Poverty In America

The United States has 308,194,263 people. Of those people, 39,800,000 are considered poor by the U.S. Census Bureau. This includes not just ...

The United States has 308,194,263 people. Of those people, 39,800,000 are considered poor by the U.S. Census Bureau. This includes not just men without work, but children in poverty, women in poverty, and the mentally ill in poverty. Those are a lot poor people for a country that considers itself the world's richest. What is poverty in the United States? Here are more facts:

• To be poor in the U.S. (for 2008) a single person has to have an income of less than 10,991; two people less than 14,051.
• In 2008, the official US poverty rate was 13.2 percent.
• Of those who are poor, 8.6 percent are white, 11.8 are Asians, 23.2 are Hispanics, and 24.7 are black.
• 13,507,000 children in the United States live in poverty.
• Since 1959, the poverty rate decreased until the mid-70s. The poverty rate has not changed much since then.
• Since 1959, the number of people in poverty decreased until the mid-70s, but since then United States poverty in poverty has grown to almost the 1959 number.
• Since the great recession almost one in four children under 16 live in poverty.

Despite its riches, the United States poverty is very high. The United States has a large population of poor just like any other country.

The big question is, how can we lower the poverty rate?

“Poverty In America: A Handbook” by John Iceland
Poverty Statistics For The United States
World Poverty Statistics
Poverty In America
FAQ
Falling income, rising poverty

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Consider This:

Poisons and medicine are oftentimes the same substance given with different intents. -Peter Mere Latham, physician and educator (1789-1875)