Nonprofit Seek updated data on area social needs
Hope Woodhouse, Jeff Pickering, and Meredith Egan Photo by 32963
The United Way of Indian River County and other groups are launching a Community Needs Assessment to get a handle on the scale of poverty and social need in an area that is very near the top of a national list that calculates income inequality.
Although Vero Beach is renowned for its beachside beauty and the affluence of its island residents, there is another side to the story. According to the United Way, 51 percent of Indian River County households struggle to pay for such basic necessities as food, housing and childcare.
That was the finding of the group’s February 2019 ALICE report (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed).
Meanwhile, a July 2018 report from the Economic Policy Institute shows the Vero-Sebastian metro area has the fourth most extreme income inequality in the country, with the top 1 percent of households having an average income of $2,519,981 while the remaining 99 percent average just $39,710.
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