Population articles
What is the US poverty rate?
The poverty rate was about 10.6% of the US 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?
Poverty affects millions of children in America, and the national child poverty rate was 16.9% in 2021. Here are the states with the highest poverty rates.
What is the definition of poverty in the US?
A brief guide to how the government defines poverty in America.
How does poverty affect people’s mental and physical health?
Americans who are living in poverty report feelings of worry and anxiety at higher rates than average.
How many homeless people are in the US? What does the data miss?
Of the 745,652 people experiencing homelessness in January 2025, white adults ages 35 to 44 represented the largest demographic group.
More than half a million US households live with plumbing poverty
Census data shows plumbing poverty — the lack of access to running water and/or an indoor bath or shower — heavily impacts native populations.
Which US cities have the largest homeless populations?
In 2025, over a quarter of people experiencing homelessness in the US were concentrated in two major cities: New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA.
What does living at the poverty line look like?
Inflation affects families at different income levels unevenly as the poorest Americans pay a larger share of their incomes on food and housing.
How is the standard of living changing for veterans?
Veterans in the US earn higher incomes and have lower unemployment and poverty rates than the general population.
Which states have the highest and lowest rates of homelessness?
New York and Oregon have the highest US homelessness rates. Over five years, rates rose in all but four states and Washington, DC.
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.
Are fewer kids playing sports?
Although youth sports participation has generally declined over time, recent data suggests the trend may be starting to shift.
What is the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program?
This federal program from the Department of Agriculture provides nutritional support to eligible women, infants, and children 5 or younger.
Mammograms are recommended beginning at age 50. Are women getting them?
71.6% of women 50 and older have had a mammogram in the past two years. The biggest gap in screening rates is between insured and uninsured women.
How does the government support people with Section 8 housing?
The Department of Housing and Urban Development offers two rental assistance programs for low-income Americans under Section 8 housing — Project-Based Rental Assistance and Housing Choice Vouchers.
10 facts for Black History Month
February is Black History Month — here’s a look at some of the ways government data sheds light on the experience of Black Americans.
How much child support do parents actually receive?
Fifty-four percent of parents who were owed child support did not receive the full amount in 2017.
Data on Pacific Islander ethnicities, education, and income
Native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Chamorro are the three most common Pacific Islander ethnic groups in the US.
How many Americans have diabetes?
The prevalence of diabetes increased from 10.3% of people in 2001 to 11.6% in 2021.
Minimum wage in America: How many people are earning $7.25 an hour?
In 2023, about 869,000 hourly workers —1.1% of all hourly workers — earned at or below the federal minimum wage.
How many people receive government assistance?
In 2022, around one in three Americans was enrolled in at least one government assistance program.