A recent study published by The New York Times says that children in Coffee County, especially those raised under already poor financial conditions, would be better off in the future if they were raised elsewhere.
The report states, “If you’re poor and live in the Waycross area, it’s better to be in Pierce County than in Ware County or Coffee County. Not only that, the younger you are when you move to Pierce, the better you will do on average. Children who move at earlier ages are less likely to become single parents, more likely to go to college and more likely to earn more.
Every year a poor child spends in Pierce County adds about $20 to his or her annual household income at age 26, compared with a childhood spent in the average American county. Over the course of a full childhood, which is up to age 20 for the purposes of this analysis, the difference adds up to about $500, or 2 percent, more in average income as a young adult.”
To read the full report and compare Coffee with surrounding areas, click here.