COT JOINT NEWS RELEASE: City of Tucson and Pima County Launch Prosperity Initiative Indicator Dashboard to Track Economic Mobility 

The City of Tucson and Pima County, with support from the Community Coalition for Prosperity (CC4P), today launched the Prosperity Initiative Indicator Dashboard, a new public resource that provides a shared way to understand local conditions affecting economic mobility and track changes over time. 

The dashboard brings together 30 headline indicators connected to the Prosperity Initiative’s 13 adopted policies across housing, health, education, and jobs. The indicators are intended to help the City, County, and community partners understand the conditions that shape economic mobility, identify where challenges are concentrated, and track progress as Prosperity Initiative policies are implemented.  

“Poverty is at the root of so many of the complex problems we are facing here in Tucson, Pima County, and across our country. I know, firsthand, what it is like to have a lack of opportunity because of poverty. I believe that every child, every person, and every family deserves a good quality of life and economic mobility,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “I have always believed in using real data and evidence to guide our policy decisions, and the policies in the Prosperity Initiative are good for all of us. This shared framework helps us identify the policies and investments that can help us break the cycle of generational poverty. This dashboard will help all of us to see what is working and where we need to focus next. Most importantly, it gives us a way to connect our work to the outcomes we all want for our residents.”

“Data is powerful because it can help to tell a story and hold us accountable for outcomes,” said Pima County Supervisor and Board Chair Jennifer Allen. “But the real story is in how we impact families working hard to make a better life for their children. And the real accountability is with the whole community working together to turn these policies into action.” 

Poverty is a complex, long-term challenge, and meaningful change will require sustained attention, coordinated policies, and investments over time. In 2024, approximately 19% of children in Pima County and 21% of children in Tucson lived below the federal poverty line.  

The Prosperity Initiative takes a broader approach to understanding economic mobility by examining the conditions that influence whether children and families have opportunities to achieve economic stability. The dashboard includes indicators related to housing supply and opportunity, housing stability, neighborhood conditions, health, education, jobs, transportation, and broadband access. 

Users can explore data over time and, where available, by geography to better understand how conditions vary across Tucson and Pima County. Each indicator also includes information about why it was selected and how it connects to the Prosperity Initiative’s policy recommendations.  

The dashboard provides a shared baseline for the City, County, and the broader community to understand local conditions and measure change over time. Through its cross-sector work, CC4P brings together nonprofits, funders, community leaders and other partners to align resources, strategies and action around the Prosperity Initiative’s shared goals.  

“CC4P is thrilled to see this public-facing resource take shape. It gives our coalition, and the entire community, a shared way to track progress as we work to implement the Prosperity Initiative's policies and evidence-based strategies,” said Jennie Grable, Project Director of the Community Coalition for Prosperity (CC4P). “We hope residents across Tucson and Pima County see themselves in this data and join us in driving the change we're committed to making for local families."   

“We cannot improve what we are not willing to see, and behind every number are families, children, and neighborhoods. I know firsthand what it is like to grow up in a working poor family, as many families are navigating today. Opportunity is hard to measure, but outcomes are not. The Prosperity Initiative dashboard shows us whether families are actually better off, and the results are clear: poverty has decreased from 24% to 18%. That is what's possible when local government works together with communities to help families thrive," said Tucson Vice Mayor and Ward 1 Councilmember Lane Santa Cruz.

The Prosperity Initiative began in 2022 as a joint effort by the City of Tucson and Pima County to identify how local governments could use policy and community investment to address the root causes of generational poverty. 

The resulting Prosperity Initiative Policy Recommendations Report established 13 policies across housing, health, education and jobs, along with cross-policy strategies focused on family voice, climate and environmental justice, and violence prevention. 

The City and County are now moving from recommendations toward implementation. The City is finalizing an Action Plan to identify work already underway, opportunities for near-term action, and potential future policies and investments aligned with the Prosperity Initiative. Pima County continues advancing implementation through its own programs, policies, and strategic priorities. 

The dashboard establishes a common baseline for this work and will help the City, County, and community partners monitor conditions, understand changes over time, and assess progress toward the Prosperity Initiative’s goals. 

“As elected leaders, we have a responsibility to work together to create a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and to find economic security, afford a home, access a quality education, and live a healthy, prosperous life. That opportunity should not be limited to a select few; it should be within reach for everyone,” said Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott. “The Prosperity Initiative brings together Pima County, the City of Tucson, and partners from across our region around that shared goal. This new dashboard gives our community a way to track our progress, measure where we’re succeeding, and identify where more work is needed. I encourage everyone to explore it and share their feedback.”  

Explore the Dashboard 

The Prosperity Initiative Indicator Dashboard is available to the public at: https://tucsonpimaprosperity-cotgis.hub.arcgis.com/  

Residents, community organizations, researchers, and policymakers are encouraged to explore the dashboard as a resource for understanding economic mobility and the conditions affecting children and families across Tucson and Pima County. 

About the Prosperity Initiative 

The Prosperity Initiative is a regional partnership between the City of Tucson, Pima County, and the Community Coalition for Prosperity (CC4P) focused on reducing generational poverty and expanding economic opportunity. Its vision is that every child in every Pima County community reaches adulthood with the skills, tools, and resources needed for economic stability.  

The partnership brings together government, nonprofits, funders, community leaders, and other partners to align resources, coordinate action, and advance long-term systems change around shared goals for families and communities.