Behind the veneer of a recovering economy, staggering numbers tell a truer story: nearly 38 million Americans were officially living in poverty in 2022, a crisis deepened by pervasive food insecurity, medical debt, and a housing market that leaves millions of working families one missed paycheck from collapse.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the official poverty rate for the United States was 11.5%, with 37.9 million people in poverty
- The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate in 2022 was 12.4%, accounting for government benefits and taxes, affecting 40.8 million people
- In 2021, 8.1% of Americans lived below 50% of the poverty threshold
- In 2022, Black poverty rate was 17.1%, compared to 8.6% for non-Hispanic Whites
- Hispanic poverty rate stood at 16.8% in 2022
- Asian poverty rate was 9.7% in 2022
- In 2022, 9.8 million children lived in poverty
- Child poverty rate by SPM was 5.2% in 2022 after benefits, vs 12.6% before
- 1 in 6 children faced food insecurity in 2022
- Mississippi has highest child poverty at 27.1% in 2022
- New Hampshire lowest child poverty 5.7% in 2022
- Southern states average poverty 15.8%, highest region
- Official poverty rate fell from 15% in 2010 to 11.5% in 2022
- Child poverty halved from 2021 to 5.2% SPM due to expanded CTC
- Since 1960s, poverty dropped from 22% to 11.5%
Millions of Americans still struggle with poverty despite some recent improvements.
Child Poverty
- In 2022, 9.8 million children lived in poverty
- Child poverty rate by SPM was 5.2% in 2022 after benefits, vs 12.6% before
- 1 in 6 children faced food insecurity in 2022
- Child homelessness affected 2.7 million children in 2023
- 40% of homeless children are under 18
- Children in poverty miss 2 million more school days annually
- Deep child poverty (50% threshold) 2.5 million kids in 2022
- 59% of poor children live in single-parent homes
- Child poverty costs US $1 trillion annually in lost productivity
- Head Start serves 800,000 poor children yearly
- 11 million children eligible for free school meals
- Infant mortality in poor families 2x higher
- Poor children 3x more likely to drop out of high school
- 25% of children in poverty have untreated health issues
- Foster care: 40% of children enter from poverty
- Child poverty rate in female-headed households 40.3% in 2022
- 2021 child poverty spiked to 17% before benefits
- Poor children 4x more likely to have developmental delays
- 70% of poor families with children rent, spending 50%+ on housing
- Child poverty by race: Native 29%, Black 25% in 2022
- 1.3 million public school children identified as homeless in 2022
- Poor children asthma rates 50% higher
- Child care costs consume 20% of poor families' income
- 2022: 38% of Black children, 33% Hispanic in poverty
- Poor kids 2x obesity rate
- Medicaid covers 40% of poor children
- Child poverty linked to 25% higher teen birth rates
- In deep poverty, 3 million children in 2021
- Poor children reading proficiency 20 points lower by 4th grade
- 2023: Child poverty rate 12.4% official measure
Child Poverty Interpretation
Behind every one of these staggering numbers is a childhood being shortchanged, proving that while America loves a tale of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps, it keeps handing millions of kids their first pair of shoes several sizes too small and twenty years too late.
Demographic Breakdown
- In 2022, Black poverty rate was 17.1%, compared to 8.6% for non-Hispanic Whites
- Hispanic poverty rate stood at 16.8% in 2022
- Asian poverty rate was 9.7% in 2022
- Female poverty rate was 12.6% vs 10.4% for males in 2022
- Poverty rate for adults 18-64 was 11.8% in 2022
- Elderly (65+) poverty rate was 10.2% by official measure, but 14.5% by SPM in 2022
- Single mother households had 25.4% poverty rate in 2022
- Married couple families poverty rate 4.7% in 2022
- Rural poverty rate 14.2% vs urban 11.2% in 2022
- Native American poverty rate 23.3% in 2022
- Foreign-born poverty rate 15.7% vs 9.5% native-born in 2022
- Less than high school poverty rate 25.4%, high school 14.3%, bachelor's 4.4% in 2022
- Unemployed poverty rate 29.8% in 2022
- Disability poverty rate 25.7% vs 10.2% without in 2022
- LGBTQ+ poverty rate 22% vs 16% straight in 2022
- Veteran poverty rate 7.5% in 2022
- Youth (18-24) poverty rate 16.3% in 2022
- Black children poverty 26.4%, Hispanic 22.7%, White 8.6% in 2022
- Poverty rate for women heading households with children under 5: 36.8% in 2021
- Immigrants from Mexico poverty rate 22% vs 12% from Asia in 2022
- GED holders poverty 18.2%
- Poverty among those with mental illness: 35%
- Transgender poverty rate 29% in 2022
- Rural Black poverty 29.5%
- Part-time workers poverty 13.4% in 2022
- Poverty rate for adults without children 9.8%
- Hispanic women poverty 18.2% in 2022
- 2022 poverty by age: under 18 15.7%
Demographic Breakdown Interpretation
Despite the American dream's open enrollment, the fine print reveals a brutal hierarchy where your zip code, skin color, gender, and even who you love can pre-determine your odds of being relegated to the underclass.
Geographic and Regional Poverty
- Mississippi has highest child poverty at 27.1% in 2022
- New Hampshire lowest child poverty 5.7% in 2022
- Southern states average poverty 15.8%, highest region
- Northeast poverty 10.1%, lowest region in 2022
- California 12 million poor, largest number by state
- New Mexico highest poverty rate 18.2% in 2022
- Persistent poverty counties (20%+ for 30 years) 351 counties, mostly South
- Rural poverty counties 15.3% vs urban 11.9% average
- Appalachia poverty 14.3% in 2022
- Puerto Rico poverty 40.7% if included
- Detroit metro poverty 16.8%, highest large metro
- San Jose lowest metro poverty 7.5% in 2022
- South highest rural poverty 18.1%
- Tribal lands poverty average 25-50%
- Florida poverty 12.7%, Texas 14.6% in 2022
- Central Valley CA poverty 20%+
- Pine Ridge Reservation SD poverty 50%+
- Gulf Coast post-Hurricane Katrina areas still 25% poverty
- Midwest farm counties poverty rising to 12%
- DC poverty 16.4%, highest among states/DC
- Upstate NY poverty 14.5% vs downstate 11%
- Border counties TX poverty 22%
- Coal country WV poverty 17.9%
- Urban South poverty highest at 14.5%
- Alaska Native villages poverty 26.2%
- 15.4% poverty in non-metro areas 2022
- Louisiana poverty 18.6%, 2nd highest state
- West Virginia 16.8% poverty
- 49.5% poverty in Holmes County MS, highest county
- Poverty rate declined 2.3% in suburbs 2019-2022
Geographic and Regional Poverty Interpretation
While the American dream is being debugged in Silicon Valley, a persistent and devastating beta version is still running in vast stretches of the South, rural America, and Tribal lands, proving that geography is often the most brutal determinant of a child's destiny.
Overall Poverty Rates
- In 2022, the official poverty rate for the United States was 11.5%, with 37.9 million people in poverty
- The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate in 2022 was 12.4%, accounting for government benefits and taxes, affecting 40.8 million people
- In 2021, 8.1% of Americans lived below 50% of the poverty threshold
- Extreme poverty, defined as below $2 per day, affected 1.2 million Americans in 2019
- The poverty rate using the anchored SPM was 15.3% in 2022 compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels
- In 2022, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $29,960
- Multidimensional poverty index shows 15-20% of Americans experience deprivations in health, education, and living standards
- In 2020, poverty rate spiked to 13.2% due to COVID-19 before benefits
- Working poverty rate was 4.6% in 2022, meaning 7.5 million full-time workers below poverty
- Poverty gap index shows average shortfall from poverty line was $4,800 per poor person in 2022
- In 2022, 44.2 million people received SNAP benefits, indicating food insecurity linked to poverty
- 37% of poor adults reported food insecurity in 2022
- Homelessness affected 653,000 people on a single night in 2023, largely due to poverty
- Medical debt in collections totaled $88 billion in 2021, impacting 41% of low-income Americans
- 26% of Americans couldn't pay full monthly expenses in 2023
- Liquid asset poverty affected 27% of households in 2021, unable to survive 3 months without income
- In 2022, poverty rate for non-elderly was 12.7%
- Foster care entries linked to poverty: 30% of children in foster care from poor families
- Incarceration rate among poor is 3x higher, with 1 in 10 poor men imprisoned
- 2022 poverty rate unchanged from 2021 at 11.5%
- Near-poverty (100-125% threshold) affected 15.4% or 51 million in 2022
- Chronic poverty affects 2.7% of population long-term
- Asset poverty rate is 25%, lacking assets for 3 months expenses
- In 2019, 11.8% poverty rate pre-pandemic
- Poverty headcount using 50% median income: 17.8% in 2021
- 2022 SPM poverty for renters was 19.1%
- Food poverty: 10.2% households food insecure with hunger
- Housing poverty: 15 million cost-burdened poor households spend >50% income on housing
- Energy poverty affects 1 in 6 households
- 2023 poverty projection: 12.9% under official measure
Overall Poverty Rates Interpretation
Even as the official poverty rate stands at 11.5%, the more telling supplemental measure at 12.4%, alongside millions of working poor, people facing food and energy poverty, and a homelessness crisis, reveals an uncomfortable truth: for a staggering number of Americans, the safety net is less a trampoline and more a threadbare hammock over a hard reality.
Trends and Changes
- Official poverty rate fell from 15% in 2010 to 11.5% in 2022
- Child poverty halved from 2021 to 5.2% SPM due to expanded CTC
- Since 1960s, poverty dropped from 22% to 11.5%
- SPM shows poverty stable since 2009 at ~14%
- Black poverty fell from 34.7% in 1967 to 17.1% in 2022
- Hispanic poverty from 24.7% in 2000 to 16.8% 2022
- Working poor declined 40% since 1990 to 4.6% 2022
- Extreme poverty fell 50% 1993-2019 to 1.2 million
- Food insecurity down from 14.9% 2009 to 12.8% 2022
- Homelessness up 12% 2022-2023 to 653k amid housing costs
- Medical debt down 20% post-ACA, but still $88B 2021
- Unmet medical needs due to cost: 25% poor, down from 40% pre-ACA
- SNAP participation down 20% post-COVID peaks
- TANF caseloads halved since 1996 welfare reform
- EITC lifted 5.6 million out of poverty 2022
- Housing vouchers prevent poverty for 2 million
- Poverty gap narrowed 15% since 2000 due to programs
- Rural poverty converged with urban since 2000
- College wage premium up 50% since 1980, reducing poverty
- Minimum wage poverty impact: states with $15+ min wage have 2% lower poverty
- Inflation 2022 eroded gains, poverty up 1% adjusted
- Long-term poverty share down from 3% to 2% since 2000
- Child poverty doubled post-CTC end 2021-2022
- Asset poverty stable at 25-27% decade
- Energy poverty up 10% with costs since 2020
- Gig economy increased working poor by 1 million since 2010
- Opioid crisis added 10% to poverty in affected counties
- Remote work post-COVID reduced urban poverty 5%
- Aging population: elderly poverty down 50% since 1960 to 10%
Trends and Changes Interpretation
While the decades-long war on poverty has scored major victories, particularly for children and the elderly, the stubborn persistence of hardship and alarming new spikes in homelessness reveal a battlefield still littered with casualties.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 2NBERnber.orgVisit source
- Reference 3ASPEaspe.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 4OXFORDPOVERTYoxfordpoverty.ox.ac.ukVisit source
- Reference 5BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 6FNSfns.usda.govVisit source
- Reference 7ERSers.usda.govVisit source
- Reference 8ENDHOMELESSNESSendhomelessness.orgVisit source
- Reference 9URBANurban.orgVisit source
- Reference 10FEDERALRESERVEfederalreserve.govVisit source
- Reference 11CBPPcbpp.orgVisit source
- Reference 12CHILDWELFAREchildwelfare.govVisit source
- Reference 13PRISONPOLICYprisonpolicy.orgVisit source
- Reference 14NATIONALEQUITYATLASnationalequityatlas.orgVisit source
- Reference 15OECDoecd.orgVisit source
- Reference 16NLIHCnlihc.orgVisit source
- Reference 17NCOAncoa.orgVisit source
- Reference 18DISABILITYCOMPENDIUMdisabilitycompendium.orgVisit source
- Reference 19WILLIAMSINSTITUTEwilliamsinstitute.law.ucla.eduVisit source
- Reference 20VAva.govVisit source
- Reference 21AECFaecf.orgVisit source
- Reference 22PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 23MIGRATIONPOLICYmigrationpolicy.orgVisit source
- Reference 24NCESnces.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 25NAMInami.orgVisit source
- Reference 26HERITAGEheritage.orgVisit source
- Reference 27ECLKCeclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 28FRACfrac.orgVisit source
- Reference 29CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 30KFFkff.orgVisit source
- Reference 31NYTIMESnytimes.comVisit source
- Reference 32NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 33NCHEnche.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 34EPIepi.orgVisit source
- Reference 35CHILDCAREAWAREchildcareaware.orgVisit source
- Reference 36FIRSTFOCUSfirstfocus.orgVisit source
- Reference 37GUTTMACHERguttmacher.orgVisit source
- Reference 38COLUMBIAcolumbia.eduVisit source
- Reference 39IESies.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 40PPICppic.orgVisit source
- Reference 41ARCarc.govVisit source
- Reference 42BROOKINGSbrookings.eduVisit source
- Reference 43OSCosc.ny.govVisit source
- Reference 44WORLDPOPULATIONREVIEWworldpopulationreview.comVisit source
- Reference 45ACFacf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 46HUDUSERhuduser.govVisit source
- Reference 47GAOgao.govVisit source
- Reference 48SSAssa.govVisit source