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, 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (2 December 2025).; 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 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 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.

This layer shows poverty status by age group. Data is from US Census American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates.This layer is symbolized to show the percentage of the population whose income falls below the Federal poverty line. To see the full list of attributes available in this service, go to the "Data" tab, and choose "Fields" at the top right (in ArcGIS Online). To view only the census tracts that are predominantly in Tempe, add the expression City is Tempe in the map filter settings.A ‘Null’ entry in the estimate indicates that data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small (per the U.S. Census).Vintage: 2018-2022 ACS Table(s): B17020 (Not all lines of these ACS tables are available in this feature layer.) Data downloaded from: Census Bureau's API for American Community Survey Data Preparation: Data curated from Esri Living Atlas clipped to Census Tract boundaries that are within or adjacent to the City of Tempe boundary Date of Census update: December 15, 2023 National Figures: data.census.gov

This layer shows poverty status by age group. Data is from US Census American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. This layer is symbolized to show the percentage of the population whose income falls below the Federal poverty line. To see the full list of attributes available in this service, go to the "Data" tab, and choose "Fields" at the top right (in ArcGIS Online). To view only the census tracts that are predominantly in Tempe, add the expression City is Tempe in the map filter settings. A ‘Null’ entry in the estimate indicates that data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small (per the U.S. Census). Vintage: 2017-2021 ACS Table(s): B17020 (Not all lines of these ACS tables are available in this feature layer.) Data downloaded from: Census Bureau's API for American Community Survey Data Preparation: Data curated from Esri Living Atlas clipped to Census Tract boundaries that are within or adjacent to the City of Tempe boundary Date of Census update: December 8, 2022 National Figures: data.census.gov Additional Census data notes and data processing notes are available at the Esri Living Atlas Layer: https://tempegov.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=0e468b75bca545ee8dc4b039cbb5aff6 (Esri's Living Atlas always shows latest data)

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.

This layer shows Population and Poverty Status. This is shown by state and county boundaries. This service contains the 2018-2022 release of data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data, and contains estimates and margins of error. There are also additional calculated attributes related to this topic, which can be mapped or used within analysis. This layer is symbolized to show the percentage of people whose income in the past 12 months is below poverty level. To see the full list of attributes available in this service, go to the "Data" tab, and choose "Fields" at the top right.Current Vintage: 2018-2022ACS Table(s): B17017, C17002, DP02, DP03Data downloaded from: Census Bureau's API for American Community Survey Date of API call: January 18, 2024National Figures: data.census.govThe United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS):About the SurveyGeography & ACSTechnical DocumentationNews & UpdatesThis ready-to-use layer can be used within ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, its configurable apps, dashboards, Story Maps, custom apps, and mobile apps. Data can also be exported for offline workflows. Please cite the Census and ACS when using this data.Data Note from the Census:Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see Accuracy of the Data). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables.Data Processing Notes:Boundaries come from the Cartographic Boundaries via US Census TIGER geodatabases. Boundaries are updated at the same time as the data updates, and the boundary vintage appropriately matches the data vintage as specified by the Census. These are Census boundaries with water and/or coastlines clipped for cartographic purposes. For state and county boundaries, the water and coastlines are derived from the coastlines of the 500k TIGER Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles. The original AWATER and ALAND fields are still available as attributes within the data table (units are square meters). The States layer contains 52 records - all US states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The Counties (and equivalent) layer contains 3221 records - all counties and equivalent, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico municipios. See Areas Published. Percentages and derived counts, and associated margins of error, are calculated values (that can be identified by the "_calc_" stub in the field name), and abide by the specifications defined by the American Community Survey.Field alias names were created based on the Table Shells.Margin of error (MOE) values of -555555555 in the API (or "*****" (five asterisks) on data.census.gov) are displayed as 0 in this dataset. The estimates associated with these MOEs have been controlled to independent counts in the ACS weighting and have zero sampling error. So, the MOEs are effectively zeroes, and are treated as zeroes in MOE calculations. Other negative values on the API, such as -222222222, -666666666, -888888888, and -999999999, all represent estimates or MOEs that can't be calculated or can't be published, usually due to small sample sizes. All of these are rendered in this dataset as null (blank) values.

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.

This dataset emphasizes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administered by the US federal government. Additionally, it includes data on the SNAP spending, poverty rate, and food expenses for each state in the U.S from 2009 to 2022.

Data were obtained from different sources and these include:

1. Food expenditure data from the USDA, Economic Research Service, using data from the state-level food expenditure series - https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-expenditure-series/

2. US state population data (Federal Reserve Economic Data) from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis - https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release/tables?rid=118&eid=259194 (I created a spreadsheet from the Resident Population by State, Annual data)

3. Poverty data from the U.S Census Bureau - https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-people.html

4. SNAP data from Kaggle, US public food assistance 2 - SNAP - https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/jpmiller/food-security (I summarized all the states from year 2009 - 2022 on a spreadsheet)

The USA: Poverty ratio, percent living on less than 5.50 USD a day: The latest value from 2023 is 2 percent, a decline from 2.2 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 19.18 percent, based on data from 53 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1963 to 2023 is 2.25 percent. The minimum value, 1 percent, was reached in 2021 while the maximum of 5.2 percent was recorded in 1963.

Out of all OECD countries, Costa Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2023, at over 21 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 5.5 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.

Tabular data of population by age groups, race and gender, and the poverty by race is attached to the split tract geography to create this split tract with population and poverty data. Split tract data is the product of 2020 census tracts split by 2022 incorporated city boundaries and unincorporated community/countywide statistical areas (CSA) boundaries. The census tract boundaries have been altered and aligned where necessary with legal city boundaries and unincorporated areas, including shoreline/coastal areas. Census Tract:Every 10 years the Census Bureau counts the population of the United States as mandated by Constitution. The Census Bureau (https://www.census.gov/) released 2020 geographic boundaries data including census tracts for the analysis and mapping of demographic information across the United States. City Boundary:City Boundary data is the base map information for the County of Los Angeles. These City Boundaries are based on the Los Angeles County Seamless Cadastral Landbase. The Landbase is jointly maintained by the Los Angeles County Assessor and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (DPW). This layer represents current city boundaries within Los Angeles County. The DPW provides the most current shapefiles representing city boundaries and city annexations. True, legal boundaries are only determined on the ground by surveyors licensed in the State of California.Countywide Statistical Areas (CSA): The countywide Statistical Area (CSA) was defined to provide a common geographic boundary for reporting departmental statistics for unincorporated areas and incorporated Los Angeles city to the Board of Supervisors. The CSA boundary and CSA names are established by the CIO and the LA County Enterprise GIS group worked with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Unincorporated Area and Field Deputies that reflect as best as possible the general name preferences of residents and historical names of areas. This data is primarily focused on broad statistics and reporting, not mapping of communities. This data is not designed to perfectly represent communities, nor jurisdictional boundaries such as Angeles National Forest. CSA represent board approved geographies comprised of Census block groups split by cities.Data Field:CT20: 2020 Census tractFIP22: 2022 City FIP CodeCITY: City name for incorporated cities and “Unincorporated” for unincorporated areas (as of July 1, 2022) CSA: Countywide Statistical Area (CSA) - Unincorporated area community names and LA City neighborhood names.CT20FIP22CSA: 2020 census tract with 2022 city FIPs for incorporated cities and unincorporated areas and LA neighborhoods. SPA22: 2022 Service Planning Area (SPA) number.SPA_NAME: Service Planning Area name.HD22: 2022 Health District (HD) number: HD_NAME: Health District name.POP22_AGE_0_4: 2022 population 0 to 4 years oldPOP22_AGE_5_9: 2022 population 5 to 9 years old POP22_AGE_10_14: 2022 population 10 to 14 years old POP22_AGE_15_17: 2022 population 15 to 17 years old POP22_AGE_18_19: 2022 population 18 to 19 years old POP22_AGE_20_44: 2022 population 20 to 24 years old POP22_AGE_25_29: 2022 population 25 to 29 years old POP22_AGE_30_34: 2022 population 30 to 34 years old POP22_AGE_35_44: 2022 population 35 to 44 years old POP22_AGE_45_54: 2022 population 45 to 54 years old POP22_AGE_55_64: 2022 population 55 to 64 years old POP22_AGE_65_74: 2022 population 65 to 74 years old POP22_AGE_75_84: 2022 population 75 to 84 years old POP22_AGE_85_100: 2022 population 85 years and older POP22_WHITE: 2022 Non-Hispanic White POP22_BLACK: 2022 Non-Hispanic African AmericanPOP22_AIAN: 2022 Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska NativePOP22_ASIAN: 2022 Non-Hispanic Asian POP22_HNPI: 2022 Non-Hispanic Hawaiian Native or Pacific IslanderPOP22_HISPANIC: 2022 HispanicPOP22_MALE: 2022 Male POP22_FEMALE: 2022 Female POV22_WHITE: 2022 Non-Hispanic White below 100% Federal Poverty Level POV22_BLACK: 2022 Non-Hispanic African American below 100% Federal Poverty Level POV22_AIAN: 2022 Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native below 100% Federal Poverty Level POV22_ASIAN: 2022 Non-Hispanic Asian below 100% Federal Poverty Level POV22_HNPI: 2022 Non-Hispanic Hawaiian Native or Pacific Islander below 100% Federal Poverty Level POV22_HISPANIC: 2022 Hispanic below 100% Federal Poverty Level POV22_TOTAL: 2022 Total population below 100% Federal Poverty Level POP22_TOTAL: 2022 Total PopulationAREA_SQMil: Area in square mile.POP22_DENSITY: Population per square mile.POV22_PERCENT: Poverty rate/percentage.How this data created?The tabular data of population by age groups, by ethnic groups and by gender, and the poverty by ethnic groups is attributed to the split tract geography to create this data. Split tract polygon data is created by intersecting 2020 census tract polygons, LA Country City Boundary polygons and Countywide Statistical Areas (CSA) polygon data. The resulting polygon boundary aligned and matched with the legal city boundary whenever possible. Note:1. Population and poverty data estimated as of July 1, 2022. 2. 2010 Census tract and 2020 census tracts are not the same. Similarly, city and community boundary are not the same because boundary is reviewed and updated annually.

This data is included as part of the Environmental Health Disparities Version 3.0 map. To see this map, visit our webpage. For more technical information on this map and the model used, visit our technical report (link). Background Economic status affects many areas of life, including nutrition, jobs, housing, and access to health care. Due to social patterns and systems of inequity, people do not all have equal economic opportunities. This means the health risks associated with low income are disproportionately borne by groups already facing oppression and racism. Stress from economic instability places people at increased risk of poor mental and physical health. People may also struggle to afford health care or may avoid seeking it due to cost. This can make existing health problems worse. People with less financial resources may also not have access to safe housing. This increases the risk of exposure to environmental hazards. Communities with less access to financial resources are more likely to be exposed to pollution. Increased air pollution increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular issues such as asthma and heart attacks. Children are more sensitive to increased exposure due to their developing immune systems and organs. Evidence  Due to structural racism and practices that favor those who already have wealth, income disparity disproportionately impacts historically minoritized communities [1]. Communities with fewer financial resources have higher rates of chronic diseases [2]. This increases the risk of health problems from pollution exposure for people with fewer financial resources [3]. For example, people in areas with fewer financial resources are at a higher risk of dying from short-term exposure to particulate matter in the air [4]. Children in these areas are also more likely to develop asthma due to traffic-related pollution [5]. Data Source American Community Survey 5-year estimates, S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months Methods The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks respondents detailed questions on social and economic topics. This measure was developed using census tract-level poverty data from the ACS’s 5-year estimates. This measure shows the percentage of the people living in household with an income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level over the past year. The federal poverty level varies depending on household size. Income is calculated before taxes. See How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty for more information on how poverty was measured.  For more information on how ACS data is collected and processed, refer to ACS General Data Users Handbooks. Data Source Variables Used Calculations Performed* ACS 5-year, S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months S1701_C01_041, S1701_C01_001 # Individuals with Household Income Below 185% FPL: S1701_C01_041 # Individuals with known poverty status: S1701_C01_001 % Individuals with Household Income Below 185% FPL: S1701_C01_041 / S1701_C01_001 * For margin of error (MOE) calculations, refer to U.S. Census Bureau, A Compass for Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data Appendix 1. For MOEs in which we derived either the numerator or denominator of a proportion from multiple ACS variables, see "Calculating MOEs for Aggregated Count Data." For MOEs derived from proportions, see "Calculating MOEs for Derived Proportions." The data table shows the estimate for this variable minus the MOE (lower ME) and the estimate plus the MOE (upper ME). Caveats The ACS is known to undercount some populations. This includes young children who live with more than one parent or guardian, people without stable housing, and households that do not conform to the nuclear family structure. Populations that are undercounted in the ACS are more likely to have less financial opportunities. The definition of income used for this measure does not reflect noncash benefits. These include food stamps, health care, and housing assistance. Because it only includes monetary income, it may not reflect how communities define their income, such as traditional Indigenous definitions of wealth. The margin of error shows how much uncertainty there is about whether the survey data accurately represents the full population. The confidence interval is the estimate plus or minus the margin of error. There is a 90 percent probability that the true population value is within the confidence interval, after accounting for sampling variability. All survey data have some margin of error due to sampling variability. Results from smaller populations are less reliable because of their smaller sample sizes, leading to a larger margin of error. Counts for American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations are known to be less reliable. The survey design attempts to address these issues through increased sampling rates in smaller populations and on Tribal lands. The data may also have non-sampling errors, which aren’t shown in the tables. These can happen if there are problems with the survey questions, if there are issues with processing or weighting the data, or if certain groups of people don’t respond [6]. Individuals with a distrust for government, more concerns about privacy, and who are very busy are less likely to respond to the survey. This measure is aggregated across the census tract and does not represent each individual community within the tract. These data should always be supplemented with local data and equitable engagement for more accurate insights. ACS bundles data in one-year, three-year, or five-year groups to get more reliable results. To have census tract data on all 39 counties in Washington, we use the ACS five-year grouping. Sources Beech, B. M., Ford, C., Thorpe, R. J., Bruce, M. A., & Norris, K. C. (2021). Poverty, racism, and the public health crisis in America. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. Benavidez, G. A., Zahnd, W. E., Hung P & Eberth, J. M. (2024) Chronic Disease Prevalence in the US: Sociodemographic and Geographic Variations by Zip Code Tabulation Area. Prev Chronic Dis, 21, 230267. O’Neill, M., Jerrett, I., Kawachi, J., Levy, A., Cohen, N., Gouveia, P., et al. (2003). Health, wealth, and air pollution: Advancing theory and methods. Environmental Health Perspectives, 111(16), 1861-70. Bell, M. L., Zanobetti, A., Dominici, F. (2013). Evidence on Vulnerability and Susceptibility to Health Risks Associated With Short-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, American Journal of Epidemiology, 178(6), 865–76. Kravitz-Wirtz, N., Teixeira, S., Hajat, A., Woo, B., Crowder, K., Takeuchi, D. (2018). Early-Life Air Pollution Exposure, Neighborhood Poverty, and Childhood Asthma in the United States, 1990–2014. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 15, 1114.Pickering, K. (2022, December 9). Nonresponse in census surveys [PDF]. Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. https://apps.bea.gov/fesac/meetings/2022-12-09/Pickering-FESACNonresponse-in-Census-Surveys-12092022.pdf CitationWashington Tracking Network, Washington State Department of Health. Web. "Population Living in Poverty (<=185% of Federal Poverty Level)". Data obtained from the American Community Survey, 2019-2023, S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months Data. Published September 2025.

Table contains count and percentage of county residents living below the 200% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Data are presented at county, city, zip code and census tract level. Data are presented for zip codes (ZCTAs) fully within the county. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table C17002; data accessed on April 11, 2022 from https://api.census.gov. The 2020 Decennial geographies are used for data summarization.METADATA:notes (String): Lists table title, notes, sourcesgeolevel (String): Level of geographyGEOID (Numeric): Geography IDNAME (String): Name of geographypop (Numeric): Population for whom poverty status was assessedfpl200 (Numeric): Number of people living below 200% of Federal Poverty Levelpct_200 (Numeric): Percent of people living below 200% of Federal Poverty Level

United States Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 19.200 % in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 16.700 % for 2021. United States Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 19.200 % from Dec 1963 (Median) to 2022, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20.500 % in 1993 and a record low of 16.700 % in 2021. United States Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2017 U.S. dollars and defined as max($2.15, $1.15 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $2.15. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

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.

The data consist of the poverty rate by year in Maryland and the margin of error of the poverty rate from 2010 to 2022. MOE=Margin of Error for the 90% confidence interval. Sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates.

Notice: The U.S. Census Bureau is delaying the release of the 2016-2020 ACS 5-year data until March 2022. For more information, please read the Census Bureau statement regarding this matter. ----------------------------------------- This layer shows poverty status by age group. This layer is Census data from Esri's Living Atlas and is clipped to only show Tempe census tracts. This layer is symbolized to show the percentage of the population whose income falls below the Federal poverty line. To see the full list of attributes available in this service, go to the "Data" tab, and choose "Fields" at the top right (in ArcGIS Online). Data is from US Census American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Vintage: 2015-2019 ACS Table(s): B17020 (Not all lines of these ACS tables are available in this feature layer.) Data downloaded from: Census Bureau's API for American Community Survey Date of Census update: December 10, 2020 National Figures: data.census.gov Additional Census data notes and data processing notes are available at the Esri Living Atlas Layer: https://tempegov.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=0e468b75bca545ee8dc4b039cbb5aff6 (Esri's Living Atlas always shows latest data)