What is the poverty rate in your state?

fuzzybuddy said:
I don't think poverty as "asset limited, income constrained, employed" really clears up what is meant by the term. Yeah, I know what poor is, but what level of poor constitutes "poverty". Being poor in South Sudan, and being poor in Beverly Hills are two different levels of "poor".
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I guess if you waffle and quibble enough you can define poverty out of existence. Doesn't do much to help a struggling family though.
 
Many western style countries appear or do measure and define poverty and its levels and then develop govt aid systems to assist their populations - so it is defined around the world be it UK/OZ /NZ /USA etc etc - so it is different in some ways was the original question just relating to USA and states therein or what?
 
This is the latest simplified data I could find. Every other source I checked have those in poverty broken down into several different categories and counties. From Statista.com
In 2022, 9.7 percent of New Jersey's population lived below the poverty line. This was a decrease from the previous year, when 10.2 percent of New Jersey residents lived below the poverty line. The poverty rate of the United States can be accessed here.
 
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In my state it is 12.5% and even higher for Seniors. For Seniors it's about 14%. Higher for Senior women than men.
 
Tish said:
Last I checked the poverty rate was 13.4%, In NSW
I believe I caught a radio program a few weeks ago that claimed over one Million people in Australia are living below the poverty line.
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I thought Australia had a pretty good safety net. Have the politicians been dismantling it over time? E.g.:

"Rip some holes in that net there buddy, and give me that poor person's cash if you please!" - Rich Guy.
 
Feelslikefar said:
The figures I saw for Nashville was 14.1%.
13.3% for the state of Tennessee.
9.6% for high school graduates.
26.1% for non-high school graduates.
22.9% for disabled residents.

Since I've moved here, they have torn down the majority of older homes around us and have
built these small, two story 'homes', two on the same spot 1 house stood.
Starting price...$300,000 and up.
All the car tags are from California and Colorado.
Money keeps moving here and this should change the numbers soon.

There are just a few of us hold outs.
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California policies are like an infectious disease, in my opinion.
 
VisualBrian said:
The "Poverty Rate" is an arbitrary term used by governments, normally in a politically advantageous way, to make decisions which profit their beliefs and ideologies. Only in America do we consider living in multi-room homes, owning multiple cars and iPhones, and eating out every day to be poverty. I have no idea what the poverty rate is in my state because there is no actual definition for the term.
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So, you are saying the poor need to be even more poor for them to deserve help?
 
using contemporary definitions, 12.7% of Floridians are below poverty level. But from a historical and global standard, virtually none of us are living in poverty.

one issue is that the value of governmental assistance programs are not included in income. So that poor single person living on 12,000 per year may also be getting subsidized/free rent, medical care, medications, food stamps, utilities, etc, the value of which is significant.
 
Murrmurr said:
And the US keeps raising the "poverty line". I think it's $40K a year now.
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I looked it up (smartasset.com):
SmartAsset: What Is the 2023 Federal Poverty Level (FPL)?

The federal poverty level is a key consideration in assessing anyone’s eligibility to receive government benefits. Your access to many state and federal safety net programs is often based on where you or your household falls on the federal poverty guidelines. For example, premiums on the federal health insurance exchange are defined against this metric, as are many forms of tax relief.

Federal Poverty Level Defined​

Government programs typically measure households on a sliding scale of incomes against the federal poverty level. For example, a household with an income that earns 100% of the poverty level or less may receive full benefits, while one that earns 300% of the poverty level may receive fewer. Most state and federal programs cap eligibility at 400% of the federal poverty level.
When the federal government refers to “income,” it is referring to modified adjusted gross income, which is not a number on your tax return. For most people, it’s the same or similar to adjusted gross income.
A “household” is typically defined based on tax status. Two spouses filing their taxes jointly, for example, would be considered a household of two people. A parent who claims two children as her dependents would be considered a household of three. While there are some exceptions to this rule of thumb, in most cases, household size is defined by the number of people listed on a single tax form.

How and Why Poverty Levels Vary​

SmartAsset: What Is the 2023 Federal Poverty Level (FPL)?
Both state and federal governments rely on the federal poverty level, which is published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency defines the poverty level based on household size, increasing the cap by $5,140 for each member of the household past the first and adjusting it every year based on inflation and other factors. Poverty levels, according to the government, vary by location.

In 2024 HHS has set the federal poverty level for all contiguous 48 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories, the poverty level is defined as:

Lower 48 States​

  • Household Size of 1: $15,060
  • Household Size of 2: $20,440
  • Household Size of 3: $25,820
  • Household Size of 4: $31,200
  • Household Size of 5: $36,580
  • Household Size of 6: $41,960
  • Household Size of 7: $47,340
  • Household Size of 8: $52,720
For households with more than eight people, add $5,380 per additional member of the household.
 
davey said:
Many western style countries appear or do measure and define poverty and its levels and then develop govt aid systems to assist their populations - so it is defined around the world be it UK/OZ /NZ /USA etc etc - so it is different in some ways was the original question just relating to USA and states therein or what?
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That's kind of the point I was trying to make. Russia claims zero poverty because everyone is required to work by law. In other words, unemployment is illegal in Russia, and that's the tool the gov't uses to claim zero poverty. But the average Russian only earns about $300-$400/month. They barely scrape by.

Any gov't can adjust the bar, so it's impossible (imo) to trust the statistics.
 
palides2021 said:
I looked it up (smartasset.com):
SmartAsset: What Is the 2023 Federal Poverty Level (FPL)?

The federal poverty level is a key consideration in assessing anyone’s eligibility to receive government benefits. Your access to many state and federal safety net programs is often based on where you or your household falls on the federal poverty guidelines. For example, premiums on the federal health insurance exchange are defined against this metric, as are many forms of tax relief.

Federal Poverty Level Defined​

Government programs typically measure households on a sliding scale of incomes against the federal poverty level. For example, a household with an income that earns 100% of the poverty level or less may receive full benefits, while one that earns 300% of the poverty level may receive fewer. Most state and federal programs cap eligibility at 400% of the federal poverty level.
When the federal government refers to “income,” it is referring to modified adjusted gross income, which is not a number on your tax return. For most people, it’s the same or similar to adjusted gross income.
A “household” is typically defined based on tax status. Two spouses filing their taxes jointly, for example, would be considered a household of two people. A parent who claims two children as her dependents would be considered a household of three. While there are some exceptions to this rule of thumb, in most cases, household size is defined by the number of people listed on a single tax form.

How and Why Poverty Levels Vary​

SmartAsset: What Is the 2023 Federal Poverty Level (FPL)?
Both state and federal governments rely on the federal poverty level, which is published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency defines the poverty level based on household size, increasing the cap by $5,140 for each member of the household past the first and adjusting it every year based on inflation and other factors. Poverty levels, according to the government, vary by location.

In 2024 HHS has set the federal poverty level for all contiguous 48 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories, the poverty level is defined as:

Lower 48 States​

  • Household Size of 1: $15,060
  • Household Size of 2: $20,440
  • Household Size of 3: $25,820
  • Household Size of 4: $31,200
  • Household Size of 5: $36,580
  • Household Size of 6: $41,960
  • Household Size of 7: $47,340
  • Household Size of 8: $52,720
For households with more than eight people, add $5,380 per additional member of the household.
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Yes, I've already been enlightened a couple of times.

I was going by what I saw while helping *a friend* apply for supplemental social services. I thought I remember seeing $40K as the limit for his family, but apparently that's not correct....it must have been $30-some thousand.
 

“Nearly a third of Californians are living in or near poverty.”​

Poverty in California

Much of the poverty and crime is concentrated in large cities like San Francisco, Oakland, and LA, which have become a destination for illegal aliens. I am an occasional visitor to San Francisco. There are parts of the city I would never park a car. Car thefts and break ins have become routine.
 
VintageBetter said:
I thought Australia had a pretty good safety net. Have the politicians been dismantling it over time? E.g.:

"Rip some holes in that net there buddy, and give me that poor person's cash if you please!" - Rich Guy.
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It's the housing problem over here, even if two people are working the amount of rent they pay is sky-high, if they can find a place to rent and then there is a surge of electricity and Gas providers.

Of course, this doesn't affect the illegal immigrants that come here, the government looks after them.
 
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