In 2024, approximately 10.6 percent of the population was living below the national poverty line in the United States. This reflected a 0.5 percentage point decrease from the previous year. Most recently, poverty levels in the country peaked in 2010 at just over 15 percent. Poverty in the U.S. States The number of people living in poverty in the U.S. as well as poverty rates, vary greatly from state to state. With their large populations, California and Texas led that charts in terms of the size of their impoverished residents. On the other hand, Louisiana had the highest rates of poverty, standing at 20 percent in 2024. The state with the lowest poverty rate was New Hampshire at 5.9 percent. Vulnerable populations The poverty rate in the United States varies widely across different ethnic groups. American Indians and Alaska Natives are the ethnic group with the highest levels of poverty in 2024, with about 19 percent earning an income below the official threshold. In comparison, only about 7.5 percent of the White (non-Hispanic) and Asian populations were living below the poverty line. Children are one of the most poverty endangered population groups in the U.S. between 1990 and 2024. Child poverty peaked in 1993 with 22.7 percent of children living in poverty. Despite fluctuations, in 2024, poverty among minors reached its lowest level in decades, falling to 14.3 percent.

This poverty rate data shows what percentage of the measured population* falls below the poverty line. Poverty is closely related to income: different “poverty thresholds” are in place for different sizes and types of household. A family or individual is considered to be below the poverty line if that family or individual’s income falls below their relevant poverty threshold. For more information on how poverty is measured by the U.S. Census Bureau (the source for this indicator’s data), visit the U.S. Census Bureau’s poverty webpage.

The poverty rate is an important piece of information when evaluating an area’s economic health and well-being. The poverty rate can also be illustrative when considered in the contexts of other indicators and categories. As a piece of data, it is too important and too useful to omit from any indicator set.

The poverty rate for all individuals in the measured population in Champaign County has hovered around roughly 20% since 2005. However, it reached its lowest rate in 2021 at 14.9%, and its second lowest rate in 2023 at 16.3%. Although the American Community Survey (ACS) data shows fluctuations between years, given their margins of error, none of the differences between consecutive years’ estimates are statistically significant, making it impossible to identify a trend.

Poverty rate data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, which are released annually.

As with any datasets that are estimates rather than exact counts, it is important to take into account the margins of error (listed in the column beside each figure) when drawing conclusions from the data.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data in 2020. This includes a limited number of data tables for the nation, states, and the District of Columbia. The Census Bureau states that the 2020 ACS 1-year experimental tables use an experimental estimation methodology and should not be compared with other ACS data. For these reasons, and because data is not available for Champaign County, no data for 2020 is included in this Indicator.

For interested data users, the 2020 ACS 1-Year Experimental data release includes a dataset on Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age.

*According to the U.S. Census Bureau document “How Poverty is Calculated in the ACS," poverty status is calculated for everyone but those in the following groups: “people living in institutional group quarters (such as prisons or nursing homes), people in military barracks, people in college dormitories, living situations without conventional housing, and unrelated individuals under 15 years old."

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (17 October 2024).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (25 September 2023).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (16 September 2022).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (8 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2018 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (8 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (14 September 2017).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (19 September 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2006 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).

In 2023 the poverty rate in the United States was highest among people between 18 and 24, with a rate of 16 percent for male Americans and a rate of 21 percent for female Americans. The lowest poverty rate for both men and women was for those aged between 45 and 54. What is the poverty line? The poverty line is a metric used by the U.S. Census Bureau to define poverty in the United States. It is a specific income level that is considered to be the bare minimum a person or family needs to meet their basic needs. If a family’s annual pre-tax income is below this income level, then they are considered impoverished. The poverty guideline for a family of four in 2021 was 26,500 U.S. dollars. Living below the poverty line According to the most recent data, almost one-fifth of African Americans in the United States live below the poverty line; the most out of any ethnic group. Additionally, over 7.42 million families in the U.S. live in poverty – a figure that has held mostly steady since 1990, outside the 2008 financial crisis which threw 9.52 million families into poverty by 2012. The poverty gender gap Wage inequality has been an ongoing discussion in U.S. discourse for many years now. The poverty gap for women is most pronounced during their child-bearing years, shrinks, and then grows again in old age. While progress has been made on the gender pay gap over the last 30 years, there are still significant disparities, even in occupations that predominantly employ men. Additionally, women are often having to spend more time attending to child and household duties than men.

The US Poverty Level Statistics dataset includes percentages and numbers of persons and children below the poverty level in the United States by race between 1973 and 2016.

In 2024, about **** percent of children under the age of 18 were living below the poverty line in the United States. This reflected a decrease of *** percentage point from the previous year. Over the observed period, a historic decrease in child poverty was recorded in 2019 at **** percent.

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

In 2024, about four percent of the people with a Bachelor's degree or higher were living below the poverty line in the United States. This is far below the poverty rate of those without a high school diploma, which was 23.1 percent that year.

In 2024, there were a total of around seven billion families 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.

This dataset provides annual numbers for each state in the United States for 2013-2018. Includes the following data: total population, median income, and number of people living at or below the poverty level.

Helpful information on using U.S. Census data is found at https://censusreporter.org/

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.

The Current Population Survey (CPS), sponsored jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is the primary source of labor force statistics for the population of the United States. The CPS is the source of numerous high-profile economic statistics, including the national unemployment rate, and provides data on a wide range of issues relating to employment and earnings. The CPS also collects extensive demographic data that complement and enhance our understanding of labor market conditions in the nation overall, among many different population groups, in the states and in substate areas.

The 2020-2021 School Neighborhood Poverty Estimates are based on school locations from the 2020-2021 Common Core of Data (CCD) school file and income data from families with children ages 5 to 18 in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year collection. The ACS is a continuous household survey that collects social, demographic, economic, and housing information from the population in the United States each month. The Census Bureau calculates the income-to-poverty ratio (IPR) based on money income reported for families relative to the poverty thresholds, which are determined based on the family size and structure. Noncash benefits (such as food stamps and housing subsidies) are excluded, as are capital gains and losses. The IPR is the percentage of family income that is above or below the federal poverty level. The IPR indicator ranges from 0 to a top-coded value of 999. A family with income at the poverty threshold has an IPR value of 100. The estimates in this file reflect the IPR for the neighborhoods around schools which may be different from the neighborhood conditions of students enrolled in schools.Collections are available for the following years: School Neighborhood Poverty Estimates, 2020-2021School Neighborhood Poverty Estimates, 2019-2020 School Neighborhood Poverty Estimates, 2018-2019 School Neighborhood Poverty Estimates, 2017-2018 School Neighborhood Poverty Estimates, 2016-2017 School Neighborhood Poverty Estimates, 2015-2016 All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

The Poverty Mapping Project: Small Area Estimates of Poverty and Inequality data set consists of consumption-based poverty, inequality and related measures for subnational administrative Units in approximately twenty countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. These measures are derived on a country-level basis from a combination of census and survey data using small area estimates techniques. The collection of data have been compiled, integrated and standardized from the original data providers into a unified spatially referenced and globally consistent data set. The data products include shapefiles (vector data), tabular data sets (csv format), and centroids (csv file with latitude and longitude of a geographic Unit and associated poverty estimates). Additionally, a data catalog (xls format) containing detailed information and documentation is provided. This data set is produced by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) in collaboration with a number of external data providers.

This data package has the purpose to offer data for socio-economic indicators and to cover as much as possible the entire this indicator category with regard to the indicator type and to the geographic level. The major sources of the data are the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics. Another used sources of data are the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Housing and the U.S. Department Of Agriculture (Economic Research Service).

Poverty-related data with margins of error based on status determination in Alaskan Communities/Places and aggregation at Borough/CDA and State level for recent 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) intervals. The 5-year interval data sets are published approximately 1/2 a period later than the End Year listed - for instance the interval ending in 2019 is published in mid-2021.Source: US Census Bureau, American Community SurveyThis data has been visualized in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) format and is provided as a service in the DCRA Information Portal by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development Division of Community and Regional Affairs (SOA DCCED DCRA), Research and Analysis section. SOA DCCED DCRA Research and Analysis is not the authoritative source for this data. For more information and for questions about this data, see: US Census Bureau, Poverty DataUSE CONSTRAINTS: The Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) provides the data in this application as a service to the public. DCCED makes no warranty, representation, or guarantee as to the content, accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided on this site. DCCED shall not be liable to the user for damages of any kind arising out of the use of data or information provided. DCCED is not the authoritative source for American Community Survey data, and any data or information provided by DCCED is provided "as is". Data or information provided by DCCED shall be used and relied upon only at the user's sole risk.For information about the American Community Survey, click here.

The Child food insecurity rate in the United States was 16.1% in 2020. Explore a map of child hunger statistics in the United States at the state and local level.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Poverty (EQ5)

FULL MEASURE NAME
The share of the population living in households that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty limit

LAST UPDATED
January 2023

DESCRIPTION
Poverty refers to the share of the population living in households that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty limit, which varies based on the number of individuals in a given household. It reflects the number of individuals who are economically struggling due to low household income levels.

DATA SOURCE
U.S Census Bureau: Decennial Census - http://www.nhgis.org
1980-2000

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey - https://data.census.gov/
2007-2021
Form C17002

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@mtc.ca.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
The U.S. Census Bureau defines a national poverty level (or household income) that varies by household size, number of children in a household, and age of householder. The national poverty level does not vary geographically even though cost of living is different across the United States. For the Bay Area, where cost of living is high and incomes are correspondingly high, an appropriate poverty level is 200% of poverty or twice the national poverty level, consistent with what was used for past equity work at MTC and ABAG. For comparison, however, both the national and 200% poverty levels are presented.

For Vital Signs, the poverty rate is defined as the number of people (including children) living below twice the poverty level divided by the number of people for whom poverty status is determined. The household income definitions for poverty change each year to reflect inflation. The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or non-cash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid and food stamps).

For the national poverty level definitions by year, see: US Census Bureau Poverty Thresholds - https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html.

For an explanation on how the Census Bureau measures poverty, see: How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty - https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html.

American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year data is used for larger geographies – Bay counties and most metropolitan area counties – while smaller geographies rely upon 5-year rolling average data due to their smaller sample sizes. Note that 2020 data uses the 5-year estimates because the ACS did not collect 1-year data for 2020.

To be consistent across metropolitan areas, the poverty definition for non-Bay Area metros is twice the national poverty level. Data were not adjusted for varying income and cost of living levels across the metropolitan areas.

Context

The intention of this dataset was to encourage deeper exploration into the relationship between race/ethnicity, gender, poverty and severe health conditions and Covid 19 morbidity and mortality. Public health experts have long reported about the health disparities that exist for people who live in poverty and minorities populations. These reports also find that minorities who live in poverty are often doubly disadvantaged.

Content

What's inside is more than just rows and columns. Make it easy for others to get started by describing how you acquired the data and what time period it represents, too.

Acknowledgements

Data is drawn from: 1. USA Facts/U.S CDC, 2. SAIPE/U.S Census, 3. Population Estimates/U.S Census, 4. Policy Map/NY Times/2017 SMART-BRFSS, U.S CDC Links to sources are in the file description below.

Special thanks to: 1. My instructors Andrew Worsely, Lydia Peabody, the team at General Assembly and my peers in GA Data Science June-August 2020. 2. Julian Hatwell

Inspiration

Questions to be answered? 1. What correlation exists between Covid 19 morbidity and mortality and poverty, race or gender, if any? 2. What can be observed about incidence of Covid 19 morbidity and mortality in U.S. counties where people living in poverty are the majority or counties where minority populations are the majority? 3. Capacity of U.S. county health systems and coverage of preventive health measures are not accounted for in this model, what features could be added to address these limitations? 4. In which countries outside the U.S. can this type of analysis be replicated? 5. How else can this dataset be improved?

In 2024, about 35.9 million Americans were living below the poverty line. This reflected a decrease of over 900,000 people compared to the previous year. The number of people living in poverty peaked in 2014, but trended downwards until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adjusted Income and Poverty in the US

Changes in People and Health Insurance

By U.S. Census Bureau [source]

About this dataset

The U.S. Bureau of the Census' Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements, presents an insightful look into American society at any given time period. Through it's annual data, one can understand the makeup of a nation across a multitude of parameters--including income level distribution measures, poverty status characteristics and health insurance coverage broken down by age, race/ethnicity and gender.

This chart series is like a snapshot into America's past--allowing us to monitor both current progress made in regards to economic stability while also reflecting on the growth (or lack thereof) achieved over different decades in terms of racial discrepancies in poverty levels as well as an individual's ability present etc to maintain financial health. The series looks at data collected from 1959-2015; providing information on number/percentage all noninstitutionalized population (15+ years old) who are below or above poverty thresholds as well as median earnings for male/female earners adjusted for real inflation values (based on current dollars). Insights such as these enable us to gain key information about how economic disparities have fared during each year throughout this half century time span and how policy changes have impacted the overall wellbeing on a national level since then

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How to use the dataset

Introduction

This dataset contains information on the equivalence-adjusted income and poverty in the US from 1967 to 2015. It includes information on the population without health insurance coverage by state, total workers and full-time, year-round workers by sex and female-to-male earnings ratio, selected measures of equivalence-adjusted income dispersion, people in poverty by selected characteristics, and measures of income inequality. This guide will explain how to use this dataset effectively for analysis.

Data Overview

The datasets contain both summary statistics and detailed breakdowns for different categories throughout the years 1967 to 2015. In Table A1 you can find data on population without health insurance coverage by state during that time period. Table A4 contains total numbers of workers as well as real median earning details organized by sex and male/female earning ratios over time period in question. The tables A3 through 5 include more specific details related to measurements of Equivalence Adjusted Income Dispersion such as Gini Coefficient values.. Both table 2 & 3 provides detail breakdowns relating to Income distribution measurements between 2014 & 2015 along with other related statistical figures regarding individuals below poverty line during this time period based upon age , race , Hispanic Origin factors.

Data Cleaning/Preparation Specifics

This dataset follows a similar notation used throughout each table so it shouldn't be difficult understand what is being represented .However representing individual components like Gini Coefficient (TableA3) or Female ratio Vs Male earnings remains abstract in comparison especially when attempting visualization techniques (Charting). In order for users not familiar with certain terms like “Equivalence -Adjusted Income Dispersion” it would need explaining thoroughly or these terms should at least be highlighted & avoid confusing readers . Level out Missing Data that is within range statistically makes sense according “Census Technical Docs” . For example missing value data pertaining Individual Poverty estimates have based upon qualification requirements where numbers are rounded up after exchange calculations ( See official Raw Data column Notes available under Sources ).

Visualization Strategies

For effective visualization there needs be understanding between what counts supplied are actually representing For example: Column such as Difference Between Female & Male Earnings shown TableA4 helps gauge pay gap but difference between % Measures significantly important when charting any changes overtime diagrams or identifying movements visually from various bar /line graphs dealing this type data set . Other numerical aspects such Gender Ratio

Research Ideas

• Tracking changes in poverty levels over time by state and ethnicity
• Examining the impact of government programs like the EITC and CTC on pov...