The nation’s poverty rose from 2019 to 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s “Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2020.” It was the first increase in five years, with the poverty rate rising from 10.5% to 11.4%. The report also indicates that 37.2 million people were living in poverty in 2020, nearly 3.3 million more than in 2019.
It surprised some that the poverty rate did not rise higher last year. But government programs to combat the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic helped. According to The New York Times, “The fact that poverty did not rise more during an enormous economic disruption reflects the equally enormous government response.”
The poverty rate has been below 13% most years since 1997. The exception is the period of The Great Recession. The figure moved to 15.1% in 2010, and then 15.1% in 2011 and 2012. Looking further back, poverty was even higher than that in the early 1960s, at around 20%. Looking at the more current situation nationwide, here is the metro with the highest poverty rate in every state.
Poverty has a wide range of effects on America’s poor. People living in poverty are less likely to be healthy than the rest of the population. They are less likely to be well educated. They are less likely to have access to healthy food. To be poor usually also means to stay poor, according to several studies and research from the OECD. While the ability of people to climb out of poverty is not exactly a myth, it is rare. For people living in extreme poverty it’s even harder. Here is the city hit hardest by extreme poverty in every state.
To find the poverty rate the year you were born, 24/7 Wall St. looked at the percentage of Americans who lived below the poverty line from 1959 until 2020. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the consumer price index. The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits, such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps.
Click here to see the poverty rate the year you were born
2020
> US population: 325,713,000
> Population below poverty line: 37,247,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.4%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $13,171
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2019
> US population: 324,754,000
> Population below poverty line: 33,984,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 10.5%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $13,011
2018
> US population: 323,847,000
> Population below poverty line: 38,146,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.8%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $12,784
2017
> US population: 322,549,000
> Population below poverty line: 39,698,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.3%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $12,488
24/7 Wall St.
2016
> US population: 319,911,000
> Population below poverty line: 40,616,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.7%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $12,228
2015
> US population: 318,454,000
> Population below poverty line: 43,123,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.5%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $12,082
2014
> US population: 315,804,000
> Population below poverty line: 46,657,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.8%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $12,071
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2013
> US population: 313,096,000
> Population below poverty line: 46,269,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.8%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $11,880
2012
> US population: 310,648,000
> Population below poverty line: 46,496,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 15.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $11,720
2011
> US population: 308,456,000
> Population below poverty line: 46,247,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 15.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $11,484
2010
> US population: 306,130,000
> Population below poverty line: 46,343,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 15.1%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $11,137
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2009
> US population: 303,820,000
> Population below poverty line: 43,569,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.3%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $10,956
2008
> US population: 301,041,000
> Population below poverty line: 39,829,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.2%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $10,991
2007
> US population: 298,699,000
> Population below poverty line: 37,276,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.5%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $10,590
2006
> US population: 296,450,000
> Population below poverty line: 36,460,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.3%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $10,294
2005
> US population: 293,135,000
> Population below poverty line: 36,950,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.6%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $9,973
2004
> US population: 290,617,000
> Population below poverty line: 37,040,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.7%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $9,646
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2003
> US population: 287,699,000
> Population below poverty line: 35,861,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.5%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $9,393
2002
> US population: 285,317,000
> Population below poverty line: 34,570,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.1%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $9,183
2001
> US population: 281,475,000
> Population below poverty line: 32,907,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.7%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $9,039
2000
> US population: 278,944,000
> Population below poverty line: 31,581,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.3%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $8,791
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1999
> US population: 276,208,000
> Population below poverty line: 32,791,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.9%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $8,499
1998
> US population: 271,059,000
> Population below poverty line: 34,476,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.7%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $8,316
1997
> US population: 268,480,000
> Population below poverty line: 35,574,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.3%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $8,183
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1996
> US population: 266,218,000
> Population below poverty line: 36,529,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.7%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $7,995
1995
> US population: 263,733,000
> Population below poverty line: 36,425,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.8%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $7,763
1994
> US population: 261,616,000
> Population below poverty line: 38,059,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.5%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $7,547
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1993
> US population: 259,278,000
> Population below poverty line: 39,265,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 15.1%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $7,363
1992
> US population: 256,549,000
> Population below poverty line: 38,014,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.8%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $7,143
1991
> US population: 251,192,000
> Population below poverty line: 35,708,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.2%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $6,932
1990
> US population: 248,644,000
> Population below poverty line: 33,585,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.5%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $6,652
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1989
> US population: 245,992,000
> Population below poverty line: 31,528,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.8%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $6,310
1988
> US population: 243,530,000
> Population below poverty line: 31,745,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $6,022
1987
> US population: 240,982,000
> Population below poverty line: 32,221,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.4%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $5,778
1986
> US population: 238,554,000
> Population below poverty line: 32,370,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.6%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $5,572
1985
> US population: 236,594,000
> Population below poverty line: 33,064,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $5,469
1984
> US population: 233,816,000
> Population below poverty line: 33,700,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.4%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $5,278
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1983
> US population: 231,700,000
> Population below poverty line: 35,303,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 15.2%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $5,061
1982
> US population: 229,412,000
> Population below poverty line: 34,398,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 15.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $4,901
1981
> US population: 227,157,000
> Population below poverty line: 31,822,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $4,620
1980
> US population: 225,027,000
> Population below poverty line: 29,272,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 13.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $4,190
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1979
> US population: 222,903,000
> Population below poverty line: 26,072,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.7%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $3,689
1978
> US population: 215,656,000
> Population below poverty line: 24,497,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.4%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $3,311
1977
> US population: 213,867,000
> Population below poverty line: 24,720,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.6%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $3,075
1976
> US population: 212,303,000
> Population below poverty line: 24,975,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.8%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $2,884
1975
> US population: 210,864,000
> Population below poverty line: 25,877,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.3%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $2,724
1974
> US population: 209,362,000
> Population below poverty line: 23,370,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.2%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $2,495
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1973
> US population: 207,621,000
> Population below poverty line: 22,973,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.1%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $2,247
1972
> US population: 206,004,000
> Population below poverty line: 24,460,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 11.9%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $2,109
1971
> US population: 204,554,000
> Population below poverty line: 25,559,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.5%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $2,040
1970
> US population: 202,183,000
> Population below poverty line: 25,420,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.6%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,954
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1969
> US population: 199,517,000
> Population below poverty line: 24,147,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.1%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,840
1968
> US population: 197,628,000
> Population below poverty line: 25,389,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 12.8%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,748
1967
> US population: 195,672,000
> Population below poverty line: 27,769,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.2%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,675
1966
> US population: 193,388,000
> Population below poverty line: 28,510,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 14.7%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,628
1965
> US population: 191,413,000
> Population below poverty line: 33,185,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 17.3%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,582
1964
> US population: 189,710,000
> Population below poverty line: 36,055,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 19.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,558
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1963
> US population: 187,258,000
> Population below poverty line: 36,436,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 19.5%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,539
1962
> US population: 184,276,000
> Population below poverty line: 38,625,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 21.0%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,519
1961
> US population: 181,277,000
> Population below poverty line: 39,628,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 21.9%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,506
1960
> US population: 179,503,000
> Population below poverty line: 39,851,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 22.2%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,490
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1959
> US population: 176,557,000
> Population below poverty line: 39,490,000
> Percent of all people in poverty: 22.4%
> Poverty threshold for unrelated individuals: $1,467
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