Economic reality in NC depends on where one lives and works

by NC Budget and Tax Center, published on NC Policy Watch, March 31, 2016.

The Budget & Tax Center’s county-by-county economic snapshots provide a quick-reference resource for journalists, local officials, service providers and citizens in all 100 counties throughout the state

For years now, politicians, economists and advocates have debated the true breadth and depth of the economic recovery in North Carolina. According to many of the state’s conservative elected leaders, the state is in the midst of a raging “Carolina Comeback.” Critics, however, contend that there is an overall paucity of jobs – especially good paying, living wage jobs – a shrinking middle class and a rapidly growing gap between the wealthiest 1% any virtually everyone else in the state. 

Happily, the true economic picture of counties throughout North Carolina got a lot clearer this week with the release of county-by-county data from the Budget & Tax Center, a project of the NC Justice Center. Data is available for all 100 counties in North Carolina.

The “Economic Snapshot” is an annual publication that lists key economic and social indicators at the county level in North Carolina, providing an overall picture of economic vitality and opportunity for North Carolinians. This data profile includes indicators on employment, poverty and income, affordable housing, health, education, and supports for working families—all of which come from a variety of sources.

The economic reality for North Carolinians varies greatly depending on where one lives and works. Key findings for all 100 counties include:

• The poverty rate ranged from a low of 9.7 percent in Camden County to a high of 33.1 percent in Robeson County in 2014 (the latest data available). Sixty-three counties had higher poverty rates than the state rate of 17.2 percent.
• Nearly 9 in 10 counties had more people looking for work than total jobs available in December 2015.
• In 2015, 89 of the state’s 100 counties had a lower hourly median wage than the state’s hourly median wage of $15.63.
• A person earning the minimum wage would have to work at least 67 hours per week to afford a modest two-bedroom unit at fair market rent in all 100 counties. In Currituck County, it would take 117 hours.

“Where you live matters for your ability to get ahead and this county-level data shows that inequality of opportunity persists across the state,” said Tazra Mitchell, a Policy Analyst at the Budget & Tax Center. “There is a need to target policies towards communities continuing to struggle and ensure that the benefits of growth are broadly shared.”

For detailed data on each of the state’s 100 counties, visit this link: http://www.ncjustice.org/?q=btc-brief-county-economic-snapshots.

http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2016/03/31/a-hard-truth-about-the-nc-economy-economic-reality-for-north-carolinians-varies-greatly-depending-on-where-one-lives-and-works/