Report highlights poverty in North County

More than 12 percent of North County residents live below the federal poverty level, a percentage that’s still higher than it was before the Great Recession, according to a report released Wednesday analyzing 2015 census data.

The report, compiled by the nonprofit Center on Policy Initiatives, also found median household incomes, when adjusted for inflation, have dropped in Oceanside, San Marcos, and Escondido since 2007.

The findings indicate that the financial recovery hasn’t made its way to people low on the income scale — a problem not just in North County, but nationwide, said Peter Brownell, research director for the center, whose mission “economic justice.”.

“We have lost middle income jobs, and as we have added jobs back they tend to be lower paying service jobs,” Brownell said. “And that is what is driving this lack of recovery.”

Overall, North County fared better than San Diego County, which had a poverty rate of 13.8 percent. But poverty rates in Escondido, San Marcos, Oceanside and Vista were worse than the county average.

Vista had the highest poverty rate in North County, at 19.2 percent, and also had the highest number of children living in poverty, at 31 percent.

The data showed the poverty rate was lower among white populations, and higher for Latino, black, and Asian populations than those at the county level.

According to the report, Escondido has the lowest median household income in the region at nearly $54,300. The highest was Encinitas, at nearly $102,000.

There’s also a lot of income inequality. The data shows 50 percent of the region’s income is earned by the top one-fifth of households. The bottom fifth brought in only 3.4 percent of the region’s income.

The Center on Policy Initiatives usually analyzes census data looking at the city of San Diego and San Diego County. This is the first year it has compiled a report on North County. Reviews of other areas, such as East County, will follow in the coming months.

Brownell said the reports can help cities make policy decisions. Vista is trying to address its housing cost concerns, adding 260 units of affordable housing — for the lowest income earners — in the last two years, and more than 200 units may be on tap.

The federal poverty level — about $12,000 a year for a single person and $24,000 for a family of four — is set by the U.S. government and is the same across the nation. It doesn’t take into account the higher cost of living in places like San Diego County.

The Center on Policy Initiatives said a more realistic measure would be what it calls “economic hardship,” which tallies up how much it takes for individuals or families to be self-sufficient. Given the higher housing costs and such, the amount needed in San Diego County is at least double the federal poverty level — so for a family of four, that would be roughly $48,000.

Through that lens, 27.2 percent of North County residents are barely making ends meet month to month. Countywide, the number of people living in economic hardship is 31.2 percent.

Housing demand is adding to the pressure and driving up rents. Since spring, the average cost for two-bedroom apartments in San Diego County jumped from $1,637 to $1,789, according to a San Diego County Apartment Association released Wednesday.

The report is available at http://www.cpisandiego.org/poverty_northcounty. Because of the way the census puts together data, the Center’s report encompasses only the more populous areas, from Encinitas to Oceanside and Escondido, and doesn’t include communities such as Fallbrook, Valley Center or Poway, which will be included in an upcoming report.