Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2021

"The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income in 2021 was not statistically different than 2020. The official poverty rate of 11.6% was also not statistically different between 2020 and 2021. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate in 2021 was 7.8%, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from 2020. Meanwhile, the percentage of people with health insurance coverage for all or part of 2021 was 91.7% (compared to 91.4% in 2020.) An estimated 8.3% of people, or 27.2 million, did not have health insurance at any point during 2021, according to findings from the 2022 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). That’s compared with an estimated 8.6% of people, or 28.3 million, who did not have health insurance at any point during 2020.

Real median household income was $70,784 in 2021, not statistically different from the 2020 estimate of $71,186. Income estimates are expressed in real or 2021 dollars to reflect changes in the cost of living. Between 2020 and 2021, inflation rose 4.7%; this is the largest annual increase in the cost-of-living adjustment since 1990. You can find more in-depth analysis in our recent Random Samplings blog.

The real median earnings of all workers (including part-time and full-time workers) increased 4.6% between 2020 and 2021, while median earnings of those who worked full-time, year-round decreased 4.1%. Between 2020 and 2021, the change in the number of total workers was not statistically significant; however, there was an increase of about 11.1 million full-time, year-round workers (from approximately 106.3 million to 117.4 million), suggesting a shift from part-time or part-year in 2020 to full-time, year-round work in 2021.

The official poverty rate in 2021 was 11.6%, with 37.9 million people in poverty. Neither the rate nor the number in poverty was significantly different from 2020. The SPM rate in 2021 was 7.8%, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from 2020. This is the lowest SPM poverty rate since estimates were first published in 2009 and the third consecutive annual decline..."
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance 

Poverty in the United States in 2020

"Calendar year 2020 saw the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and an accompanying rise in the poverty rate—the percentage of the population living in poverty (economic hardship characterized by low income). Under the Census Bureau’s official poverty measure, the nation as a whole was estimated to have 37.2 million people (11.4% of the population) living in poverty in 2020, compared with 34.0 million (10.5%) in 2019.

Comparing recent poverty rates with those from before 2019 is somewhat complicated because of changes in the way household income data were collected during the pandemic (in-person interviewing was stopped in favor of telephone-only interviewing in both 2020, which measured 2019 poverty, and 2021, which measured 2020 poverty). This change in survey procedures is largely believed to have biased the overall poverty rate in 2019 downward by a little over half a percentage point. That said, the recent poverty rates in 2019 (10.5%) and 2020 (11.4%) are closer to the previous historical low of 11.1% in 1973 than to the most recent peak of 15.1% in 2010, after the Great Recession.

Between 2019 and 2020, poverty rates rose among the following:

 married-couple families (from 4.0% in 2019 to 4.7% in 2020) and female-householder families (from 22.2% to 23.4%),
 children (from 14.4% to 16.1%) and working-age adults (from 9.4% to 10.4%),
 the Hispanic population (from 15.7% to 17.0%) and White non-Hispanic population (from 7.3% to 8.2%), and
 both workers (from 4.7% to 5.0%) and nonworkers (from 26.4% to 28.8%) aged 18 to 64.

Work reduces the estimated likelihood of being in poverty but does not eliminate it. For example, among 18-to 64-year-olds in poverty, 36.8% had jobs. Among jobless 18-to-64-year-olds in poverty, 19.6% had a family member who worked..."
Poverty in U.S. 

Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019

"

Download Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

This report presents data on income, earnings, income inequality, and poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2020 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements (CPS ASEC) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Highlights:
Income: 

• Median household income was $68,703 in 2019, an increase of 6.8 percent from the 2018 median of $64,324 (Figure 1 and Table A-1).
• The 2019 real median incomes of family households and nonfamily households increased 7.3 percent and 6.2 percent from their respective 2018 estimates (Figure 1 and Table A-1). This is the fifth consecutive annual increase in median household income for family households, and the second consecutive increase for nonfamily households.
• The 2019 real median incomes of White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic households all increased from their 2018 medians (Figure 1 and Table A-1).
• Real median household incomes increased for all regions in 2019; 6.8 percent in the Northeast, 4.8 percent in the Midwest, 6.1 percent in the South, and 7.0 percent in the West (Figure 1 and Table A-1)..."
  Income and poverty 

Poverty in the United States in 2019

"Calendar year 2019 was the last full year before the start of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the last year of the economic expansion since the Great Recession. The strength of the U.S. economy in 2019 was reflected in low poverty rates—the percentage of the population living in poverty (economic hardship characterized by low income)—for the nation and by demographic group.

While the 2019 poverty estimates do not reflect people’s incomes during the pandemic, the pandemic affected survey data collection for that year, which took place February-April 2020. Instead of a combination of in person interviews and telephone interviews, only telephone interviews were conducted due to social distancing restrictions. That affected the estimates because some respondents were harder to reach by phone than in person, less likely to respond to a telephone interview than an in-person interview, or less likely to respond for other reasons. The increased rate of non response affected persons with low incomes to a greater degree than persons with high incomes. That means that while poverty in 2019 was at or close to a historic low, it was likely not as low as the official estimates suggest.

Bearing the above caveats in mind, the poverty rate in the United States was estimated to be 10.5% in 2019, down from 11.8% in 2018. This was the fifth year in a row that the poverty rate declined. The decline in poverty was broad based, affecting many demographic groups and occurring in every region of the country. The estimated poverty rate fell

 both for women (11.5% in 2019, from 12.9% in 2018) and men (9.4%, from 10.6%);

 among families with a female householder and no spouse present (22.2% in 2019, from 24.8% in 2018), the latest of a series of historic or near-historic lows for this group;

 among Hispanics (15.7% in 2019, from 17.6% in 2018), Whites not of Hispanic origin (7.3%, from 8.1%), Blacks (18.8%, from 20.8%), and Asians(7.3%,from 10.1%);

 for both full-time workers (2.0% in 2019, from 2.3% in 2018) and non workers (26.4%, from 29.7%); and

 in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

Work reduces the estimated likelihood of being in poverty but does not eliminate it entirely: 39.2% of poor 18 to 64-yearolds had jobs in 2019. Furthermore, poverty is measured using the needs and resources from the entire family, meaning that nonworkers in poverty may be living with working family members. Among 18- to 64-year-olds without jobs estimated to be living in poverty, 19.2% lived in families where someone else worked..."
Poverty 

Income and Poverty in the United States: 2017

"This report presents data on income, earnings, income inequality, and poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2018 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements (CPS ASEC) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highlights

Income:

• Median household income was $61,372 in 2017, an increase in real terms of 1.8 percent from the 2016 median of $60,309.  This is the third consecutive annual increase in median household income.
• The 2017 real median income of family households increased 1.4 percent from 2016 to $77,713.  Real median income for married-couple households increased 1.6 percent between 2016 and 2017.
• The real median income of households maintained by non-Hispanic Whites ($68,145) and Hispanics ($50,486) increased 2.6 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively, between 2016 and 2017.  This is the third annual increase in median household income for these two groups. Among the race groups, households maintained by Asians had the highest median income in 2017, $81,331.
• The real median income of households maintained by a native-born person increased 1.5 percent between 2016 and 2017, while the 2017 real median income of households maintained by a foreign-born person was not statistically different from 2016..."
  Income and poverty

The Opiod Crisis and Economic Opportunity: Geographic and Economic Trends

"This study examines relationships between indicators of economic opportunity and the prevalence of prescription opioids and substance use in the United States. Overall, areas with lower economic opportunity are disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis. However, the extent of that relationship varies regionally.

(1) The prevalence of drug overdose deaths and opioid prescriptions has risen unevenly across the county, with rural areas more heavily affected. Specific geographic areas, such as Appalachia, parts of the West and the Midwest, and New England, have seen higher prevalence than other areas.

(2) Poverty, unemployment rates, and the employment-to-population ratio are highly correlated with the prevalence of prescription opioids and with substance use measures. On average, counties with worse economic prospects are more likely to have higher rates of opioid prescriptions, opioid-related hospitalizations, and drug overdose deaths.

(3) Some high-poverty regions of the country were relatively isolated from the opioid epidemic, as shown by our substance use measures, as of 2016..."
Opiods and economics

Household Food Security in the United States in 2016

"An estimated 87.7 percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2016, meaning they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (12.3 percent) were food insecure at least some time during the year, including 4.9 percent with very low food security, meaning that at times the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted because the household lacked money and other resources for obtaining food. Changes from 2015 to 2016 in food insecurity overall (from 12.7 to 12.3 percent) and in very low food security (from 5.0 to 4.9 percent) were not statistically significant, but they continued a downward trend in food insecurity from a high of 14.9 percent in 2011. Among children, changes from 2015 in food insecurity and very low food security were also not statistically significant. Children and adults were food insecure in 8.0 percent of households with children in 2016, essentially unchanged from 7.8 percent in 2015. Very low food security among children was 0.8 percent in 2016, essentially unchanged from 0.7 percent in 2015. In 2016, the typical food-secure household spent 29 percent more on food than the typical food-insecure household of the same size and household composition. About 59 percent of food-insecure households participated in one or more of the three largest Federal food and nutrition assistance programs during the month prior to the 2016 survey (food stamps (SNAP); Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and the National School Lunch Program)..."
Food security

Income and Poverty in the United States: 2016

"This report presents data on income, earnings, income inequality, and poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2017 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements (CPS ASEC) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau..."
Income and poverty

Census Bureau Releases 2015 Income and Poverty Estimates for All Counties

"Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released the latest findings from its Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program. The program provides the only up-to-date, single-year income and poverty statistics for all counties and school districts — roughly 3,140 counties and over 13,000 school districts nationally.

The tables provide statistics on the number of people in poverty, the number of children younger than age 5 in poverty (for states only), the number of children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty, the number of children younger than age 18 in poverty, and median household income. At the school district level, estimates are available for the total population, the number of children ages 5 to 17 and the number of children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty.

These findings are a combination of the latest data from the American Community Survey with aggregate data from federal tax records, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Supplemental Security Income, decennial censuses and the Population Estimates Program..."Income and poverty

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2015

"The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income increased by 5.2 percent between 2014 and 2015 while the official poverty rate decreased 1.2 percentage points. At the same time, the percentage of people without health insurance coverage decreased.

Median household income in the United States in 2015 was $56,516, an increase in real terms of 5.2 percent from the 2014 median income of $53,718. This is the first annual increase in median household income since 2007, the year before the most recent recession.

The nation’s official poverty rate in 2015 was 13.5 percent, with 43.1 million people in poverty, 3.5 million fewer than in 2014. The 1.2 percentage point decrease in the poverty rate from 2014 to 2015 represents the largest annual percentage point drop in poverty since 1999.

The percentage of people without health insurance coverage for the entire 2015 calendar year was 9.1 percent, down from 10.4 percent in 2014. The number of people without health insurance declined to 29.0 million from 33.0 million over the period..."
Income and poverty

Poverty in the United States: 50-Year Trends and Safety Net Impacts.

"50-Year Trends and Safety Net Impacts Report
Poverty in the United States: 50-Year Trends and Safety Net Impacts presents analyses of the impact of the safety net on poverty rates and a close look at populations experiencing high risks of poverty during the 50 years since the War on Poverty began.

The report highlights the increasing role of safety net programs in lifting families and children out of poverty between 1967 and 2012 by providing estimates of what poverty rates would have looked like had resources from government policies and programs not been available (See Figure 7)..."
Poverty

Census Bureau Releases 2014 Income and Poverty Estimates for All Counties

"Today, the Census Bureau released the latest findings from its Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program. The program provides the only up-to-date, single-year income and poverty statistics for all counties and school districts — roughly 3,140 counties and nearly 14,000 school districts nationally.

Tables provide statistics on the number of people in poverty, the number of children younger than age 5 in poverty (for states only), the number of children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty, the number younger than age 18 in poverty, and median household income. At the school district level, estimates are available for the total population, the number of children ages 5 to 17 and the number of children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty.

These estimates combine the latest data from the American Community Survey with aggregate data from federal tax records, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, decennial censuses and the Population Estimates Program.

According to the 2014 estimates:

• Median household income at the county level in 2014 ranged from $21,658 to $125,635, with a median county level value of $45,229.
• Based on poverty rate estimates for all 3,141 counties for all ages, 26 percent (820 counties) had a statistically significant increase in poverty between 2007 (the year before the most recent recession) and 2014. Only 1 percent of counties had a statistically significant decrease in poverty during that period..."
  Small area income and poverty

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Products

"The Census Bureau is releasing a selection of data products on income, poverty and health insurance coverage. These products include:

• 2015 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement Public Use Micro Data File containing tax and noncash benefit variables (http://www.census.gov/hhes/povmeas/data/supplemental/public-use.html)
• 2015 CPS ASEC updated in Table Creator online tool (http://www.census.gov/cps/data/cpstablecreator.html)
• 2015 CPS ASEC Supplemental Poverty Measure Research File (http://www.census.gov/hhes/povmeas/data/public-use.html)
• 2014 National Academy of Science (NAS) based poverty tables updated using the 2015 CPS ASEC - experimental poverty measures based on recommendations of the 1995 NAS report “Measuring Poverty” (http://www.census.gov/hhes/povmeas/data/nas/tables/2014/index.html)

Income, poverty, health insurance

Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014

"This report presents data on income and poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2015 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements (CPS ASEC) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2013 income and poverty estimates used in this report are based on the 2014 CPS ASEC sample of 30,000 addresses eligible to complete the questionnaire that included redesigned questions for income. These 2013 estimates differ from those released in September 2014. See the text box “Source of Estimates” and Appendix D for more information.

Summary of findings:
 • Real median household income in 2014 was not statistically different from the 2013 median.
 • The official poverty rate in 2014 was not statistically different from 2013.

For most groups, the 2014 income estimates were not statistically different from 2013 estimates. There were a few exceptions. Real median household income increased for households maintained by a foreign-born householder; income declined for non-Hispanic White households, households maintained by a native-born householder, households in the West and those inside principal cities of metropolitan statistical areas. The 2014 poverty rate increased for two groups: people aged 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree and married-couple families.

This report contains two main sections; one focuses on income and the other on poverty. Each section presents estimates by characteristics such as race, Hispanic origin, nativity, and region.2 Other topics, such as earnings and family poverty rates are included only in the relevant section..."
Income and poverty

Comparison Guidance: Income and Poverty

"Last year, the U.S. Census Bureau implemented methodological changes to the 2014Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC). Based onsubstantial research to improve the quality of the data we collect, we redesigned the way we asked the survey questions about income in 2014. Over the course of the past year, we evaluated the effects of the redesign and sought out experts to review and provide feedback on our efforts. Based on the results of our evaluation, we fully implemented the redesign in 2015.

Maintaining the time series means two estimates for 2013 income and poverty. 

In the 2014 ASEC, we introduced the redesigned income questions using a probability split panel design. Of the 98,000 addresses selected to participate in the 2014 ASEC, approximately 68,000 addresses received the traditional set of income questions. The remaining 30,000 addresses received the redesigned income questions.

The split design functions as a bridge for year-to-year comparisons of the data. Last year, we used the traditional income questions to look at changes between 2012 and 2013. This year, we will use the estimates from the sample eligible to receive the redesigned income questions to look at changes between 2013 and 2014..."
Income and poverty

Census Bureau to Announce Findings for 2014 Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage, and Supplemental Poverty Measure

"What:The U.S. Census Bureau will hold an online news conference to announce the findings from three reports:Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2014, and The Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2014. The income and poverty report, as well as the report on the supplemental poverty measure, are both based on the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey. The health insurance report is based on both the Current Population Survey and the American Community Survey and contains some state-level findings.

The presenter and other subject-matter experts will take questions from reporters following completion of her remarks.

When:Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015
10 a.m. EDT

News conference page:The reports, data tables and news release will be posted online shortly after the news conference begins and can be accessed at <http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-kits/2015/income_poverty.html>.

Access: The Census Bureau will broadcast the event live on
<https://www.census.gov/newsroom/census-live.html>..".
Income poverty and health Insurance

Poverty Guidelines: 2015

Find the latest poverty guidelines as reported on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' web site. 
Poverty guidelines

What is the Supplemental Poverty Measure and How Does it Differ from the Official Measure?

"In September, the U.S. Census Bureau released official poverty statistics for the United States for the 2013 calendar year. The current official poverty measure was developed in the early 1960s, and only a few minor changes have been implemented since that time...
In 2010, an interagency technical working group asked the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop a new measure that would improve our understanding of the economic well-being of American families and enhance our ability to measure the effect of federal policies on those living in poverty..
This week, the Census Bureau will release the fourth report on the supplemental poverty measure, containing estimates for the 2013 calendar year. The report presents estimates for and discusses differences between the official and the supplemental poverty measures. The major differences are listed in the box below and in this chart: http://www.census.gov/how/infographics/poverty_measure-how.html .."
Supplemental poverty measure

Poverty in the Untied States: 2013

"In 2013, 45.3 million people were counted as poor in the United States under the official poverty

measure—a number statistically unchanged from the 46.5 million people estimated as poor in 2012. The poverty rate , or percent of the population considered poor under the official definition, was reported at 14.5% in 2013, a statistically significant drop from the estimated 15.0% in 2012. Poverty in the United States increased markedly over the 2007-2010 period, in tandem with the economic recession (officially marked as running from December 2007 to June 2009), and remained unchanged at a post-recession high for three years (15.1% in 2010, and 15.0% in both 2011 and 2012). The 2013 poverty rate of 14.5% remains above a 2006 pre-recession low of 12.3%, and well above an historic low rate of 11.3% attained in 2000 (a rate statistically tied with a previous low of 11.1% in 1973).."

Poverty

Child Poverty Down – Income of Families with Children Up

"Today the Census Bureau released the 2013 annual Income and Poverty in the United States report. Poverty among children under age 18 fell from 21.8 percent in 2012 to 19.9 percent in 2013. This is the first statistically significant year-to-year decline in child poverty since 2000. For the second year in a row, there was an increase in the median income of families with children..."
Child poverty