While the official statistics report that 37.9 million Americans were living in poverty in 2022, the true depth of the crisis is measured not just in numbers but in the daily struggles of millions of families and individuals across the nation.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the official poverty rate for the United States was 11.5 percent, with 37.9 million people living in poverty
- The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate for 2022 was 12.4 percent, affecting about 40.8 million people after accounting for government benefits and taxes
- Between 2021 and 2022, the official poverty rate increased by 1.0 percentage point from 11.6 percent to 12.4 percent under SPM
- In 2021, child poverty rate was 5.2% under expanded CTC, lowest on record
- Post-2021, child poverty surged to 12.4% in 2022, affecting 9.1 million children
- Children under 6 had a poverty rate of 14.5% in 2022
- Poverty rate for Black individuals was 17.1% in 2022
- Hispanic poverty rate stood at 16.9% in 2022
- Non-Hispanic White poverty rate was 8.6% in 2022
- Poverty rate in South region 13.5% highest in 2022
- Northeast poverty rate 10.1% lowest regional in 2022
- Mississippi had the highest state poverty rate at 19.1% in 2022
- Poverty rate fell from 15.1% in 2010 to 11.5% in 2022 nationally
- SPM poverty declined from 16.0% in 2009 to 12.4% in 2022
- Official poverty rate lowest 10.5% in 2019 pre-pandemic
Despite government aid, millions in the United States remain trapped in poverty.
Child and Family Poverty
- In 2021, child poverty rate was 5.2% under expanded CTC, lowest on record
- Post-2021, child poverty surged to 12.4% in 2022, affecting 9.1 million children
- Children under 6 had a poverty rate of 14.5% in 2022
- 37.9% of Black children lived in poverty in 2022, highest among racial groups
- Hispanic children poverty rate was 23.6% in 2022
- Child poverty in female-headed families was 35.4% in 2022
- In 2022, 9 million children lived in households without consistent employment
- Food insecurity affected 13.5 million children in 2022, linked to family poverty
- 1 in 6 children experienced homelessness or housing instability due to poverty in 2022
- Child poverty rate in rural areas was 18.2% in 2021, higher than urban 15.8%
- In 2022, 4.2 million children lived in extreme poverty
- Family poverty rate for those with children under 18 was 12.1% in 2022
- Single-mother families had 28.7% child poverty rate in 2022
- 2023 child poverty rate rose to 13.7% under official measure
- 44% of poor children lived in working families in 2022
- Head Start served 800,000 poor children in 2022
- Child welfare involvement highest in poor families, 15% of children in poverty vs 1% non-poor
- In 2022, 2.5 million families with children received TANF
- Educational poverty: 21% of children in poverty had low reading proficiency
- Health coverage gap: 6.4% of poor children uninsured in 2022
- Family economic security index shows 40% of families with children struggling in 2022
- In 2022, poverty rate for children in immigrant families was 19.2%
- Foster care entry rate 2x higher for poor children
- 2022 saw 1.2 million children in concentrated poverty neighborhoods
Child and Family Poverty Interpretation
The data screams that we brilliantly solved child poverty in 2021 with a simple policy, then promptly decided that letting nearly ten million kids plunge back into hardship was the better, more American sequel.
Geographic Variations
- Poverty rate in South region 13.5% highest in 2022
- Northeast poverty rate 10.1% lowest regional in 2022
- Mississippi had the highest state poverty rate at 19.1% in 2022
- New Hampshire lowest state poverty 6.9% in 2022
- California poverty 12.2%, but SPM 16.4% highest state in 2022
- New Mexico child poverty 23.6% highest state in 2022
- Rural areas 15% poverty vs 12% urban in 2022
- Southern states average poverty 14.8% in 2022
- Puerto Rico territory poverty 40.7% in 2022
- DC poverty rate 16.4% in 2022
- Appalachian region poverty 14.3% above national average
- 52.2% of poor live in suburbs in 2022
- Central city poverty 17.1% in 2022
- Texas poverty 14.0%, 4.2 million poor in 2022
- Louisiana 18.6% state poverty rate in 2022
- West Virginia 17.0%
- Alabama 15.6%
- Kentucky 15.8%
- Arkansas 15.9%
- Concentrated poverty tracts increased 10% since 2010, 12.7 million poor in 2020
Geographic Variations Interpretation
America's persistent geographic lottery sees the highest odds of poverty landing decisively on a Southern ticket, yet no region is spared its losing numbers, revealing a nation deeply divided by place and policy.
Overall Poverty Rates
- In 2022, the official poverty rate for the United States was 11.5 percent, with 37.9 million people living in poverty
- The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate for 2022 was 12.4 percent, affecting about 40.8 million people after accounting for government benefits and taxes
- Between 2021 and 2022, the official poverty rate increased by 1.0 percentage point from 11.6 percent to 12.4 percent under SPM
- In 2021, 11.6 percent of the U.S. population, or 38.4 million people, were in poverty according to the official measure
- The poverty rate for families in the U.S. in 2022 was 8.7 percent, impacting 6.6 million families
- Unrelated individuals had a poverty rate of 22.4 percent in 2022, the highest among household types
- In 2022, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $29,960 annually
- The national median household income in 2022 was $74,580, with poverty deeply correlated to income below this level
- Approximately 44 million Americans received SNAP benefits in 2022, indicating widespread food insecurity linked to poverty
- The extreme poverty rate, defined as below 50% of the poverty line, affected 5.2 percent of the population in 2021
- In 2022, 8.8 percent of people aged 18-64 were in deep poverty (below 50% threshold)
- The poverty rate for married-couple families was 4.9 percent in 2022
- Female householders with no spouse present had a poverty rate of 25.4 percent in 2022
- In 2020, COVID-19 stimulus reduced poverty by an estimated 12.2 million people under SPM
- Without government transfers, the 2022 poverty rate would have been 25.9 percent
- Cash income poverty rate in 2022 was 15.5 percent before transfers
- The poverty gap, measuring the average shortfall below the poverty line, was $1,200 per poor person in 2022
- In 2022, 44 states saw increases in child poverty rates post-ARPA expiration
- Multigenerational poverty affected 2.2 million households in 2022
- Persistent poverty counties, where 20%+ have been poor for 30 years, number 351 in the US as of 2020
- Opportunity Index scores show poverty correlates with low economic mobility in 80% of US counties
- In 2023, real median household income fell 2.3% to $74,580 amid rising poverty pressures
- The 2023 official poverty rate rose to 12.4%, impacting 41 million people
- SPM poverty rate for 2023 was 12.9%, reflecting higher costs of living
- Poverty rate among full-time workers was 4.7% in 2022 despite employment
- Working poverty affected 6.3 million people in 2022
- Asset poverty, lacking 3 months' savings, affected 36.7% of US households in 2022
- Extreme poverty rate doubled to 1.6% in 2022 after child tax credit ended
- In 2022, 16.1 million people lived in deep poverty (below $2/day equivalent adjusted)
- Poverty headcount using $15/day threshold was 18.7% in 2022
Overall Poverty Rates Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim portrait of American prosperity, where despite a median income of nearly $75,000, millions are left clinging to the bottom rung, proving that a rising tide does not, in fact, lift all boats—it just makes the drowning more expensive.
Poverty by Demographics
- Poverty rate for Black individuals was 17.1% in 2022
- Hispanic poverty rate stood at 16.9% in 2022
- Non-Hispanic White poverty rate was 8.6% in 2022
- Asian poverty rate was 9.5% in 2022, lowest among major groups
- American Indian and Alaska Native poverty rate was 23.4% in 2022
- Females had a poverty rate of 12.6% vs males 10.5% in 2022
- People under 18 had 15.7% poverty rate in 2022
- Elderly 65+ poverty rate was 10.2% under official measure but 14.5% SPM in 2022
- Disabled individuals poverty rate was 25.1% in 2021
- Native-born citizens poverty rate 11.7% vs 17.4% foreign-born in 2022
- No high school diploma poverty rate 24.2% in 2022
- High school graduates poverty 12.8%, bachelor's degree holders 4.6% in 2022
- Unemployment poverty rate 32.3% in 2022 for those seeking work
- LGBTQ+ poverty rate 22% vs 16% non-LGBTQ+ in 2022
- Veteran poverty rate 6.9% in 2022
- Rural poverty rate 14.2% vs urban 11.9% in 2021
- Black women poverty rate 20.8% highest subgroup in 2022
- Hispanic men poverty 14.5% in 2022
- Poverty among adults with disabilities 28.6% in 2023
- Transgender poverty rate 29% in 2022
- Less than $25k income households 100% in poverty by definition, but 45% cycle annually
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander poverty 18.2% in 2022
- Two or more races poverty rate 16.8% in 2022
Poverty by Demographics Interpretation
While America boasts of being the land of opportunity, the math suggests the odds are still depressingly rigged based on your race, gender, birthplace, and who you love.
Supplemental Measures and Trends
- Poverty rate fell from 15.1% in 2010 to 11.5% in 2022 nationally
- SPM poverty declined from 16.0% in 2009 to 12.4% in 2022
- Official poverty rate lowest 10.5% in 2019 pre-pandemic
- Child poverty trended down 27% from 2000-2019, then spiked
- Black poverty halved from 34.0% in 1967 to 17.1% in 2022
- Elderly poverty dropped from 35% in 1959 to 10.2% in 2022 due to Social Security
- SPM shows taxes/benefits reduce poverty by 55% annually average 2009-2022
- Extreme poverty fell from 3.3% in 2011 to 1.2% in 2021 pre-spike
- Working poor as share of workforce declined from 7.5% in 1990 to 4.6% 2022
- Food insecurity rate from 14.9% in 2011 to 12.8% in 2022
- Homelessness per capita stable but poverty-linked rose 12% 2022-2023
- Multidimensional poverty index US score 0.043, lower than OECD average
- Income inequality Gini 0.410 in 2022, correlating with poverty persistence
- Long-term poverty (5+ years) affects 2.8% population average 2018-2022
- Poverty volatility: 55% of poor one year escape next, 2019 data
- Post-COVID poverty recovery stalled, up 1% from 2019 in 2023
- SNAP caseloads peaked at 47 million in 2013, down to 41 million 2022
- Child poverty rate averaged 18% 1980-2000, down to 16% post-2000
Supplemental Measures and Trends Interpretation
The numbers show progress, but like a car climbing a steep hill, the engine of government aid is clearly doing the heavy lifting while the stubborn road of inequality ensures we never quite reach the summit.
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