Today, the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Initiative released its latest report, State of Childhood Poverty in Florida, providing a data-informed look at the progress being made and the work still ahead to cut childhood poverty in half, a goal officially outlined in the Florida2030 Blueprint.
The annual poverty report indicates that Florida has:
- 711,576 kids in poverty, with more than half of these kids living in only 15% (that’s more than 152 zip codes out of 983),
- 5% of Florida children live in poverty, with the highest rates among the state’s youngest residents, and
- 18 % of Florida children under age 5 live in poverty, underscoring the challenges many young families face during important early development years.
While there are challenges, the data also shows measurable progress. Since the launch of the Florida Prosperity Initiative in 2016, the number of children living in poverty in Florida has declined by nearly 200,000. The report also highlights changes at the local level, with more than half of Florida’s counties reflecting the state’s overall progress.
The largest reductions in the number of children in poverty were in the following counties:
- Hillsborough County (3,971 fewer),
- Duval County (2,619 fewer), and
- Manatee County (1,600 fewer).
The largest increases in the number of children in poverty were in the following counties:
- Hardee County (262 more),
- Sumter County (628 more), and
- Jefferson County (129 more).
The report attributes improvements to growing collaboration among business, nonprofit, and community partners focused on expanding economic opportunity.
“Florida’s future workforce is sitting in our classrooms today, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed is not just a moral imperative, it’s an economic one,” said Mark Wilson, President & CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Foundation. “While collective efforts among Florida leaders have driven progress, the data reminds us that too many children still face barriers to economic opportunity.”
Florida Prosperity Initiative Statewide Director of Community Engagement Heather Cogar adds, “I know from my own experience that abuse, foster care, and poverty do not have to define a child’s future. When caring adults, businesses, policy, and community leaders show up with intention and data-driven solutions, the cycle of generational poverty can be broken. We are creating pathways to opportunity that truly change lives for generations, one zip code at a time, one family at a time.”
The report also points out the geographic disparities across the state. While childhood poverty in many urban communities is closer to the statewide average, rural Florida faces significantly higher challenges, with a childhood poverty rate of 23.7 percent, meaning nearly one in four children in rural areas live in poverty.
Karen Moore, Founder and CEO of Moore Agency and Chair of the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, says, “These findings reinforce the importance of targeted, community-driven solutions that move more Floridians out of poverty and government dependency to prosperity and self-sufficiency.”
Click here to view the full State of Childhood Poverty in Florida report.
The Florida Prosperity Initiative is doubling down its efforts to work with partners across the state to tackle the 10 Root Causes of Poverty at the zip code level by implementing data-informed strategies aimed at ensuring every Florida child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. To learn more and get involved, visit flchamber.com/prosperity.
2026 Florida Prosperity & Economic Opportunity Solution Summit
Business, nonprofit, policy, and community leaders are invited to attend the Florida Chamber Foundation’s 2026 Florida Prosperity & Economic Opportunity Solution Summit on June 9 in Tampa, to learn how they can effect change in their individual communities.
This annual event, featuring keynote presentations from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Heather Cogar of the Florida Prosperity Initiative, will provide insights into the 10 Root Causes of Poverty and explore actionable, data-informed solutions to advance economic opportunities at the local and statewide levels. Registration and sponsorship opportunities are available. Learn more and register HERE.