Poverty in rural Georgia: Crisp County poverty rate double the state average

Isabella Cuneo
Sep 7, 2018 · 3 min read

In the United States, a household of four with an annual income of $25,000 a year is considered to be living in poverty. Crisp County has continuously been reported the poorest county in Georgia with over 32% of residents living below the poverty line. This is an alarming statistic that is double the state’s average of 15% of residents living in poverty. [1] The median income level for households in Crisp County is $31,000/year which falls significantly lower than the state median income of $50,000/year, suggesting that the average income for those living in Crisp County is without a doubt disproportionate to the rest of Georgia. As a result of poverty conditions, residents have an unequal opportunity to living wage jobs, limited access to health care, poor public education and higher crime rates. Advancing secondary education opportunities and promoting pro-business policies in the county would provide residents greater economic opportunities.

Source: http://thegagenweb.com/crisp/

Regardless of income level, the 23,061 citizens of Crisp County are impacted by the poverty-stricken conditions that surround their homes. Those that face the greatest turmoil is the 32% of households that live below the poverty line, especially those that are minorities, single-headed households and with children. [2] Crisp County residents can speak with local representatives and city government officials about the issue but those with the greatest ability to impact the situation are tax-payers and state legislators.

Tax-payers are major stakeholders in the issue with over 30.3% of households in Crisp County receiving government assistance, a rate that is double the state average of 15%. [3] Tax-payers are pouring money in at double the rate to assist those impacted by poverty with little data to show improvements. Tax-payers across Georgia should advocate for secondary education opportunities, pro-business policies and tax incentives to bring greater economic opportunities to Crisp County.

The U.S Census Bureau and other data collection sources all provide fact-based information on the statistics and demographics of Crisp County. Further research and implementation of pro-business policies and enhancing secondary education opportunity would be beneficial for Crisp County as policies could help alleviate poverty levels and bring greater economic advantages.

Footnotes:

[1] Overview of Georgia (State). (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2018, from https://statisticalatlas.com/state/Georgia/Overview

2 Household Income in Crisp County, Georgia (County). (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2018, from https://statisticalatlas.com/county/Georgia/Crisp-County/Household-Income

3 Employment Status in Crisp County, Georgia (County). (n.d.). Retrieved August 29, 2018, from https://statisticalatlas.com/county/Georgia/Crisp-County/Employment-Status

4 Crisp County, GA. (n.d.). Retrieved August 29, 2018, from https://datausa.io/profile/geo/crisp-county-ga/

5 Brooks-Gunn, J., & Duncan, G. (1997). The Effects of Poverty on Children. The Future of Children, 7(2), 55–71. doi:10.2307/1602387

6 Household Income in Crisp County, Georgia (County). (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2018, from https://statisticalatlas.com/county/Georgia/Crisp-County/Household-Income

7 Food Stamps in Crisp County, Georgia (County). (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2018, from https://statisticalatlas.com/county/Georgia/Crisp-County/Food-Stamps

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