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TRENDS <br />Economic Opportunity Trends <br />Indian River County is a coastal resort and rural community <br />where agriculture and tourism have historically beenthe largest' <br />industries. Today, more than 65,000 people are employed <br />:within the top: industries of health care and social assistance:: <br />(9,700), retail trade (i3,300),:professional; scientific, and techni- <br />cal services (6,000), construction (5,300), restaurants:and food <br />services <br />(4;300), and education (3,000). The top: employers are <br />a' <br />Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, School District of -Indian <br />River County, Indian River County Govemrrient, Publix Super-: <br />_ <br />markets; and Piper Aircraft.. Approximately 10 percent of all <br />, <br />jobs are in nonprofit corporations, the majority:of which are IRS <br />4 <br />501(c)(3).:public charities: <br />- <br />-- — - <br />Promising Economic Opportuniity Indicators <br />•: Rising Median Household Income = Median household ... <br />More people live in poverty <br />income has continued to rise over time, now at $72,0,00 per <br />or • - paycheck away from <br />year,: Finance and insurance jobs are the highest paid aver-: <br />aging $132,000 per year, while accommodation and food.: <br />services are the lowest paid at$28,000 peryear. <br />Promising Housing Indicators:,: <br />Concerning Economic Opportunity Indicators <br />Lower Record of Homelessness -The 2025 Point in Tirrie <br />• More People in Poverty - While the overall percentage of : <br />courit:conducted by Treasure Coast Homeless Services Coumw <br />the population living in povertyhas:remained. at 11 percent, <br />cilreported a 19 percent decrease inahe number of homeless <br />the total number of people living in poverty has increased by <br />individuals from the prior year, and a.15 percent decrease <br />27 percent. There are more women living in poverty in the . <br />in the number of "doubled up" individuals (i.e. temporarily <br />community than men. Black residents represent the highest <br />staying with family or friends due to economic reasons) from <br />race/ethnicitysegment of all eo le living to ove at 30 <br />9 p P 9� P rty. <br />the prior year. The 2025.effort recorded the. lowest number of <br />pe.rcent, and 58 percent of eo le living.in ove rtyare mar. -. <br />homeless individualssince the 'PIT count's inception. <br />ried couples with. children.:. <br />• Reduced Domestic:Violence =The total reported domestic <br />• Growing ALICE Population - Otherwise knownas the working <br />violence.related offensesare at an allotime low, down from . <br />poor, 30 percent of the adult population fitthe United Way of <br />1;366 per 100,000 in 2010 to 164 per 100,00Q today. <br />Indian River County criteria as' "Asset -Limited, Income -Con- <br />Concerning Housing Indicators <br />strained, and Employed:' <br />• Children's Horrielessness .-While the .2025 Point.inTime count <br />• Too Many: Economically; Disadvantaged Students - Econom- <br />conducted byTreasure:Coast Homeless Services Council re- <br />ically disadvantaged students make up 53 percent of the <br />ported a decline in the numberof homeless children, the num- <br />student population, compared to 46 percent in: Florida. <br />ber of students. identified and- reported as:having-experienced <br />• Low -Wages - It takes a living wage, of at least $64,000 for a <br />homelessness°at any point d6ring.the°2024-2025 school.year <br />family of four to survive in our community, while the average <br />(n=655) Increased by 15 percent.over the prior year and. by 55 <br />annual -wage is $58,000, which is 19 percent lower than Flori- ..:` <br />percentsince the. 2020-2021 school year..: <br />da% average wage. Women earn an average of $.0.75 for every:• <br />More:Evictions:=Since 2020; the eviction: rate has:increased <br />$1.00 earned by men. Black workers earn an average of $0:48 <br />by 38 percent. <br />for every $1.00 earned by white workers. <br />.Excessive Home Ownership Costs = Since. -2020, the median <br />• Unemployment - 4.7 percent of the population: are. unem- <br />estirnated residential property value has:increased by30 <br />ployed, compared with 3.7 percent of Florida's population,..= <br />percent: Twenty-three percentof homeowners are paying 30 <br />percent or more f income for housing expenses <br />0 <br />Housing Trends ... <br />• Excessive Renting Costs -.Since 2020,.fair market rent has <br />Affordable housing is getting harder:to:find in Indian River ... <br />: increased by 54 percent. More than 50 percent of renters <br />County. The most adverse outcome of this problem is home= <br />are paying 30 percent or.more of their income for housing <br />Iessness. To understand this issue, it helps to have some knowl- <br />q expenses. : <br />edge of our community's housing continuum which ranges <br />• Senior. Isolation = approximately 13,000aeniors live. atone, <br />from emergency shelter to transitional housing to, community .: <br />: with 1 out of 4.livirig in poverty: This increases the chances of <br />housing to:affordable rental housing to market.rental housing to <br />poor health: that can lead:to loss of independence, hospital <br />affordable home ownership to market home ownership. <br />nation, or accidental death. <br />