland,WV-KY-OH	4	285,475	14.0
187	CapeCoral-FortMyers,FL	8	571,344	14.0
188	VirginiaBeach-Norfolk-NewportNews,VA-NC	23	1,649,457	13.9
189	SiouxCity,IA-NE-SD	2	143,474	13.9
190	Appleton,WI	3	217,313	13.8
191	JeffersonCity,MO	2	144,958	13.8
192	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro,TN	20	1,455,097	13.7
193	Birmingham-Hoover,AL	15	1,100,019	13.6
194	Dover,DE	2	147,601	13.6
195	Utica-Rome,NY	4	297,286	13.5
196	Bend,OR	2	149,140	13.4
197	Decatur,AL	2	149,549	13.4
198	Kennewick-Richland-Pasco,WA	3	226,033	13.3
199	Waco,TX	3	226,189	13.3
200	Jackson,MS	7	529,456	13.2
201	KansasCity,MO-KS	26	1,967,405	13.2
202	Pascagoula,MS	2	152,405	13.1
203	Dayton,OH	11	838,940	13.1
204	Topeka,KS	3	228,894	13.1
205	BatonRouge,LA	10	766,514	13.0
206	Providence-NewBedford-FallRiver,RI-MA	21	1,612,989	13.0
207	LasVegas-Paradise,NV	23	1,777,539	12.9
208	Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton,NJ	2	154,823	12.9
209	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria,DC-VA-MD-WV	68	5,290,400	12.9
210	SantaRosa-Petaluma,CA	6	466,891	12.9
211	Bakersfield,CA	10	780,117	12.8
212	Scranton–Wilkes-Barre,PA	7	550,841	12.7
213	Ocala,FL	4	316,183	12.7
214	Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville,CA	26	2,067,117	12.6
215	SantaBarbara-SantaMaria-Goleta,CA	5	400,335	12.5
216	PanamaCity-LynnHaven,FL	2	163,505	12.2
217	Merced,CA	3	245,658	12.2
218	Albany,GA	2	163,961	12.2
219	Binghamton,NY	3	247,554	12.1
220	Raleigh-Cary,NC	12	994,551	12.1
221	CedarRapids,IA	3	249,320	12.0
222	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington,PA-NJ-DE-MD	70	5,826,742	12.0
223	York-Hanover,PA	5	416,322	12.0
224	Visalia-Porterville,CA	5	419,909	11.9
225	Boston-Cambridge-Quincy,MA-NH	53	4,455,217	11.9
226	Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale,AZ	48	4,039,182	11.9
227	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers,AR-MO	5	420,876	11.9
228	Tampa-St.Petersburg-Clearwater,FL	32	2,697,731	11.9
229	Dallas-FortWorth-Arlington,TX	71	6,003,967	11.8
230	Hagerstown-Martinsburg,MD-WV	3	257,619	11.6
231	Greenville,SC	7	601,986	11.6
232	Charleston-NorthCharleston,SC	7	603,178	11.6
233	Orlando,FL	23	1,984,855	11.6
234	Worcester,MA	9	784,992	11.5
235	Louisville,KY-IN	14	1,222,216	11.5
236	Lexington-Fayette,KY	5	436,684	11.4
237	Pensacola-FerryPass-Brent,FL	5	439,987	11.4
238	LosAngeles-LongBeach-SantaAna,CA	147	12,950,129	11.4
239	SaltLakeCity,UT	12	1,067,722	11.2
240	Fresno,CA	10	891,756	11.2
241	Rochester,MN	2	179,573	11.1
242	AtlanticCity,NJ	3	271,620	11.0
243	Indianapolis,IN	18	1,666,032	10.8
244	Durham,NC	5	464,389	10.8
245	Minneapolis-St.Paul-Bloomington,MN-WI	34	3,175,041	10.7
246	Rochester,NY	11	1,035,435	10.6
247	Charlottesville,VA	2	190,278	10.5
248	Brownsville-Harlingen,TX	4	387,717	10.3
249	Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice,FL	7	682,833	10.3
250	Springfield,MA	7	686,174	10.2
251	Medford,OR	2	197,071	10.1
252	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue,WA	33	3,263,497	10.1
253	Chattanooga,TN-GA	5	496,704	10.1
254	Longview,TX	2	203,367	9.8
255	Springfield,IL	2	206,112	9.7
256	St.Louis,MO-IL	27	2,796,368	9.7
257	SiouxFalls,SD	2	212,911	9.4
258	DesMoines,IA	5	534,230	9.4
259	PalmBay-Melbourne-Titusville,FL	5	534,359	9.4
260	Chico,CA	2	215,881	9.3
261	Detroit-Warren-Livonia,MI	40	4,468,966	9.0
262	Chicago-Naperville-Joliet,IL-IN-WI	85	9,505,748	8.9
263	BarnstableTown,MA	2	224,816	8.9
264	Winston-Salem,NC	4	456,614	8.8
265	Laredo,TX	2	231,470	8.6
266	Kingsport-Bristol,TN-VA	2	232,971	8.6
267	Denver-Aurora,CO	20	2,363,634	8.5
268	Greeley,CO	2	236,857	8.4
269	Miami-FortLauderdale-MiamiBeach,FL	46	5,463,857	8.4
270	Hartford-WestHartford-EastHartford,CT	10	1,188,841	8.4
271	MyrtleBeach-Conway-NorthMyrtleBeach,SC	2	238,493	8.4
272	Atlanta-SandySprings-Marietta,GA	43	5,138,223	8.4
273	NewHaven-Milford,CT	7	845,244	8.3
274	Trenton-Ewing,NJ	3	367,605	8.2
275	Deltona-DaytonaBeach-OrmondBeach,FL	4	496,575	8.1
276	Milwaukee-Waukesha-WestAllis,WI	12	1,509,981	7.9
277	NewYork-Newark-Edison,NY-NJ-PA	148	18,818,536	7.9
278	SanLuisObispo-PasoRobles,CA	2	257,005	7.8
279	Toledo,OH	5	653,695	7.6
280	Asheville,NC	3	398,009	7.5
281	Memphis,TN-MS-AR	9	1,274,704	7.1
282	Roanoke,VA	2	295,050	6.8
283	SanJose-Sunnyvale-SantaClara,CA	12	1,787,123	6.7
284	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk,CT	6	900,440	6.7
285	Naples-MarcoIsland,FL	2	314,649	6.4
286	Provo-Orem,UT	3	474,180	6.3
287	Albany-Schenectady-Troy,NY	5	850,957	5.9
288	Rockford,IL	2	348,252	5.7
289	Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord,NC-SC	9	1,583,016	5.7
290	Lakeland-WinterHaven,FL	3	561,606	5.3
291	SanFrancisco-Oakland-Fremont,CA	22	4,180,027	5.3
292	Reading,PA	2	401,149	5.0
293	Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown,NY	3	671,538	4.5
294	Lancaster,PA	2	494,486	4.0
295	Syracuse,NY	2	650,051	3.1
*Death rate equals casualties divided by total population multiplied by 1,000,000

Iraq War’s Small Town Sacrifice

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