Williamson County, Texas is comprised of a diverse population that has grown rapidly over the past few years.  The most current race/ethnicity distribution estimates are 67.1 percent  Caucasian, 20.8 percent Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 5.9 percent Black or African American, 3.9 percent Asian, 0.1 percent American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.02 percent Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.27 percent of some other race, and 1.9 percent of two or more races.  Research shows that minority populations (Hispanic and African Americans specifically) are the most susceptible to obesity and chronic diseases.
         
According to the 2005 Texas Vital Statistics Annual Report, there were a total of 1,465 deaths (all causes) in Williamson County. Major cardiovascular diseases resulted in 419 deaths, malignant neoplasms in 335 deaths, chronic lower respiratory diseases in 76 deaths, and diabetes mellitus in 36 deaths.  Approximately 70 percent of the major cardiovascular disease deaths were from diseases of the heart; 205 deaths specifically as a result of ischemic heart disease.  Meanwhile, 22.7 percent of major cardiovascular disease deaths were a result of cerebrovascular diseases.

In 2004, Williamson County administered the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey to a sample of adults age 18 and older.  The results indicate 8 percent of adults have diabetes, 22 percent high blood pressure, and 36 percent high cholesterol.  Furthermore, 47 percent do not get the recommended amounts of physical activity, 78 percent do not consume recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, and 63 percent are overweight or obese.  The results of the BRFSS survey show that Williamson County does not meet Healthy People 2010 recommendations.  The BRFSS will be administered again this year with the results available by April 2010.

The per capita income in Williamson County is $26,508.  The median household income and family income are $62,494 and $72,566, respectively.  Approximately 4.5 percent of families and 6.7 percent of individuals in Williamson County are below the poverty level;  90.6 percent graduated from high school, and 37.1 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.  Of those 16 years and older, approximately 71.91 percent are in the labor force, while 28.1 percent are not.  Of those in the labor force, 71.7 percent are in the civilian labor force and 0.21 percent are in Armed Forces.  Finally, of those in the civilian labor force, 67.2 percent are employed and 4.5 percent are unemployed.  Occupation data for the civilian employed is as follows: 41.4 percent management, professional, and related occupations; 28.2 percent sales and office occupations; 12.9 percent service occupations; 9.3 percent construction, extraction, maintenance, and repair occupations; 8.2 percent production, transportation, and material moving occupations; and 0.04 percent farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.

The ACHIEVE initiative is focused on one community in Williamson County: the City of Georgetown.  According to the 2005-2007 Census report, 39,424 people reside in the City of Georgetown.  The race/ethnicity distribution estimates are: 71 percent Caucasian, 22 percent Hispanic or Latino, and 7 percent Other (includes Black or African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, some other race, and two or more races).  Georgetown was selected as the starting point for the ACHIEVE initiative due to the high level of community readiness.  The City of Georgetown participated in the Department of State Health Services’ Heart & Stroke Healthy City Recognition Program in 2004, 2006, and 2008; although the city has not yet reached a level of recognition, their score has improved each year.