Anne Arundel County's economy has steadily improved since the peak of the recession, but many of its residents still face persistent problems, according to a new report.

The 2015 community needs assessment, recently released by the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, assembles data on topics including economic opportunity, education, housing and the environment to offer a snapshot of the county's strengths and challenges.

Titled “Poverty Amidst Plenty,” the report identifies the barriers that advocates say the poorest citizens in Arundel face in the search for stability.

Anne Arundel boasts a strong job market with employers such as Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Fort Meade and the Maryland Live casino. But without reliable transportation, affordable housing options and child care, not everyone can take advantage of those opportunities, said Melissa Curtin, the foundation's executive director.

“There are some of the same issues that bubble to the top year after year,” Curtin said.

Pamela Brown, executive director of the Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth and Families and author of the report, said that “the three basic needs in the county have remained the same” since the last needs assessment was released in 2012.

“Whatever other issues you look at, whether you're looking at getting people to work, getting people's income raised more, combating homelessness — you will find one or all three of those needs in the mix,” she said.

The 68-page document draws on data from a host of sources, as well as interviews with eight focus groups.

In all, 110 people were consulted for the assessment.

Anne Arundel's median income of $87,430 is higher than the state's $73,858 and the national median income of $53,046. Similar to the state and nation, however, the county's income gap is widening.

The number of households in the county living below the poverty line — by definition, those that make less than $25,000 — increased by 5 percent between 2010 and 2013, according to the needs assessment, which cites the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 American Community Survey.

Over the same period, the number of households earning more than $100,000 grew by 4.4 percent, and those earning more than $200,000 increased by 11 percent.

The median price for a home in Anne Arundel, meanwhile, is fourth-highest in the state, at $320,000 — more than double the median price of $156,900 in 2000.

In 2013, according to the Anne Arundel Community Development Corp., more than a third of county homeowners and almost half of renters spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

The study notes that because most of the land where residential construction is allowed is zoned for single-family homes, there aren't many opportunities to build more affordable multifamily units.

Currently, according to the report, there are more than 7,500 families on the waiting list for public housing and 10,000 families on the waiting list for federal Section 8 housing vouchers.

For those on the lower end of the income spectrum — or those who are looking for a job — a lack of transportation options can also complicate matters, according to focus group participants who cited transit as a key barrier to employment.

Though county-subsidized buses serve Maryland City, Odenton, Severn and northwest Glen Burnie, and Annapolis has buses circulating around the city, those interviewed say wait times can be up to an hour and a half, and passengers sometimes have to walk miles to a bus stop.

The county also is served by the Maryland Transit Administration.

One rider cited in the report said it can take more than 31/2 hours to travel by public transportation from Annapolis to Glen Burnie, where many jobs are located.

Brown said a mass transit system would be expensive and unrealistic for Anne Arundel County.

Instead, county planners could focus on creating work hubs so that people could walk or bike to work, while employers could run carpool vans to pick employees up for work.

There's also the possibility of imitating one of the smartphone's most successful apps.

“I've honestly been thinking about a social services Uber,” said Brown, referring to the smartphone app that connects people to drivers.

Even with transportation, parents may struggle with finding someone to take care of children while they are at work.

The report states that child care expenses for two children under the age of 5 can cost more than $21,000 — about a quarter of the county's median household income.

The challenges Anne Arundel faces are not unique, said Curtin.

“All the issues in the county mirror the same issues that are going on at the state and national level,” she said.

She and Brown hope the needs assessment can bolster grant requests, inspire donors and facilitate collaboration among the county, the nonprofit sector and the business community.

“It's everybody's responsibility” to address the county's issues, Curtin said.

But she also cautioned against getting discouraged by the report.

For instance, the assessment notes the county has made recent strides in fighting drug addiction and reducing homelessness.

“It's so easy to get bogged down in the data,” Curtin said.

“But on the flip side, I think it's important to recognize that people are working hard on these issues.

“I really look at the challenges as opportunities.”