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.

In 2023, about 36.79 million people were living below the poverty line in the United States, a considerable decrease from the previous year. The number of people living in poverty peaked in 2014, but had been trending downwards until the year of the COVID-19 pandemic began.

In 2023, about 36.79 million Americans were living below the national poverty line in the United States. Of those Americans, around 4.04 million had a four-year degree or higher. This means they have an income below 100 percent of the national poverty level as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Miami-Dade County, FL (S1701ACS012086) from 2012 to 2023 about Miami-Dade County, FL; Miami; FL; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Columbia County, NY (S1701ACS036021) from 2012 to 2023 about Columbia County, NY; NY; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Lamar County, GA (S1701ACS013171) from 2012 to 2023 about Lamar County, GA; Atlanta; GA; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

The number of people living in poverty in the United States varies from state to state. In 2023, around 711,000 residents of Alabama were living below the poverty line. However, California had the most residents living below the poverty line with over 4.56 billion residents living in poverty.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States (PPAAUS00000A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about percent, child, poverty, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Kent County, DE (S1701ACS010001) from 2012 to 2023 about Kent County, DE; Dover; DE; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Iowa County, IA (S1701ACS019095) from 2012 to 2023 about Iowa County, IA; IA; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Fayette County, WV (S1701ACS054019) from 2012 to 2023 about Fayette County, WV; WV; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in St. Louis city, MO (S1701ACS029510) from 2012 to 2023 about St. Louis City, MO; St. Louis; MO; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Linn County, IA (S1701ACS019113) from 2012 to 2023 about Linn County, IA; Cedar Rapids; IA; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in New Hanover County, NC (S1701ACS037129) from 2012 to 2023 about New Hanover County, NC; Wilmington; NC; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Starke County, IN (S1701ACS018149) from 2012 to 2023 about Starke County, IN; IN; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Marion County, IN (S1701ACS018097) from 2012 to 2023 about Marion County, IN; Indianapolis; IN; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Orange County, NY (S1701ACS036071) from 2012 to 2023 about Orange County, NY; Poughkeepsie; NY; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Suffolk County, MA (S1701ACS025025) from 2012 to 2023 about Suffolk County, MA; Boston; MA; percent; poverty; 5-year; population; and USA.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Middlesex County, MA was 7.50% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Middlesex County, MA reached a record high of 8.40 in January of 2014 and a record low of 7.20 in January of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Middlesex County, MA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.