POVERTY RATES

June 4, 2019

Changes in the poverty rate not only indicate the overall strength of a region’s economy but also show whether economic prosperity is benefiting those on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder. The geography of poverty is important because regional policymakers and social service providers need to provide social safety nets, transportation options, and job opportunities where they are most needed. Poverty status is determined by comparing a households’ annual income to a set of poverty thresholds (in dollars) that vary by household size, number of children, and age of householder.^[i]

Overall, the Federal Poverty Level, with its minimal and uniform national estimate of the cost of living, far underestimates the number of households that cannot afford to live and work in the modern economy. For an estimate of the total number of people struggling to make ends meet in our region check out ALICE.