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.

Graph and download economic data for Estimate of People of All Ages in Poverty in United States (PEAAUS00000A647NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about child, poverty, persons, and USA.

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.

In May 2025, the average hourly earnings of all employees in the United States was at 11.30 U.S. dollars. The data have been seasonally adjusted. The deflators used for constant-dollar earnings shown here come from the Consumer Price Indexes Programs. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Employees (CPI-U) is used to deflate the data for all employees. A comparison of the rate of wage growth versus the monthly inflation since 2020 rate can be accessed here. Real wages are wages that have been adjusted for inflation.

In 2025, nearly 11.7 percent of the world population in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars a day, lived in Nigeria. Moreover, the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounted for around 11.7 percent of the global population in extreme poverty. Other African nations with a large poor population were Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar. Poverty levels remain high despite the forecast decline Poverty is a widespread issue across Africa. Around 429 million people on the continent were living below the extreme poverty line of 2.15 U.S. dollars a day in 2024. Since the continent had approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants, roughly a third of Africa’s population was in extreme poverty that year. Mozambique, Malawi, Central African Republic, and Niger had Africa’s highest extreme poverty rates based on the 2.15 U.S. dollars per day extreme poverty indicator (updated from 1.90 U.S. dollars in September 2022). Although the levels of poverty on the continent are forecast to decrease in the coming years, Africa will remain the poorest region compared to the rest of the world. Prevalence of poverty and malnutrition across Africa Multiple factors are linked to increased poverty. Regions with critical situations of employment, education, health, nutrition, war, and conflict usually have larger poor populations. Consequently, poverty tends to be more prevalent in least-developed and developing countries worldwide. For similar reasons, rural households also face higher poverty levels. In 2024, the extreme poverty rate in Africa stood at around 45 percent among the rural population, compared to seven percent in urban areas. Together with poverty, malnutrition is also widespread in Africa. Limited access to food leads to low health conditions, increasing the poverty risk. At the same time, poverty can determine inadequate nutrition. Almost 38.3 percent of the global undernourished population lived in Africa in 2022.

Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States was 12.50% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States reached a record high of 15.90 in January of 2011 and a record low of 11.30 in January of 2000. 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 United States - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

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 December of 2025.

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides official estimates and projections of the Veteran population using the Veteran Population Projection Model (VetPop). Based on the latest model VetPop2023 and the most recent national survey estimates from the 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year (ACS) data, the projected number of Veterans living in the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico for fiscal years, 2023 to 2025, are allocated to Urban and Rural areas. As defined by the Census Bureau, Rural encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an Urban area (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html). This table contains the Veteran estimates by urban/rural, age group, poverty, and disability. The poverty level and disability are determined by ACS based on responses on total income and functional difficulties. Refer to the sections on Poverty and Disability Status in the document, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/tech_docs/subject_definitions/2023_ACSSubjectDefinitions.pdf Note: rounding to the nearest 1,000 is always appropriate for VetPop estimates.

This project examines wage and poverty trends across U.S. states using SQL queries and custom spreadsheets. The goal is to uncover patterns, correlations, and disparities in income distribution, education, political affiliation, and federal policy impact. All data needed for the analysis is included in the custom spreadsheets, making the project full reproducible.

Key Questions Explored: 1. How do Other/ No Vote patterns relate to median wages and poverty rates? 2. What is the relationship between 2024 state voter turnout and party affiliation, median wages, and poverty rates? 3. What are the estimated state wage gaps in 2025? 4. How do state wage gaps relate to education, poverty, and political affiliation? 5. What is the correlation between state poverty rates and federal minimum wage overrides in 2025?

Analysis Includes: -SQL queries to summarize and explore the data -Visualizations highlighting wage gaps, poverty trends, and voter patterns Skills and Tools: SQL, Excel/Spreadsheets, Data Analysis, Data Visualization, Tableau

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Canadian County, OK was 8.60% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Canadian County, OK reached a record high of 8.60 in January of 2023 and a record low of 7.00 in January of 2013. 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 Canadian County, OK - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

Between 2023 and 2024, the share of school districts that reported providing or having plans to provide AI training for teachers increased for all districts in the United States, regardless of their poverty status. By 2025, ** percent of low-poverty districts were projected to provide AI training for teachers, compared to ** percent of middle-poverty districts and ** percent of high-poverty districts.

A 2025 survey revealed that nearly a quarter of teenagers who menstruate in the U.S. experienced period poverty - the inability to access menstrual hygiene products - because they couldn't afford them. Furthermore, 45 percent of teens surveyed have worn products longer than recommended. These figures have both increased slightly compared to the previous survey in 2023. However, the share of teens who rarely or never find free period products in public bathrooms have decreased. This statistic shows the percentage of teens in the United States who struggled to afford feminine hygiene products as of 2025.

In 2024, 8.1 percent of the families in the U.S. lived in poverty, reflecting a slight decrease from the previous year. The poverty rate of families in the last years has a decrease from a peak of almost 12 percent in 2012.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Bradford County, FL was 19.10% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Bradford County, FL reached a record high of 22.20 in January of 2019 and a record low of 18.20 in January of 2013. 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 Bradford County, FL - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on October of 2025.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Santa Cruz County, CA was 11.20% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Santa Cruz County, CA reached a record high of 15.30 in January of 2014 and a record low of 10.90 in January of 2021. 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 Santa Cruz County, CA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Alamosa County, CO was 18.20% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Alamosa County, CO reached a record high of 31.40 in January of 2016 and a record low of 15.50 in January of 2022. 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 Alamosa County, CO - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.