Trends: Adults more likely to have high school diplomas

Adults living in Benton and Franklin counties are more likely to have a high school degree or its equivalent, but the Tri-City region is still lagging behind the state for graduation gains.

Check out the accompanying chart for a closer look at how the area compares with the state and nation.

The latest Benton-Franklin Trends report from the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis at Eastern Washington University takes at look at U.S. Census Bureau data to determine the educational status of adults age 25 and over.

The good news is that graduation rates are on the rise locally, and for the state and region. The bad news is that the number of adults who have only a high school degree rose from 2005-14, suggesting the area is lagging behind the state and nation for post-secondary education.

Trends is a free public service offering hundreds of statistics about the local economy, education system and other civic measures. Its statistics are drawn from data compiled by federal, state and local governments.

Visit it online at bit.ly/BFTrends.

This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Trends: Adults more likely to have high school diplomas."