29th Anniversary Quality of Life Progress Report Release
by Susan Cohn, Director of Research
This past Friday marked the 29th annual release of the JCCI Quality of Life Progress Report, the longest-running report of its kind in the world. Key community indicators for Northeast Florida are presented, which provide a community-wide snapshot of Jacksonville’s growth. The Progress Report is more than just a “report card;” it is a guiding series of indicators that frames community conversations, local priorities, and strategic actions for the coming year. Data in this document is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more Quality of Life indicators available to anyone on the JCCI Community Snapshot website.
This Quality of Life Progress Report is delivered to Jacksonville with input by a committee of community members that have exhibited expertise in each of the JAX2025 target areas. As the in-coming chair of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Dr. William Rupp, the CEO at Mayo Clinic, chaired the 2013 committee. For the first time, the Quality of Life Review Committee looked at the Progress Report through the lens of JAX2025. Using the community vision for 2025 as a framework helped the Committee to look at some new indicators and view some traditional indicators differently. The Quality of Life Progress Report is not just an opportunity to react to data; it is a catalyst for action.
The message in this year’s Progress Report is that we’ve raised the bar. The Review Committee chose to highlight several red flags in this year’s Quality of Life report, but they did so with tremendous optimism. Having witnessed a ground swell of community pride, collaborative initiatives, and a general feeling of hope and confidence, expectations are high for Jacksonville, and residents are ready to deliver on the promise of a Bold New City. Like a teacher who sees a student’s potential and pushes them towards success, the 2013 Quality of Life Progress Report asks Jacksonville to live up to its fullest potential, its highest and best aspirations.
From the JAX2025 target, “Excellence in Education,” the consistent rise in the Duval County graduation rate (72.1%) is a point of pride as it has increased by 35% over the past 5 years. A significant amount of work and resources have been dedicated to this effort, and this work should continue.
Evidenced in the “Vibrant Economy” target, our local economy is rebounding. Average annual wages and educational attainment of the workforce are both heading in the right direction. Overall, the trend lines in this section are promising, but having raised the bar, we know our economic vitality is in front of us.
The health and beauty of our river plays a significant role in both the economic vitality of our downtown and the health of our neighborhoods. However, under the “Clean and Green” target, tributaries of the St. Johns River are less healthy and the frequency with which the tributaries comply with water quality standards is on the decline. The St. Johns River and its tributaries are one of Jacksonville’s most valuable economic assets which we cannot afford to neglect.
There is much work to be done in the “Where People Matter” target area. The percent of youth living in poverty has consistently increased since 2008, and the suicide rate for our community has not been this high since 1991. These are not new issues, but they need new solutions. JCCI is embarking on a Mental Health Inquiry next month. This inquiry promises to be a catalyst for change, taking a concentrated look at the suicide rate and other community indicators related to mental health. For more information about the Mental Health Inquiry or to register for meetings, please click here.
Those on the Review Committee have experienced a surge of interest and vibrancy in recent years with regards to the “Arts and Entertainment” target. However, aside from the increase in sports events and museum attendance, the Committee agreed that indicators in this section were not adequately capturing what they were personally experiencing. This industry has had to re-invent itself over the past few years, which has resulted in an emphasis on the quality of creative expression, over quantity. The Quality of Life report faces an exciting challenge as it works to quantify this vibe.
Health coverage has been in the news a lot lately – to put it mildly. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Review Committee was very interested in the indicator for People without Health Insurance, under the “Healthiest Community” target. For the population under 18, health coverage is heading in the right direction. For those in the 18-64 age group, the percent of those without health insurance is high at 23.9% relative to those under 18, which is 8.2%. This is a red flag, and with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, it will be interesting to see how this trend progresses in the coming years.
In the area of “Exemplary Governance,” the Report shows that the percent of residents that feel as though they can influence government has increased. However, the Review Committee felt that this data point was not where it should be. Moreover, indicators regarding perceptions about local government have declined.
Jacksonville is exploring multi-modal transportation with limited success, reflected in the “Hub of Smooth Transportation” target area. Serious bicycle accidents have increased by 47% since 2010, and the latest number is the highest data point that has been recorded for this indicator in the past 13 years. This is a true community-wide issue as we all play a role in reversing this trend.
As a result of JAX2025, the definition of "Diversity & Inclusion" within the Quality of Life Progress Report has been expanded. In the coming years and as data becomes available, you can expect to see more metrics that explore gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and race. Within the current Report, it is clear that racism is still perceived as a considerable problem in Jacksonville. Health disparities persist evidenced by the infant mortality rate by race. The Review Committee was also concerned about the number of elected officials that are female as this data is not representative of the Duval County population as a whole, where women are the majority.
The “Neighborhoods and Urban Heart” target had several positive trend lines. The crime rate has decreased and is the lowest that has been recorded in the history of the Progress Report, and the estimated number of residents that live in downtown continues to increase.
Overall, educational achievement, crime reduction, and children with health insurance have been recognized as 2013 Gold Stars for the community. This focus provides an exciting opportunity for the community to rally around topics that have generally been perceived as challenges. We know how to achieve success. We’re hitting home runs in the areas that we have been focusing on for years. This progress needs to continue, but we need to add to our portfolio of community improvement. We need to craft projects, programs, and policies to tackle poverty, housing equity, suicide, and safe passage.
Now is the time to act. This progress report provides a lens with which to focus community efforts, and JAX2025 provides the portal for accountability, giving residents and community stakeholders a way and a responsibility to achieve Jacksonville’s vision for the year 2025. Connect with what You Can do to move these indicators in the right direction. Get informed. Get engaged. Take action.
