Florida’s childhood poverty rate continued to decline over the past year, with 3,192 fewer children living in poverty statewide, according to a new analysis from the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Initiative.
Despite having more children overall, Florida reduced the number of children living in poverty from 714,768 to 711,576. Since the Initiative launched, the number of children living in poverty has fallen by more than 200,000.
The findings point to continued momentum toward the Initiative’s goal of cutting childhood poverty in half by 2030, one of 39 long-term benchmarks in the Florida 2030 Blueprint, which aims to grow Florida into a Top 10 global economy. Florida currently ranks 15th.
According to the analysis, more than half of Florida’s children living in poverty reside in just 150 of the state’s 983 ZIP codes. Thirty-five counties reduced childhood poverty over the past year, while 31 saw increases. Childhood poverty rates ranged from a high of 39.3% in Hardee County to a low of 6.5% in Santa Rosa County.
“This progress illustrates the power of business leaders with big hearts and reinforces Florida’s growing reputation as a national model for tackling generational poverty through localized, data-driven solutions,” said Mark Wilson, President & CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He noted that Florida’s childhood poverty rate has dropped from 23.3% to 16.5% since he first testified before Congress on the state’s ZIP code-driven approach.
Leaders emphasized that sustained focus remains necessary to ensure economic growth reaches every family, particularly at the neighborhood level.
Child safety, identified as one of the root causes of poverty, was also highlighted as a key priority. Attorney General James Uthmeier said his Office is working with communities and law enforcement to strengthen protections for children.
“Safety for children in Florida should never depend on a zip code, which is why I’m working with the Florida Prosperity Initiative in driving real change at the neighborhood level to strengthen protections and close gaps to opportunity and self-sufficiency,” Uthmeier said.
The Florida Chamber Foundation is expected to release a full statewide report later this month and host a nationwide webinar to discuss the findings and next steps.
