Show Uintah County Teenage Population has I Big Effect on Local Economy County's teenage teen population which Is large and rapidly growing larger Is having a profound effect on the local economy It is emerging as an import import- important ant consumer group far Car more Important than It was In former years AN Ef 1307 a year is being spent by parents to equip maintain and otherwise provide for them The findings are based on studies made by the US Chamber of Commerce the Bureau of Labor Statistics US News and World Report and others They show that the aver aver- average age American child once he emerges as a teen teen-ager be- be becomes becomes comes a different person as asI asfar asfar far as tastes and habits are arc I concerned SUDDENLY clothes be be- be become come Important For the girls there must be party dresses as well as a wider variety of school outfits There must be new shoes and other accessories to go with them Soon cosmetics lip stick and hairdo go on the must list The figures show that it takes a year onn on the nv av to support a year old child that it rises to at age 15 reaches at age 17 and goes to at 19 not counting college costs that begin gin around 18 The median cost at Is a year Applying this median to Uintah County which has a teen age population of 1468 according to the recent census gives as the ap approximate proximate amount that is spent for them each year For the individual teen teen- teenager ager how does this break breakdown breakdown down The figures show that of it H on the average average goes for food for clothes and the rest for medical care for housing for fun and sp sports gadgets and for miscellaneous spending ALL IN IN- IN ALL American teenagers teen have become big big- time consumers There are arenow arenow now 17 million of them and by 1967 there will be 25 mU mil lion the Government says At that rate of growth tab tah County will have 2160 by then The potential of this youth market which was largely Ignored in the past is now be be- be being Ing recognized by most retail merchants They are spending sizeable sums annually In advertising that Is directed straight at the teenager teen And they are finding that it pays paysoff paysoff off |