Population articles
What is the US poverty rate?
About 10.6% of the population as of 2024. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2024, 35.9 million people lived in poverty.
Which states have the highest child poverty rates?
Americans make more than 20% of the world’s income, despite accounting for less than 5% of the world’s population. Yet, poverty — not having enough money to meet basic needs — remains a chronic issue in the United States.Poverty also impacts millions of children in America. The national child poverty rate was 16.9% in 2021, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). In contrast, the national poverty rate that year was 12.8%.
What is the definition of poverty in the US?
Poverty remains a persistent issue in the United States, with millions of Americans unable to make ends meet each year. According to data from the Census Bureau, nearly 38 million Americans lived in poverty in 2021.How does the federal government define poverty?The federal government defines poverty based on family size and income. If a family’s total income is less than the poverty threshold set by the federal government, then that family is considered impoverished. The official poverty measure is adjusted annually to account for inflation.Let’s use 2021 poverty data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as an example. Using the official poverty measure, a family of four would be considered in poverty if their annual household income was $26,500 or less before taxes. (For 2020-2021, the median household income for a family of such size was $90,657.)Since the measure is set at the federal level, it does not take into account the varying costs of living in different parts of the country, which can lead to errors in counting.
How does poverty affect people’s mental and physical health?
Poorer households spend a larger portion of their incomes on housing, food, and healthcare. But the challenges of poverty go beyond paying for necessities. People living in poverty are more prone to mental and physical health issues — 19.4% report regular anxiety, and a range of studies indicate an increased risk for chronic disease.What is the federal poverty level?As of January 2023, the federal poverty line is $29,960 for a family of four, or $14,891 for an individual. Households earning at or below these incomes are eligible for certain government programs, including Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, sometimes referred to as food stamps), and other welfare benefits or temporary assistance.
How many people receive SNAP benefits in the US every month?
About 41.7 million people during fiscal year (FY) 2024. That’s 12.3% of the US population. Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is determined based on household income levels. SNAP, once known as the Food Stamp program, is administered by the Department of Agriculture providing food assistance to low-income individuals.
More than half a million US households live with plumbing poverty
Most Americans consider their access to running water a given.But according to American Community Survey (ACS) data from the Census Bureau, 522,752 US households lacked complete plumbing access in 2021. Of these households, 347,943 didn’t have a bath or a shower, 419,971 lacked hot or cold running water, and 246,884 had neither.This lack of access is sometimes known as plumbing poverty. The term is specifically defined to refer to a household that does not have hot and cold running water and/or lacks an indoor bathtub or shower.How has lack of plumbing changed over time?Plumbing poverty levels have fluctuated over the past two decades. Between 2019 and 2021, an additional 50,661 American households lacked a bath or shower. Plus, 53,705 more households didn’t have hot or cold running water, and 48,351 additional households lacked both.The last time plumbing poverty exceeded current levels was in 2011, when 499,903 households were without a bath or a shower, 536,397 households lacked hot or cold running water, and 398,435 households had neither.
What does living at the poverty line look like?
In 1963, a statistician for the Social Security Administration named Mollie Orshansky developed what we commonly refer to as the poverty line — a federal marker that indicates who is poor in America.Before then, the government lacked a method to measure how many families struggled to afford basic necessities. Orshansky drew from her experience as a former Department of Agriculture (USDA) economist. She based her calculations on one of the most critical expenses for a family: its food bill. By tallying the cost to feed a family of four, based on a no-frills food plan developed by the USDA, she calculated the corresponding income needed to cover these meals plus living expenses.Orshansky applied this model to create 124 poverty thresholds, accounting for age, gender, family size, and other designations.What does the poverty line look like today?To this day, the Census Bureau issues its poverty thresholds based on Orshansky’s work. These figures take into account household size and income, as well as other factors, such as age. These poverty thresholds are used for statistical purposes to calculate the number of Americans living in poverty. They are also the starting points from which federal “poverty guidelines” are calculated.According to the most recent report issued in January 2023, the poverty threshold for a family of four is $29,960. For an individual, the poverty threshold is $14,891.The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issues its poverty guidelines based on the Census Bureau’s poverty thresholds. They’re used to determine the financial eligibility for certain government programs, including Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known as SNAP or sometimes referred to as food stamps), the National School Lunch Program, and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Are fewer kids playing sports?
In 2023, the percentage of children participating in sports increased for the second consecutive year.According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), playing sports can improve a child’s physical and mental health. This includes improvements in bone health, cardiorespiratory and muscular health, and a reduced risk of depression. Sports can also help children develop confidence and self-esteem, as well as social and interpersonal skills.How many kids play sports?The National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) found that an estimated 55.4% of children aged 6 to 17 played on a sports team or took lessons as of 2023 — up from 53.8% in 2022.
What is the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program?
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, provides federal grants to states to support low-income women who are pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding, as well as infants and children under age 5 who are at nutritional risk. These grants fund state and local WIC agencies to provide participants with food benefits through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, along with nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services. WIC is a federal program run by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). It was created in 1972 as a pilot program to provide supplemental foods and nutrition education to low-income women, infants, and young children, and it was made permanent in 1975 in the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. How many people get WIC benefits?In FY 2024, 6.7 million women, infants, and children received WIC benefits. For comparison, 41.7 million people received SNAP benefits in FY 2024, more than six times as many as received WIC. WIC participation has changed over time: It grew steadily from 1975 by around 245,000 participants per year until its peak in 2010 at 9.2 million participants. After 2010, participation declined each year until 2021, but WIC participation increased again in 2022. The USDA attributes the drop in participation to declining unemployment and poverty rates, and falling birth rates. The agency also cites barriers such as eligibility confusion, transportation challenges, and stigma associated with participating in the program for the decline.
How is the standard of living changing for veterans?
Veterans’ standard of living in 2023 was slightly better than the average American when measured by higher median incomes, lower unemployment rates, and a reduced likelihood of poverty.How many veterans are unemployed?In 2023, 2.8% of veterans — around 241,000 people — were unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The veteran population had a lower unemployment rate than non-veterans (3.6%). Of all Americans, veteran and not, younger people tend to have the highest unemployment rate. This is true for veterans aged 18 to 24, whose unemployment rate of 7.8% is more than double the general veteran average. Veterans with a service-related disability also had a higher unemployment rate; it stood at 6.0% as of August 2023.
Data on Pacific Islander ethnicities, education, and income
There are 1.6 million Americans who identify as Pacific Islander, making up 0.49% of the population in 2023. From 2013 to 2023, the Pacific Islander population grew by 32.7%, or 400,000 people. Asian Americans are sometimes grouped with Pacific Islanders under the “AAPI” umbrella and are jointly celebrated every May during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This population is diverse, with education and income varying widely between ethnic groups. What are the different ethnic groups among Pacific Islanders?There are three Pacific Islands regions: Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Ethnicities are based on the island that a person’s family and ancestors originated from.
Just the Facts about the US population, demographics, and geography
Household size, racial demographics, the average age of an American: these stats are always changing. And who has a college degree? How many people are registered to vote? Here’s America by the numbers.
Minimum wage in America: How many people are earning $7.25 an hour?
Although the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the minimum an employer must pay depends on the state in which the employee resides. Many states have mandated minimum wages that are different from the federal minimum
How many homeless people are in the US? What does the data miss?
Around 23 out of every 10,000 Americans — 771,480 people — experienced homelessness in January 2024 according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annual point-in-time report, which measures homelessness across the US on a single night each winter. That’s an 18% increase from the same report in 2023.
Which US cities have the largest homeless populations?
About 771,480 people were experiencing homelessness in the US in January 2024, according to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data. HUD divides the US into 385 continuums of care, groups of service agencies — nonprofits, hospitals, law enforcement, mental health providers, and many more — responsible for coordinating homelessness services in a particular area. A continuum can cover a city, a city and county (e.g., Spokane County in Washington, which includes the city of Spokane), or a group of rural areas. In 2024: 48 continuums included major cities 61 were largely urban but without a major city 165 were largely suburban 111 were largely rural About 54% of the nation’s homeless people lived in the continuums containing the 50 biggest cities.
Mammograms are recommended beginning at age 50. Are women getting them?
Adjusting for age, 71.6% of women 50 and older have had a mammogram screening in the past two years. This figure includes women of all backgrounds, including education, race, income level, and other factors, including insurance status — which denotes the biggest gap between who does or doesn’t get screened.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, with approximately 119 per 100,000 women in the United States diagnosed with a new case in 2020. Among women’s cancer deaths, it is the second most common cause, responsible for approximately 19 deaths per 100,000 women in 2020.
Which states have the highest and lowest rates of homelessness?
About 771,000 Americans experienced homelessness in January 2024 according to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) point-in-time data, which measures homelessness across the US on a single night each winter. That’s an 18% increase from 2023. Nationally, approximately 22.7 people out of every 10,000 experienced homelessness during the 2024 count. Mississippi had the lowest rate of homelessness, at 3.5 people per 10,000, while in Hawaii, the rate was more than 20 times that — 80.5 per 10,000. In the District of Columbia, comprised entirely of the city of Washington, 80.0 people experienced homelessness for every 10,000.
How does the government support people with Section 8 housing?
Thirty-eight million people in America were living in poverty in 2022. To reduce the risk of homelessness for millions, the federal government provides financial support for people whose incomes are below a certain threshold. Just over nine million people receive housing subsidies through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 8 program.
10 facts for Black History Month
The Black population in the US outnumbers the total population of any single state. It’s impossible to distill the experience of any population — or any individual — into data points, but government data offers some insight into how the broader Black American experience has changed in recent years.Here are 10 data points that speak to the experience of some Black Americans.
How much child support do parents actually receive?
About 30% of parents who are owed child support payments get nothing, according to data from the Census Bureau.One in five children in the US live in households that receive child support payments. In 2017, the 5.4 million parents who were owed child support payments received 62% of the amount they were supposed to get, on average.The median amount received was $1,800, though 1.6 million, or 30% received no child support at all. About 46% of parents with child support agreements get all of what is owed to them.Black children live with one biological parent at a disproportionate rate compared with other racial or ethnic groups. But those families are also less likely to receive child support payments.