C. C. Elebash says
Escambia County continues to fare badly in economic comparisons among large Florida counties. This is based on data recently published in the 2010 Florida Statistical Abstract. The top 25 counties have over 85 percent of the state's population. We are the 18th largest county.
When the state’s 25 largest counties are ranked from best (#1) to worst (#25), Escambia ranks:
- #17 Per capita income
- #21 Poor people (% of population)
- #23 Poverty among young people (% of persons under 18 )
- #24 Unwed mothers (% of births)
- #22 Medicaid recipients (% of population)
- #19 School lunch assistance (% of students)
- #24 Population growth (from 2000 to 2009)
While Escambia County’s population barely increased between 2000 and 2009, the number of Pensacola residents actually declined by 2.4%. Eighty-six Florida cities have a population greater than 25,000. Only Pensacola and three others lost population between 2000 and 2009.
Population growth in the Pensacola Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is stronger than it is in Escambia County. That is because Santa Rosa County is in our MSA. Even so, the Pensacola MSA ranks 19th out of 20 among Florida MSAs in population growth.
Escambia County has an abundance of assets and advantages. We were once the envy of the Gulf Coast. However, our economy faltered. This happened over the long-term. It was not just caused by recent hurricanes, recession and the oil spill. (All of Florida suffered from 2004-2006 hurricanes, and the recession is world-wide. The effects of the oil spill have not yet been reflected in official data.)
We are entering a new economic period. The nation is not having a normal recovery from the current deep recession. The outline of a new economy has not emerged, but it will be different. This is especially so in Florida. For half a century, our state economy was based on in-migration, new construction and growing property tax revenues. That era is over.
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