In 2023, 10.3 percent of Washington's population lived below the poverty line. This was a slight increase from the previous year, when about ten percent of the state's population lived below the poverty line. The poverty rate of the United States since 1990 can be accessed here.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Pierce County, WA (S1701ACS053053) from 2012 to 2023 about Pierce County, WA; Seattle; WA; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in District of Columbia (S1701ACS011001) from 2012 to 2023 about DC, Washington, poverty, percent, 5-year, population, and USA.

Count and rate of population with income in the last 12 months below poverty level in an area. ( B17001). County and State values are from ACS 1-year survey.

In Washington, the poverty rate is 9.9% and the uninsured rate is 6.4%. Percent of people below the federal poverty line and the share without health insurance. Source: ACS 5-year estimates (derived).

In 2023, about 14 percent of District of Columbia's population lived below the poverty line. This accounts for persons or families whose collective income in the preceding 12 months was below the national poverty level of the United States.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Kitsap County, WA (S1701ACS053035) from 2012 to 2023 about Kitsap County, WA; Bremerton; WA; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

The Digital Divide Index or DDI ranges in value from 0 to 100, where 100 indicates the highest digital divide. It is composed of two scores, also ranging from 0 to 100: the infrastructure/adoption (INFA) score and the socioeconomic (SE) score.The INFA score groups five variables related to broadband infrastructure and adoption: (1) percentage of total 2020 population without access to fixed broadband of at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload as of 2020 based on Ookla Speedtest® open dataset; (2) percent of homes without a computing device (desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.); (3) percent of homes with no internet access (have no internet subscription, including cellular data plans or dial-up); (4) median maximum advertised download speeds; and (5) median maximum advertised upload speeds.The SE score groups five variables known to impact technology adoption: (1) percent population ages 65 and over; (2) percent population 25 and over with less than high school; (3) individual poverty rate; (4) percent of noninstitutionalized civilian population with a disability: and (5) a brand new digital inequality or internet income ratio measure (IIR). In other words, these variables indirectly measure adoption since they are potential predictors of lagging technology adoption or reinforcing existing inequalities that also affect adoption.These two scores are combined to calculate the overall DDI score. If a particular county or census tract has a higher INFA score versus a SE score, efforts should be made to improve broadband infrastructure. If on the other hand, a particular geography has a higher SE score versus an INFA score, efforts should be made to increase digital literacy and exposure to the technology’s benefits.The DDI measures primarily physical access/adoption and socioeconomic characteristics that may limit motivation, skills, and usage. Due to data limitations it was designed as a descriptive and pragmatic tool and is not intended to be comprehensive. Rather it should help initiate important discussions among community leaders and residents.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, OR was 8.00% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, OR reached a record high of 11.80 in January of 2014 and a record low of 8.00 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 Washington County, OR - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

This data is used for a broadband mapping initiative conducted by the Washington State Broadband Office. The source dataset has been modified from the existing Digital Divide Index published by Purdue University using Ookla Speedtest® open data for 2020 and the 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) dataset.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in King County, WA (S1701ACS053033) from 2012 to 2023 about King County, WA; Seattle; WA; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, WI was 5.30% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, WI reached a record high of 6.30 in January of 2013 and a record low of 4.60 in January of 2019. 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 Washington County, WI - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Clarke County, VA (S1701ACS051043) from 2012 to 2023 about Clarke County, VA; Washington; VA; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.

Polygons in this layer represent low food access areas: areas of the District of Columbia which are estimated to be more than a 10-minute walk from the nearest full-service grocery store. These have been merged with Census poverty data to estimate how much of the population within these areas is food insecure (below 185% of the federal poverty line in addition to living in a low food access area).Office of Planning GIS followed several steps to create this layer, including: transit analysis, to eliminate areas of the District within a 10-minute walk of a grocery store; non-residential analysis, to eliminate areas of the District which do not contain residents and cannot classify as low food access areas (such as parks and the National Mall); and Census tract division, to estimate population and poverty rates within the newly created polygon boundaries.Fields contained in this layer include:Intermediary calculation fields for the aforementioned analysis, and:PartPop2: The total population estimated to live within the low food access area polygon (derived from Census tract population, assuming even distribution across the polygon after removing non-residential areas, followed by the removal of population living within a grocery store radius.)PrtOver185: The portion of PartPop2 which is estimated to have household income above 185% of the federal poverty line (the food secure population)PrtUnd185: The portion of PartPop2 which is estimated to have household income below 185% of the federal poverty line (the food insecure population)PercentUnd185: A calculated field showing PrtUnd185 as a percent of PartPop2. This is the percent of the population in the polygon which is food insecure (both living in a low food access area and below 185% of the federal poverty line).Note that the polygon representing Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling was removed from this analysis. While technically classifying as a low food access area based on the OP Grocery Stores layer (since the JBAB Commissary, which only serves military members, is not included in that layer), it is recognized that those who do live on the base have access to the commissary for grocery needs.Last updated November 2017.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, MD was 12.50% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, MD reached a record high of 13.10 in January of 2021 and a record low of 11.90 in January of 2012. 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 Washington County, MD - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

The database (version August 2022) is built upon the released Global Subnational Atlas of Poverty (GSAP) (World Bank, 2021). In this database, we assemble a new panel dataset that provides (headcount) poverty rates using the daily poverty lines of US $1.90, $3.20, and $5.50 (based on the revised 2011 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) dollars). This database is generated using household income and consumption surveys from the World Bank’s Global Monitoring Database (GMD), which underlie country official poverty statistics, and offers the most detailed subnational poverty data on a global scale to date. The Global Subnational Atlas of Poverty (GSAP) is produced by the World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Global Practice, coordinated by the Data for Goals (D4G) team, and supported by the six regional statistics teams in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice, and Global Poverty & Inequality Data Team (GPID) in Development Economics Data Group (DECDG) at the World Bank. The Global Monitoring Database (GMD) is the World Bank’s repository of multitopic income and expenditure household surveys used to monitor global poverty and shared prosperity. The household survey data are typically collected by national statistical offices in each country, and then compiled, processed, and harmonized. The process is coordinated by the Data for Goals (D4G) team and supported by the six regional statistics teams in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice. Global Poverty & Inequality Data Team (GPID) in Development Economics Data Group (DECDG) also contributed historical data from before 1990, and recent survey data from Luxemburg Income Studies (LIS). Selected variables have been harmonized to the extent possible such that levels and trends in poverty and other key sociodemographic attributes can be reasonably compared across and within countries over time. The GMD’s harmonized microdata are currently used in Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP), World Bank’s Multidimensional Poverty Measures (WB MPM), the Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP), and Poverty and Shared Prosperity Reports. Reference: World Bank. (2021). World Bank estimates based on data from the Global Subnational Atlas of Poverty, Global Monitoring Database. World Bank: Washington. https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/search/dataset/0042041

This layer represents data on poverty from the ACS 5-year roll-up. The data available in the ACS measured people living under 185% of the federal poverty level from Table S1701 columns for Population used to estimate poverty (HC01_EST_VC01), the number of people living below 185% (HC01_EST_VC55) and the associated margin of error (HC01_MOE_VC55). A detailed description is available here: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/wtn/WTNPortal#!q0=3625

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, IL was 7.80% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Washington County, IL reached a record high of 12.90 in January of 2015 and a record low of 7.10 in January of 2019. 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 Washington County, IL - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

ACS 1-year estimates are based on data collected over one calendar year, offering more current information but with a higher margin of error. ACS 5-year estimates combine five years of data, providing more reliable information but less current. Both are based on probability samples. Some racial and ethnic categories are suppressed to avoid misleading estimates when the relative standard error exceeds 30%.

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 1- & 5-Year Estimates

Why This Matters

Poverty threatens the overall well-being of individuals and families, limiting access to stable housing, healthy foods, health care, and educational and employment opportunities, among other basic needs.Poverty is associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, including chronic physical and mental illness, lower life expectancy, developmental delays, and others.

Racist policies and practices have contributed to racial economic inequities. Nationally, Black, Indigenous, and people of color experience poverty at higher rates than white Americans, on average.

The District's Response

Boosting assistance programs that provide temporary cash and health benefits to help low-income residents meet their basic needs, including Medicaid, TANF For District Families, SNAP, etc.

Housing assistance and employment and career training programs to support resident’s housing and employment security. These include the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Permanent Supportive Housing vouchers, Career MAP, the DC Infrastructure Academy, among other programs and services.

Creation of the DC Commission on Poverty to study poverty issues, evaluate poverty reduction initiatives, and make recommendations to the Mayor and the Council.

Graph and download economic data for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Ferry County, WA (S1701ACS053019) from 2012 to 2023 about Ferry County, WA; WA; poverty; percent; 5-year; population; and USA.