In 2023, 17.9 percent of Black people living in the United States were living below the poverty line, compared to 7.7 percent of white people. That year, the total poverty rate in the U.S. across all races and ethnicities was 11.1 percent. Poverty in the United States Single people in the United States making less than 12,880 U.S. dollars a year and families of four making less than 26,500 U.S. dollars a year are considered to be below the poverty line. Women and children are more likely to suffer from poverty, due to women staying home more often than men to take care of children, and women suffering from the gender wage gap. Not only are women and children more likely to be affected, racial minorities are as well due to the discrimination they face. Poverty data Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States had the third highest poverty rate out of all OECD countries in 2019. However, the United States' poverty rate has been fluctuating since 1990, but has been decreasing since 2014. The average median household income in the U.S. has remained somewhat consistent since 1990, but has recently increased since 2014 until a slight decrease in 2020, potentially due to the pandemic. The state that had the highest number of people living below the poverty line in 2020 was California.

In the U.S., the share of the population living in poverty fluctuated significantly throughout the six decades between 1987 and 2023. In 2023, the poverty level across all races and ethnicities was 11.1 percent. Black Americans have been the ethnic group with the highest share of their population living in poverty almost every year since 1974. In 1979 alone, Black poverty was well over double the national average, and over four times the poverty rate in white communities; in 1982, almost 48 percent of the Black population lived in poverty. Although poverty rates have been trending downward across all ethnic groups, 17.8 percent of Black Americans and 18.9 percent of American Indian and Alaskan Natives still lived below the poverty line in 2022.

In 2023, there were about 2.8 million white, non-Hispanic families living below the poverty level in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing, and shelter.

The Census Bureau determines that a person is living in poverty when his or her total household income compared with the size and composition of the household is below the poverty threshold. The Census Bureau uses the federal government's official definition of poverty to determine the poverty threshold. Beginning in 2000, individuals were presented with the option to select one or more races. In addition, the Census asked individuals to identify their race separately from identifying their Hispanic origin. The Census has published individual tables for the races and ethnicities provided as supplemental information to the main table that does not dissaggregate by race or ethnicity. Race categories include the following - White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Some other race, and Two or more races. We are not including specific combinations of two or more races as the counts of these combinations are small. Ethnic categories include - Hispanic or Latino and White Non-Hispanic. This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates, table B17001. The ACS collects these data from a sample of households on a rolling monthly basis. ACS aggregates samples into one-, three-, or five-year periods. CTdata.org generally carries the five-year datasets, as they are considered to be the most accurate, especially for geographic areas that are the size of a county or smaller.Poverty status determined is the denominator for the poverty rate. It is the population for which poverty status was determined so when poverty is calculated they exclude institutionalized people, people in military group quarters, people in college dormitories, and unrelated individuals under 15 years of age.Below poverty level are households as determined by the thresholds based on the criteria of looking at household size, Below poverty level are households as determined by the thresholds based on the criteria of looking at household size, number of children, and age of householder.number of children, and age of householder.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for White County, GA (PPAAGA13311A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about White County, GA; GA; percent; child; poverty; and USA.

In 2023, the around 11.1 percent of the population was living below the national poverty line in the United States. Poverty in the United StatesAs shown in the statistic above, the poverty rate among all people living in the United States has shifted within the last 15 years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines poverty as follows: “Absolute poverty measures poverty in relation to the amount of money necessary to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The concept of absolute poverty is not concerned with broader quality of life issues or with the overall level of inequality in society.” The poverty rate in the United States varies widely across different ethnic groups. American Indians and Alaska Natives are the ethnic group with the most people living in poverty in 2022, with about 25 percent of the population earning an income below the poverty line. In comparison to that, only 8.6 percent of the White (non-Hispanic) population and the Asian population were living below the poverty line in 2022. Children are one of the most poverty endangered population groups in the U.S. between 1990 and 2022. Child poverty peaked in 1993 with 22.7 percent of children living in poverty in that year in the United States. Between 2000 and 2010, the child poverty rate in the United States was increasing every year; however,this rate was down to 15 percent in 2022. The number of people living in poverty in the U.S. varies from state to state. Compared to California, where about 4.44 million people were living in poverty in 2022, the state of Minnesota had about 429,000 people living in poverty.

For the past several censuses, the Census Bureau has invited people to self-respond before following up in-person using census takers. The 2010 Census invited people to self-respond predominately by returning paper questionnaires in the mail. The 2020 Census allows people to self-respond in three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. The 2020 Census self-response rates are self-response rates for current census geographies. These rates are the daily and cumulative self-response rates for all housing units that received invitations to self-respond to the 2020 Census. The 2020 Census self-response rates are available for states, counties, census tracts, congressional districts, towns and townships, consolidated cities, incorporated places, tribal areas, and tribal census tracts. The Self-Response Rate of Los Angeles County is 65.1% for 2020 Census, which is slightly lower than 69.6% of California State rate. More information about these data are available in the Self-Response Rates Map Data and Technical Documentation document associated with the 2020 Self-Response Rates Map or review our FAQs. Animated Self-Response Rate 2010 vs 2020 is available at ESRI site SRR Animated Maps and can explore Census 2020 SRR data at ESRI Demographic site Census 2020 SSR Data. Following Demographic Characteristics are included in this data and web maps to visualize their relationships with Census Self-Response Rate (SRR)..1. Population Density2. Poverty Rate3. Median Household income4. Education Attainment5. English Speaking Ability6. Household without Internet Access7. Non-Hispanic White Population8. Non-Hispanic African-American Population9. Non-Hispanic Asian Population10. Hispanic Population

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in White County, GA (S1701ACS013311) from 2012 to 2023 about White County, GA; GA; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

To assist communities in identifying racially/ethnically-concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAPs), HUD has developed a census tract-based definition of R/ECAPs. The definition involves a racial/ethnic concentration threshold and a poverty test. The racial/ethnic concentration threshold is straightforward: R/ECAPs must have a non-white population of 50 percent or more. Regarding the poverty threshold, Wilson (1980) defines neighborhoods of extreme poverty as census tracts with 40 percent or more of individuals living at or below the poverty line.

Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for White County, IN was 10.80% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for White County, IN reached a record high of 12.40 in January of 2013 and a record low of 6.10 in January of 1989. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for White County, IN - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Estimated Percent of People Age 0-17 in Poverty for White County, IL was 19.40% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Estimated Percent of People Age 0-17 in Poverty for White County, IL reached a record high of 26.10 in January of 2010 and a record low of 17.80 in January of 2003. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Estimated Percent of People Age 0-17 in Poverty for White County, IL - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

In 2023, 15.4 percent of Black families were living below the poverty line in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing, and shelter.

Graph and download economic data for 90% Confidence Interval Lower Bound of Estimate of Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for White County, IN (PPCILBAAIN18181A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about White County, IN; IN; percent; child; poverty; and USA.

In 2023, just over 50 percent of Americans had an annual household income that was less than 75,000 U.S. dollars. The median household income was 80,610 U.S. dollars in 2023. Income and wealth in the United States After the economic recession in 2009, income inequality in the U.S. is more prominent across many metropolitan areas. The Northeast region is regarded as one of the wealthiest in the country. Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts were among the states with the highest median household income in 2020. In terms of income by race and ethnicity, the average income of Asian households was 94,903 U.S. dollars in 2020, while the median income for Black households was around half of that figure. What is the U.S. poverty threshold? The U.S. Census Bureau annually updates its list of poverty levels. Preliminary estimates show that the average poverty threshold for a family of four people was 26,500 U.S. dollars in 2021, which is around 100 U.S. dollars less than the previous year. There were an estimated 37.9 million people in poverty across the United States in 2021, which was around 11.6 percent of the population. Approximately 19.5 percent of those in poverty were Black, while 8.2 percent were white.

Lake County, Illinois Demographic Data. Explanation of field attributes: Total Population – The entire population of Lake County. White – Individuals who are of Caucasian race. This is a percent.African American – Individuals who are of African American race. This is a percent.Asian – Individuals who are of Asian race. This is a percent. Hispanic – Individuals who are of Hispanic ethnicity. This is a percent. Does not Speak English- Individuals who speak a language other than English in their household. This is a percent. Under 5 years of age – Individuals who are under 5 years of age. This is a percent. Under 18 years of age – Individuals who are under 18 years of age. This is a percent. 18-64 years of age – Individuals who are between 18 and 64 years of age. This is a percent. 65 years of age and older – Individuals who are 65 years old or older. This is a percent. Male – Individuals who are male in gender. This is a percent. Female – Individuals who are female in gender. This is a percent. High School Degree – Individuals who have obtained a high school degree. This is a percent. Associate Degree – Individuals who have obtained an associate degree. This is a percent. Bachelor’s Degree or Higher – Individuals who have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher. This is a percent. Utilizes Food Stamps – Households receiving food stamps/ part of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). This is a percent. Median Household Income - A median household income refers to the income level earned by a given household where half of the homes in the area earn more and half earn less. This is a dollar amount. No High School – Individuals who have not obtained a high school degree. This is a percent. Poverty – Poverty refers to families and people whose income in the past 12 months is below the poverty level. This is a percent.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People Age 0-17 in Poverty for White County, IN (PPU18IN18181A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about White County, IN; under 18 years; IN; percent; child; poverty; and USA.

The age and racial ethnicity of people are relevant variables for the analysis of poverty. This affects black people to a greater extent; while 8.9 percent of the white population lived below the poverty line in 2022, this figure climbed to nearly 20 percent for black Uruguayans.

Estimated Percent of People Age 0-17 in Poverty for White County, TN was 19.70% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Estimated Percent of People Age 0-17 in Poverty for White County, TN reached a record high of 32.90 in January of 2010 and a record low of 17.90 in January of 1989. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Estimated Percent of People Age 0-17 in Poverty for White County, TN - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

This table contains data on the percentage of the total population living below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and the percentage of children living below 200% FPL for California, its regions, counties, cities, towns, public use microdata areas, and census tracts. Data for time periods 2011-2015 (overall poverty) and 2012-2016 (child poverty) and with race/ethnicity stratification is included in the table. The poverty rate table is part of a series of indicators in the Healthy Communities Data and Indicators Project of the Office of Health Equity. Poverty is an important social determinant of health (see http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=39) that can impact people’s access to basic necessities (housing, food, education, jobs, and transportation), and is associated with higher incidence and prevalence of illness, and with reduced access to quality health care. More information on the data table and a data dictionary can be found in the About/Attachments section.

In 2023, 3.3 percent of white, non-Hispanic married-couple families lived below the poverty level in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing, and shelter.