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 2011, almost 1 in 5 households included an “additional adult”
— someone who was not the householder, the householder’s spouse
or cohabiting partner.
The U.S.D.A.’s Economic Research Service monitors the extent and
severity of food insecurity in U.S. households through a
supplement to the Current Population Survey. Responses to a
series of 18 questions are used to determine whether a household
is food insecure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produce data on
health and healthcare in the United States. Health, United
States includes a variety of tables with breakdowns by poverty
status.