As the state’s population continues to grow, the number of Floridians living in poverty is growing with it.
Particularly alarming is the high poverty rate for children under age 5, with Duval County having one of the sharpest increases in that rate in the state, according to the Florida Chamber Foundation.
As the foundation looks at where Florida will be in 2030, addressing poverty among young children is a key concern.
“The sooner we can move them from poverty, the sooner society can see the benefits of keeping children in a positive environment. This population will be part of Florida’s workforce for the year 2030 and beyond,” the foundation said last year in a report on poverty.
The report, citing the most recent U.S. Census data, said 3.129 million Floridians were living in poverty in 2015, 15.8 percent of residents.
That’s higher than the national poverty rate of 14.7 percent.
In 2015, the federal poverty level was $24,250 in annual household income for a family of four.
The poverty rate for children under age 18 in Florida was 23.4 percent and the rate for children under 5 was 26 percent.
St. Johns County, one of the wealthiest counties in the state, had the lowest poverty rate for children under age 18 at 10.1 percent, but nearby Putnam County had one of the highest rates at 41.1 percent.
Duval County’s poverty rate for children under 18 was 25.4 percent.
Data for children under 5 years old is available only for Florida’s 40 largest counties, and it again shows St. Johns with the lowest poverty rate at 6.2 percent in 2014.
However, Putnam had the highest rate by far among the 40 counties at 56.3 percent.
Duval County’s poverty rate for children under 5 was 30.4 percent, a few points above the statewide rate.
However, Duval’s rate rose sharply from 17.4 percent in 2008.
The foundation advocates focusing on programs to help lift young children out of poverty.
“Children birth to age 9 should be a focus with the projections for growth in poverty populations given Florida will have to prepare if it wants to be ready for 2030,” its report said.
“Age 9 is an important milestone given it typically aligns to the third grade. Third grade reading proficiency has been correlated with high school graduation rates and career success and is critical to alleviating future poverty.”
Florida is growing by about 1,000 residents each day, and that will put a strain on resources to help families in poverty.
“The sheer number of Floridians living in poverty in our state impacts not only individual families, but also businesses, Florida’s economy and our state’s global competitiveness,” the report said.
“There is significant need to better understand the number of children and families in poverty, where they reside, and potential limitations in current social service delivery that might impede economic self-sufficiency.”