In 2021, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the city with the highest poverty rate of the United States' most populated cities. In this statistic, the cities are sorted by poverty rate, not population. The most populated city in 2021 according to the source was New York city - which had a poverty rate of 18 percent.

The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area in Texas was ranked first with 27.2 percent of its population living below the poverty level in 2023. Eagle Pass, Texas had the second-highest poverty rate, at 24.4 percent.

In 2021, the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania had the highest family poverty rate of the 25 most populated cities in the United States. The city with the next highest poverty rate was Houston, Texas.

In 2024, just over 45 percent of American households had an annual income that was less than 75,000 U.S. dollars. On the other hand, some 16 percent had an annual income of 200,000 U.S. dollars or more. The median household income in the country reached almost 84,000 U.S. dollars in 2024. 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. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maryland were among the states with the highest median household income in 2024. In terms of income by race and ethnicity, the average income of Asian households was highest, at over 120,000 U.S. dollars, while the median income among Black households was around half of that figure. What is the U.S. poverty threshold? The U.S. Census Bureau annually updates the poverty threshold based on the income of various household types. As of 2023, the threshold for a single-person household was 15,480 U.S. dollars. For a family of four, the poverty line increased to 31,200 U.S. dollars. There were an estimated 38.9 million people living in poverty across the United States in 2024, which reflects a poverty rate of 10.6 percent.

In 2024, **** percent of Black people living in the United States were living below the poverty line, compared to *** percent of white people. That year, the overall poverty rate in the U.S. across all races and ethnicities was **** percent. Poverty in the United States The poverty threshold for a single person in the United States was measured at an annual income of ****** U.S. dollars in 2023. Among families of four, the poverty line increases to ****** U.S. dollars a year. Women and children are more likely to suffer from poverty. This is due to the fact that women are more likely than men to stay at home, to care for children. Furthermore, the gender-based wage gap impacts women's earning potential. Poverty data Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States has some of the highest poverty rates among OECD countries. While, the United States poverty rate has fluctuated since 1990, it has trended downwards since 2014. Similarly, the average median household income in the U.S. has mostly increased over the past decade, except for the covid-19 pandemic period. Among U.S. states, Louisiana had the highest poverty rate, which stood at some ** percent in 2024.

In 2021, New York city had the highest number of people living below the poverty line, with 1.4 million people living in poverty. This is significantly higher than any of the other most populated cities.

United States - Population, Total for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries was 917304254.00000 Persons in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Population, Total for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries reached a record high of 917304254.00000 in January of 2023 and a record low of 161734348.00000 in January of 1960. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Population, Total for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.

United States - Gross National Income for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries was 1096642572912.05000 Current $ in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Gross National Income for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries reached a record high of 1096642572912.05000 in January of 2023 and a record low of 23527111104.68150 in January of 1967. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Gross National Income for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

In 2021, New York city had the highest number of families living below the poverty line, at an estimated 272,461 families. New York city is also the most heavily populated city in the United States.

United States - Population Ages 0 to 14 for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries was 41.77951 % of Total in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Population Ages 0 to 14 for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries reached a record high of 45.98815 in January of 1988 and a record low of 41.77951 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Population Ages 0 to 14 for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

United States - Population Growth for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries was 2.61750 % Chg. at Annual Rate in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Population Growth for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries reached a record high of 3.09773 in January of 1993 and a record low of 2.33373 in January of 1960. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Population Growth for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

Most-to-Least Influential County-Level Economic Variables Contributing to County Prevalence of Poor Mental Health Based on Dominance Analysis Ranked by Standardized Dominance Weights, Overall and by Urban/Rural Classification, United States, 2019.

Among the OECD countries, Costa Rica had the highest share of children living in poverty, reaching **** percent in 2022. Türkiye followed with a share of ***percent of children living in poverty, while **** percent of children in Spain, Chile, and the United States did the same. On the other hand, only ***** percent of children in Finland were living in poverty.

United States - Constant GDP per capita for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries was 991.33967 2010 U.S. $ in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Constant GDP per capita for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries reached a record high of 1000.84027 in January of 2019 and a record low of 617.09752 in January of 1994. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Constant GDP per capita for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Actual value and historical data chart for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Hipc GDP Per Capita Constant 2000 Us Dollar

In 2024, Switzerland led the ranking of countries with the highest average wealth per adult, with approximately ******* U.S. dollars per person. The United States was ranked second with an average wealth of around ******* U.S. dollars per adult, followed by Hong Kong SAR. However, the figures do not show the actual distribution of wealth. The Gini index shows wealth disparities in countries worldwide. Does wealth guarantee a longer life? As the adage goes, “money can’t buy you happiness,” yet wealth and income are continuously correlated to the quality of life of individuals in different countries around the world. While greater levels of wealth may not guarantee a higher quality of life, it certainly increases an individual’s chances of having a longer one. Although they do not show the whole picture, life expectancy at birth is higher in the wealthier world regions. Does money bring happiness? A number of the world’s happiest nations also feature in the list of those countries for which average income was highest. Finland, however, which was the happiest country worldwide in 2022, is missing from the list of the top twenty countries with the highest wealth per adult. As such, the explanation for this may be the fact that a larger proportion of the population has access to a high-income relative to global levels. Measures of quality of life Criticism of the use of income or wealth as a proxy for quality of life led to the creation of the United Nations’ Human Development Index. Although income is included within the index, it also has other factors taken into account, such as health and education. As such, the countries with the highest human development index can be correlated to those with the highest income levels. That said, none of the above measures seek to assess the physical and mental environmental impact of a high quality of life sourced through high incomes. The happy planet index demonstrates that the inclusion of experienced well-being and ecological footprint in place of income and other proxies for quality of life results in many of the world’s materially poorer nations being included in the happiest.