Poverty
Source and Methodological Information
List of Indicators
Percent of People below 200% of Official Poverty Threshold
Percent of People below 75% of Official Poverty Threshold
Percent of Families in Poverty
Percent of Poor Population that is Employed
Percent of Poor Population that is Employed Year-Round Full-Time
Alternative Poverty Rate MSI-GA-CPI
Alternative Poverty Rate MIT-GA-CPI
Official Poverty Rate
Description
Percent of people living in families with total income below the official poverty threshold.
Source
Most of the data are from the U.S. Census Bureau Historical Poverty Tables for People. The overall trend (population “All”) and some breakdowns by race (all ages together) and family type are from Table 2, “Poverty Status, by Family Relationship, Race, and Hispanic Origin” (but see below for exceptions). Breakdowns by gender are from Table 7, “Poverty of People, by Sex.” Breakdowns by age, and age and race, are from Table 3, “Poverty Status, by Age, Race and Hispanic Origin,” and Table 20, “Poverty Status of Related Children under Six Years of Age” (but see below for exceptions). Breakdowns by employment status are from Table 25, “Work Experience and Poverty Status for People 16 Years Old and Over.” The Census Bureau’s estimates are based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Poverty estimates for some populations and years are produced by the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality (CPI), based on microdata from the CPS Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (King et al., 2010). The populations for which estimates are produced by CPI are some breakdowns by age (Age 18 to 24, Age 25 to 34, Age 35 to 44, Age 45 to 54, Age 55 to 64), all breakdowns by education (Less than High School Degree, High School Degree, Some College, and Bachelor’s degree or More), some breakdowns by race (“Black,” “Black Non-Hispanic,” “Age 18 to 64, Black,” and “Age 18 to 64, Black Non-Hispanic”), and some breakdowns by family type (“People in Married Couple Families”). For three populations, data are a combination of the Census Bureau’s and CPI’s estimates. For the population “Age 18 to 64, White,” data for years 1967-1973 are from CPI; for “Age 18 to 64, White Non-Hispanic,” data for years 1970-1973 are from CPI; and for “Age 18 to 64, Hispanic (any race),” data for years 1970-1975 are from CPI. Data for these three populations for all other years are from the Census Bureau.
Reference
King, Miriam, Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Sarah Flood, Katie Genadek, Matthew B. Schroeder, Brandon Trampe, and Rebecca Vick. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Current Population Survey: Version 3.0. [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2010.
Methodological Notes
To classify people as poor, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. If a family's total income is below the poverty threshold relevant to that family, then every individual in the family is classified as poor. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes as its measure of income, and does not include capital gains or the monetary value of noncash benefits such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps. For more information, see the Census Bureau's poverty definitions.
In 2002, there were substantial changes in the racial categories used by the Census Bureau. Time series by race that include data from both classifications should be interpreted with care. More details on the changes in racial categories.
Percent of People below 200% of Official Poverty Threshold
Description
Percent of people living in families with total income below 200 percent of the official poverty threshold.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables for People. The overall trends come from Table 5, “Percent of People by Ratio of Income to Poverty Level.” The trend for people over age 64 and over comes from Table 12, “Persons 65 and Over with Incomes Below 125% of the Poverty Threshold, and the Near Poor, by Race.”
The Census Bureau’s estimates are based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Methodological Notes
To classify people as poor, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. If a family's total income is below the poverty threshold relevant to that family, then every individual in the family is classified as poor. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes as its measure of income, and does not include capital gains or the monetary value of noncash benefits such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps. For more information, see the Census Bureau's poverty definitions.
Percent of People below 75% of Official Poverty Threshold
Description
Percent of people living in families with total income below 75 percent of the official poverty threshold.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables for People. The overall trends come from Table 5, “Percent of People by Ratio of Income to Poverty Level.” The trend for people over age 64 and over comes from Table 12, “Persons 65 and Over with Incomes Below 125% of the Poverty Threshold, and the Near Poor, by Race.”
The Census Bureau’s estimates are based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Methodological Notes
To classify people as poor, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. If a family's total income is below the poverty threshold relevant to that family, then every individual in the family is classified as poor. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes as its measure of income, and does not include capital gains or the monetary value of noncash benefits such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps. For more information, see the Census Bureau's poverty definitions.
Percent of Families in Poverty
Description
Percent of families with total income below the official poverty threshold.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables for Families (Table 4, “Poverty Status of Families, by Type of Family, Presence of Related Children, Race, and Hispanic Origin”). The Census Bureau’s estimates are based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Methodological Notes
To classify people as poor, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. If a family's total income is below the poverty threshold relevant to that family, then every individual in the family is classified as poor. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes as its measure of income, and does not include capital gains or the monetary value of noncash benefits such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps. For more information, see the Census Bureau's poverty definitions.
The Current Population Survey defines a family as a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. Beginning with the 1980 Current Population Survey, unrelated subfamilies (referred to in the past as secondary families) are no longer included in the count of families, nor are the members of unrelated subfamilies included in the count of family members.
In 2002, there were substantial changes in the racial categories used by the Census Bureau. Time series by race that include data from both classifications should be interpreted with care. More details on the changes in racial categories.
Percent of Poor Population that is Employed
Description
Percent of poor people age16 and over who are employed.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables for People (Table 18, “Workers as a Proportion of All Poor People”). The Census Bureau’s estimates are based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Methodological Notes
To classify people as poor, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. If a family's total income is below the poverty threshold relevant to that family, then every individual in the family is classified as poor. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes as its measure of income, and does not include capital gains or the monetary value of noncash benefits such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps. For more information, see the Census Bureau's poverty definitions.
Percent of Poor Population that is Employed Year-Round Full-Time
Description
Percent of poor people age16 and over who are employed year-round full-time.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables for People (Table 18, “Workers as a Proportion of All Poor People”). The Census Bureau’s estimates are based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Methodological Notes
To classify people as poor, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. If a family's total income is below the poverty threshold relevant to that family, then every individual in the family is classified as poor. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes as its measure of income, and does not include capital gains or the monetary value of noncash benefits such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps. For more information, see the Census Bureau's poverty definitions.
Alternative Poverty Rate MSI-GA-CPI
Description
Percent of people living in poor families, based on a definition of poverty proposed by the National Academy of Sciences as an alternative to the official definition. For the official poverty rate, see Official Poverty Rate.
This alternative definition of poverty subtracts medical out-of-pocket expenses from family income (“MSI”), adjusts the poverty thresholds for geographic differences in the cost of living (“GA”), and adjusts for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI”).
Source
Methodological Notes
More information about alternative poverty rates is available from the National Academy of Sciences.
Alternative Poverty Rate MIT-GA-CPI
Description
Percent of people living in poor families, based on a definition of poverty proposed by the National Academy of Sciences as an alternative to the official definition. For the official poverty rate, see Official Poverty Rate.
This alternative definition of poverty includes medical out-of-pocket expenses in the poverty thresholds (“MIT”), adjusts the poverty thresholds for geographic differences in the cost of living (“GA”), and adjusts for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI”).
Source
Methodological Notes
More information about alternative poverty rates is available from the National Academy of Sciences.