Consultant, Looney, Ricks & Kiss, assessed population trends as part of their work on the CRA 2010 plan, which will be presented to the Pensacola City Council on Thursday, Jan. 14.
EDUCATION
Education attainment levels for Pensacola residents age 25 and over are higher than the County. In the City of Pensacola, 36.7% of the population, age 25 and older, had a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in 2008, while approximately 33.4% had a high school diploma or less. This is a higher attainment level than in the County as a whole, where 26.0% had a Bachelor’s Degree or higher and 40.4% had a high school degree or less. The City’s larger college educated population bodes well for its ability to attract knowledge-based companies and the “creative class†employees that support those companies.
MEDIAN INCOME
The State of Florida had the highest current median income at $50,509 in 2008. The CRA had a significantly lower median income at $43,911, approximately 86% of the state median. All study areas had median incomes below the national level of $54,749.
In terms of income by range, the largest segment of the CRA population earns under $25,000 (37.5%). However, the largest segment of households (30.4%) in the City make between $50,000 and $100,000.
CREATIVE CLASS EMPLOYMENT
There were approximately 14,147 people employed in the CRA in 2008. Of this total, about 37% are employed within 32 creative class occupations as described in Florida’s book and interpreted by RKG Associates. On average, the annual salary for these occupations is estimated at nearly $59,000, which is many times greater than Pensacola’s median household income. This includes a number of moderately paid occupations that support the primary creative class.
Some creative class occupations within the CRA have greater representation than others. For example, the downtown has a high number of health diagnosing and treating practitioners and technologists and technicians. This group comprises almost 16% of the CRA’s creative class employment. This concentration is primarily due to presence of Baptist Hospital in the downtown. There are also comparatively large numbers of computer specialists within the district (482 people).
The median annual wages of those in the creative class range from $32,180 for drafters, engineering and mapping specialists to $159,250 for top managers and executives. Not surprisingly, lawyers and computer specialists have comparatively high wages within the creative class ($110,230 and $79,710 respectively). Engineers and other managers round out the top five occupations with the highest median wages.
In comparison, “support occupations†tend to have lower annual median wages. The support occupations annual median wages range from $35,470 for legal support workers to $64,940 for occupational and physical therapists. Regardless, the annual median wages for all creative class occupational categories are above the average annual median wage for all occupations within the Pensacola MSA ($23,730).
IMPLICATIONS
In order to grow the CRA and downtown Pensacola, new residential development must occur. Additional housing units downtown will also generate increased retail and service demand, which will in turn help support new or expanded businesses and employment.
The population data indicate the CRA is comprised of mostly established, mid-cycle households, while young professionals, households with children, and seniors have located outside the CRA in other parts of the city or region. Future strategies must target a more diverse population base by providing a more complete set of urban amenities, entertainment, and improved quality of life.
The service industry, specifically the professional and scientific jobs is growing in the region. However, professional service growth in Escambia County has lagged behind the region. Continued recruitment efforts and business development incentives offered within the CRA will also help to attract professional and scientific employment.
Finally, the city should continue nurturing its creative class, which appears to be clustering in businesses located in the central business district. What is not known at this time is the percentage of creative class workers who are actually living in the CRA. In order to attract this population, more efforts are needed to diversify the housing stock; create a more active dining and entertainment scene; create public amenities for recreationalist and families with children; and connect downtown neighborhoods to the waterfront.
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