Historical the United States Poverty Rate
| Year | Poverty Rate | YoY % Change |
|---|---|---|
2010 |
15.3% | |
2011 |
15.9% | 4.0% |
2012 |
15.9% | 0.0% |
2013 |
15.8% | 0.0% |
2014 |
15.5% | 2.0% |
2015 |
14.7% | 5.0% |
2016 |
14.0% | 4.0% |
2017 |
13.4% | 4.0% |
Poverty Rate By Race in America
| Race | Population | Poverty Rate | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
Black |
38,930,998 |
25.2% | 12.4% |
American Indian |
2,543,751 |
26.8% | 0.8% |
Asian |
16,857,223 |
11.9% | 5.4% |
Pacific Islander |
552,118 |
19.0% | 0.2% |
Other |
15,258,382 |
23.8% | 4.9% |
Two Or More Races |
9,767,040 |
18.4% | 3.1% |
White |
192,755,384 |
10.3% | 61.6% |
Hispanic |
55,380,874 |
22.2% | 17.7% |
Poverty Rate By School Status
Understanding where poverty hits hardest in the United States can be better understood by segmenting poverty by whether or not the resident is in school or not.
- Enrolled in School in the United States have a Poverty Rate of 20.1%.
- Not Enrolled in School in the United States have a Poverty Rate of 12.2%.
Poverty for younger ages in the United States is seen as the most undesirable for the future of the community.
- Enrolled in Nursery School in the United States have a Poverty Rate of 18.0%.
- Enrolled in Elementary School(Grades 1-4) in the United States have a Poverty Rate of 21.2%.
Poverty for developing children and young adults in the United States can have drastic impacts on graduation and college attendance rates.
- Enrolled in Middle School(Grade 5-8) in the United States have a Poverty Rate of 19.0%.
- Enrolled in High School (Grades 9-12) in the United States have a Poverty Rate of 17.7%.
Adult students in college, graduate or professional schools generally bring employers, revenue and higher living wages post-graduation and are seen as a positive to the community.
- Enrolled in Undergraduate School in the United States have a Poverty Rate of 23.4%.
- Enrolled in Graduate or Professional School in the United States have a Poverty Rate of 17.2%.
What's the US Poverty Rate By Age?
Breakdown of the United States Poverty Rate By Age
| Age | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|
Children Under 6 |
22.4% |
Children 6 to 11 Years Old |
20.7% |
Adolescents 12 to 17 Years Old |
18.0% |
Adults 18 to 59 Years Old |
14.0% |
Adults 60 to 74 Years Old |
9.4% |
75 to 84 Years Old |
10.1% |
Over 85 Years Old |
11.6% |
US Poverty Rate By Gender
What is the poverty rate for men vs women living in the United States?
Male
The Poverty Rate for men who live in the United States is 13.3%.
Female
The Poverty Rate for women who live in the United States is 15.8%.
Poverty Rate Disparity for Male vs Female Residents of the United States
Female residents of the United States are moderately(18%) more likely to live in poverty than males.
20,408,626 of 153,288,784 males in the United States live below the poverty line.
25,241,719 of 159,759,779 females in the United States live below the poverty line.
Poverty By Place of Birth
What is the poverty rate for residents of the United States born US Citizens vs Foreign-Born?
US Citizen
The Poverty Rate for residents of the United States who were born citizens of the United States is 14.2%.
Foreign
The Poverty Rate for residents of the United States who were born citizens of a country other than the US is 17.2%.
Poverty Rate for residents of the United States born US Citizens vs Foreign-Born
Foreign-born residents of the United States have a higher poverty rate than those who were born US citizens.
Of the 270,593,762 residents of the United States who were born citizens of the United States, 38,366,125 (14.2%) had income levels below the poverty line within the past year.
Conversely, 7,284,220 (17.2%) of 42,454,801 residents of the United States who were born citizens of a country other than the US reported income levels below the poverty line within the past year.
Poverty Rate Rankings By State
| Rank | State | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|
1st |
New Hampshire |
8.1% |
2nd |
Maryland |
9.7% |
3rd |
Connecticut |
10.1% |
4th |
Alaska |
10.2% |
5th |
Hawaii |
10.3% |
6th |
Minnesota |
10.5% |
7th |
New Jersey |
10.7% |
8th |
Utah |
11.0% |
9th |
North Dakota |
11.0% |
10th |
Massachusetts |
11.1% |
11th |
Wyoming |
11.1% |
12th |
Virginia |
11.2% |
13th |
Vermont |
11.4% |
14th |
Colorado |
11.5% |
15th |
Nebraska |
12.0% |
16th |
Iowa |
12.0% |
17th |
Delaware |
12.1% |
18th |
Washington |
12.2% |
19th |
Wisconsin |
12.3% |
20th |
Kansas |
12.8% |
21st |
Maine |
12.9% |
22nd |
Pennsylvania |
13.1% |
23rd |
Rhode Island |
13.4% |
24th |
Illinois |
13.5% |
25th |
South Dakota |
13.9% |
26th |
Nevada |
14.2% |
27th |
Montana |
14.4% |
28th |
Idaho |
14.5% |
29th |
Indiana |
14.6% |
30th |
Missouri |
14.6% |
31st |
Oregon |
14.9% |
32nd |
Ohio |
14.9% |
33rd |
New York |
15.1% |
34th |
California |
15.1% |
35th |
Florida |
15.5% |
36th |
Michigan |
15.6% |
37th |
Texas |
16.0% |
38th |
North Carolina |
16.1% |
39th |
Oklahoma |
16.2% |
40th |
South Carolina |
16.6% |
41st |
Tennessee |
16.7% |
42nd |
Georgia |
16.9% |
43rd |
Arizona |
17.0% |
44th |
West Virginia |
17.8% |
45th |
Alabama |
18.0% |
46th |
Arkansas |
18.1% |
47th |
Kentucky |
18.3% |
48th |
Louisiana |
19.6% |
49th |
New Mexico |
20.6% |
50th |
Mississippi |
21.5% |
Research & Reports
National Social Security Payment Statistics
We breakdown over 3,000 counties nationwide and rank states with the most and least social security payments given to residents.
Social Security Statistics
Food Stamps in America
Which areas receive the most food stamp public assistance in your state? We breakdown over 3,000 counties nationwide and rank communities with the most and least food and nutrional supplements given to residents.
See Food Stamp Statistics