2023 Poverty Rate By State, Per The Latest Census Data

Poverty in the USA presents a posh mosaic of challenges and disparities. As the newest census knowledge reveals — Census Bureau’s 2022 American Group Survey — poverty charges proceed to ebb and circulation throughout the 50 states, every grappling with its distinctive financial, social, and demographic elements.

We analyzed knowledge on poverty charges by state, trying again during the last decade to see how ranges of poverty have modified. Keep in mind that 10 years in the past, the 12 months 2012 witnessed many American housing markets lastly hit all-time low and — although the Nice Recession had technically resulted in 2009, in line with the Nationwide Bureau of Financial Analysis (NBER) — the early 2010s have been a time of terribly sluggish restoration. Thus, poverty charges in 2012 are usually greater than right this moment. Nonetheless, that isn’t at all times the case.

Learn on to search out out which U.S. states have the very best poverty charges and which of them have the bottom, in addition to extra detailed findings.

10 States With the Lowest Poverty Charges

The highest 10 states with the bottom poverty charges are geographically a mixture of the U.S. Northeast area and a few from the Midwest and West. The No. 1 state with the bottom poverty price is New Hampshire, with solely 7.2% of its inhabitants dwelling under the poverty line. A decade in the past, New Hampshire’s poverty price was 10%, earlier than dropping by 28% to its present stage of seven.2%. The state that got here in second with the bottom poverty price is Utah, with solely 8.2% of its inhabitants dwelling under the poverty line.

Utah’s 10-year decline in its poverty price — a lower of almost 36%, from 12.8% in 2012, down to eight.2% in 2022 — is the best decline of all 50 states. Alternatively, Maryland, which is tied for having the fourth lowest poverty price, skilled one of many smallest decreases in its poverty stage during the last decade. Maryland’s poverty price solely declined by 6.8%, from 10.3% in 2012 to 9.6% in 2022.

5 states witnessed a decline of 30% or extra of their poverty charges during the last 10 years:

• Utah poverty price change 2012-2022: -35.9% | 12.8% to eight.2%
• Georgia poverty price change 2012-2022: -33.9% | 19.2% to 12.7%
• Arizona poverty price change 2012-2022: -33.2% | 18.7% to 12.5%
• Idaho poverty price change 2012-2022: -32.7% | 15.9% to 10.7%
• Colorado poverty price change 2012-2022: -31.4% | 13.7% to 9.4%

10 States With the Highest Poverty Charges

Now, we flip to the opposite finish of the spectrum. The ten states with the very best poverty charges are geographically composed of Southern states and a few exceptions, like New Mexico and New York. Within the state with the worst stage of poverty — Mississippi — almost one-fifth of the inhabitants (19.1%) have been dwelling under the poverty line in 2022, which is an enchancment, nonetheless, over its 21.5% poverty price in 2017.

A few the states with the very best poverty charges additionally skilled both sluggish declines since 2012 or, within the case of West Virginia, for instance, an outright improve in poverty. For example, in Louisiana, which has the second highest poverty price at 18.6%, from 2012 to 2022, the state noticed solely a 6.5% lower in its stage of poverty: From 19.9% in 2012, to 18.6% in 2022. Oklahoma, which has the ninth highest poverty price, noticed its stage decline by solely 8.7% during the last 10 years, from 17.2% to fifteen.7%.

Poverty Fee by State in 2023

Beneath is a desk detailing the poverty charges in all 50 states plus D.C., with knowledge going again 10 years.

In solely 3 states out of fifty have state poverty charges elevated over the ten years from 2012 to 2022. These states embrace Alaska, the place the share dwelling under the poverty line rose by 8.9%: From 10.1% in 2012, as much as 11% in 2022. North Dakota was the second state, although its change was solely from 11.2% in 2012 to 11.5% in 2022. The third state — West Virginia – additionally noticed a tiny rise, from 17.8% in 2012 to 17.9% in 2022.

Poverty Charges by State: Seniors

On the floor, financial circumstances look pretty good, with 47 states plus D.C. all experiencing declines of their respective ranges of poverty from 2012 to 2022. However this common, fowl’s eye view, hides numerous important patterns and nuances.

As talked about above, solely 3 states out of fifty noticed poverty charges improve since 2012. Nonetheless, what this seemingly optimistic information hides is an inexorably improve in ranges of poverty amongst individuals 65 years and older. In solely 4 states out of fifty did the share of 65-year-olds and older dwelling under the poverty line decline.

The poverty charges of individuals aged 65 and older and, extra importantly, their progress of the final 10 years, are startling. In Alaska, the share of individuals aged 65 and older that stay under the poverty line went from a modest 4.4% in 2012, to greater than 1-in-10 in 2022 (10.2%). That represents a rise of 131.8% during the last decade. Wyoming additionally witnessed a doubling of its poverty price amongst seniors: From 4.8% in 2012, the share of individuals aged 65 and older dwelling in poverty rose by 104.2%, reaching 9.8% by 2022.

Apparently, it’s the District of Columbia that’s dwelling to the very best poverty price amongst individuals aged 65 years and older, with 15.9% of them dwelling under the poverty line in 2022. That is up by greater than a 3rd (33.6%) since its poverty price again in 2012, when it was 11.9%. Louisiana is available in second, with 14.8% of individuals 65 years and older dwelling under the poverty line in 2022, up from 12.6% in 2012.