Suburban Poverty – Lakeland, FL

Polk ranks 5th in U.S. suburban poverty, By Eric Pera, April 11, 2010, Lakeland Ledger: “Polk County has the fifth-highest rate of suburban poverty in the nation, according to a report by the Brookings Institution. The number serves as stark affirmation of what many in the local social services arena have voiced in recent years: the economic downturn has fueled an increase in demand for services. Some community leaders say they don’t doubt the Brookings report, but Polk is on the verge of an economic boom that will lift wages and create more jobs…”