Southwest Florida Demographics

Usually I blog about market activity as well as unique features of Pine Island, but in this post I want to talk about demographics in our Southwest Florida area, namely education! I subscribe to the "Gulfshore Business Magazine", which recently published a supplement that is called the "Southwest Florida Relocation and Expansion Guide for 2008-2009". In this supplement, a feature article is titled "Land of Opportunities". This article provides excellent information about the Lee, Collier, and Charlotte County areas including demographics, which gives age, housing, financial, labor, and education data for the three counties, Florida, and the United States.

The data on education was alarming! In Lee County, only 9% were reported as having a graduate or professional degree; 15.8% having a bachelor's degree; 6.9% an associate degree; 21.4% some college, no degree; 33.7% a high school diploma; and 13.2% less than a high school diploma. That's 46.9% of the population in Lee County that have a high school diploma or less!

In Collier County, 11.8% have graduate or professional degree; 19.8% bachelor's degree; 4.9% an associate degree; 19.5% some college, no degree; 29% high school diploma; 15% less than high school diploma. That's 44% in Collier County who have a high school diploma or less!

And in Charlotte County, 7% have graduate or professional degree; 10.3% bachelor's degree; 7.5% associate degree; 20.9% some college, no degree; 43.3% high school diploma; and 11% less than high school diploma. That's 54.3% in Charlotte County who have a high school diploma or less!

It's interesting to see that these three Southwest Florida Counties - Lee, Collier, Charlotte - are fairly typical of Florida (45% high school diploma or less) and the United States (44.3% high school diploma or less).

We are squandering the opportunity to teach, encourage, and inspire our youth to reach for greater heights . . . to strive for something other than the status quo . . . to believe that they can achieve higher goals and aspirations! How will our country compete on the worldwide stage if we have one-half of our young people who are satisfied with only a high school diploma or less and nothing more? Where will the jobs be for those young adults? How will they pay for higher and higher costs of living?

I am deeply disturbed by the educational system in this country! We have to do better . . . expect more . . . and raise up students who are hungry for learning and self-improvement, regardless of their circumstances!