Jacksonville's New Blueprint for Prosperity

Blueprint for Prosperity is a partnership among the City of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and WorkSource designed to raise per capita income for Jacksonville residents through a strategic planning process focused on at least six community foundation areas: economic development, education, racial opportunity and harmony, infrastructure, leadership and quality of life.

Here are the conditions the plan hopes to take aim at:

1. The Duval County “per capita income as a percentage of the US per capita income has declined from 98% in 1986 to 96% in 2003.”

2. In 2003, the Duval County average earnings per job was 97% of the US average and for 13 years had increased at an annual rate below the US.

3. From 1990 to 2000 the number of Duval County workers living outside of the county increased 45%. Most of these new commuters were high income workers.

4. There is a 47% gap between White and Black “per capita income as a percentage of the US per capita income.”

5. In 2003, the Black population, with this large income gap, made up 30% of the population. At current growth rates this population will reach 35% in 2015 and 40% in 2027.

6. At these growth rates, the total racial and ethnic minority population will exceed 50% of Duval County’s population before 2030, meaning, that if the income gaps continue, Duval’s relative per capita income decline will accelerate.

7. Duval County’s public school four-year gradation rate was 67.2%. Only 32% of 10th grade students read at grade level. Educational success relates to increased per capita income and quality of life.

Download the draft plan here.