Numbers to consider when adding up who to vote for
By Cindy Wojdyla Cain ccain@stmedianetwork.com October 26, 2012 8:26PM
Updated: January 15, 2013 1:40PM
Politicians all over the country are counting key precincts and potential votes to see if their numbers add up for Nov. 6.
But voters are crunching numbers, too. They’re looking at unemployment rates, foreclosure rates, home sale statistics and the price of gas, to name a few.
So I thought it would be a good time to update the latest figures for the Joliet area. It’s up to voters to decide who will take the stats in the right direction going forward.
Unemployment
Area unemployment rates are falling. The Joliet unemployment rate in September was 9.5 percent, down 1 percent from August and 2.5 percent from a year ago. The Will County rate fell to 7.7 percent, down 0.8 percent from August and down 2.2 percent from a year ago.
The same pattern held true for Grundy and Kendall counties. In Grundy County, the September unemployment rate was 8.1 percent, down 1.4 percent from August and 2 percent from a year ago. In Kendall County, the rate dropped to 6.6 percent, down 1 percent from August and 1.8 percent from a year ago. In comparison, the Illinois rate in September was 8.8 percent and the U.S. rate was 7.8 percent.
Foreclosures
Foreclosure backlogs continue to get processed. Third quarter foreclosure filings in Will County rose 18.99 percent from the second quarter and 31.28 from the third quarter of last year, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac. Grundy County filings were up 26.58 percent from the previous quarter and up 21.95 percent from a year ago. Kendall County filings were down 3.98 percent from the previous quarter but up 50.30 percent from the previous year.
Foreclosure filing totals include all stages of foreclosure: default, auction and foreclosure.
Home Sales
The real estate market seems to be rebounding a bit. September home sales in Will County were up 20.5 percent from a year ago and total sales so far this year were up 30.4 percent compared to last year, according to the Illinois Association of Realtors. The median price of a home in Will County fell 1.3 percent from $158,500 to $156,500.
In Grundy County, September sales were up 6.5 percent compared to last year and 14.5 percent for the year; the median home price rose 12.7 percent from $126,000 to $142,000.
In Kendall County, sales were up 48 percent in September compared to a year ago and up 12 percent for the year; the median home price rose 6 percent from $149,000 to $157,875.
Gas prices
According to AAA’s daily fuel gauge report, the average price of a gallon of regular gas has dropped to $3.599. The price is down from the all-time high of $4.114 in July 2008. And it’s down from the $3.810 average of a month ago.
So there you have the latest numbers for the area. Add those to whatever formula you use to cast your ballot and vote early or vote on Election Day — just don’t vote often.
