Poverty for States and Large Metropolitan Areas Data from the American Community Survey
Using income and household relationship data from the American
Community Surveys (ACS), the Census Bureau provides
unofficial estimates of the number and percentage of people
in poverty for sub-national levels of geography.
The Bureau produces ACS estimates for the nation, states, and
large metropolitan statistical areas.
Frequency and Timespan: Annual data and averages across
mulit-year timespans for 2004-2013
Geographic Level of Coverage: Subnational estimates of income and
poverty for all places, counties, and metropolitan areas with a
population of at least 65,000 as well as the nation and the
states
Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau counts people in poverty with
two measures. Both the official and supplemental poverty measures
are based on estimates of the level of income needed to cover
basic needs. Those who live in households with earnings below
those incomes are considered to be in poverty.
In 2015, poverty rates across the four Census geographic regions
ranged from 11.7 percent in the Midwest, 12.4 percent in the
Northeast, 13.3 percent in the West and 15.3 percent in the
South. Because of the South’s largest share of the total U.S.
population, it has the largest number of people who live in
poverty compared to any other region.
In 2010, 15% of people lived in poverty. Poverty is not
evenly distributed across neighborhoods and every state has
neighborhoods with higher than average poverty rates.
