A HARD LOOK AT
POVERTY IN OPELIKA

15.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Opelika, AL (4.56k out of 30.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 25 - 34.

What would it take to drop the poverty rate down by at least 10%? How do we move households permanently out of poverty? Who does what? How are economic development and poverty reduction outcomes and strategies connected to the most important goals of the city?

Poverty limits the rate of growth in household incomes, business profitability, and tax revenues. It drives crime rates, diminishes graduation rates, increases homelessness, and hampers employers’ abilities to hire qualified candidates.

Poverty drives crime rates, diminishes graduation rates, and increases homelessness. Furthermore, subsidy programs have a built-in disincentive known as the Cliff Effect that generates a phantom workforce in Opelika—people who want to work, can work, but will not or cannot because they will lose more childcare, Medicaid, food stamps, etc. than they can replace with a new job, increased hours, and/or taking a raise.

The Circles approach to changing poverty, and these seemingly ingrained social challenges is to work together over time to create stronger, more secure families and individuals in our community.