LibGuides: Our World 2022: Stepping Forward: National & Regional Demographics

Work and Budgeting Project - Student Reflections

The students in Mr. Petroski's Social Justice Classes did a project this spring that involved budgeting for a family where the parents were working minimum wage jobs. In this video, students shared their reflections on the project, answering the questions of: "What was the most difficult part of the project?" and "What did you learn from the project?".

Cities w/Highest Percentage of Low Income Residents in the United States

Population with the Highest Percentage of Low Income Residents

Rank	City	State	population (at least 250,000 people )	number of low income residents	percentage of low income residents
1	Detroit	Michigan	673,104	284,723	42.3%
2	Cleveland	Ohio	383,793	138,549	36.1%
3	Cincinnati	Ohio	302,601	103,187	34.1%
4	Miami	Florida	470,914	149,280	31.7%
5	Fresno	California	530,093	166,979	31.5%
6	Buffalo	New York	256,304	79,198	30.9%
7	Newark	New Jersey	282,090	85,755	30.4%
8	Toledo	Ohio	274,975	82,767	30.1%
9	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	594,511	177,759	29.9%
10	St. Louis	Missouri	302,838	88,429	29.2%

U.S. Census Income and Poverty in the United States: 2018

RANK OF ALL STATES BY POVERTY RATE BASED ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Rank	State federal district or territory	Poverty Rate (by Household Income)	People in Poverty by Household Income (in thousands)
1	New Hampshire	9.2%	117
2	Maryland	10.4%	604
3	Wyoming	10.6%	54
4	Connecticut	10.8%	376
5	New Jersey	11.1%	972
6	North Dakota	11.1%	79
7	Minnesota	11.4%	607
8	Alaska	11.4%	81
9	Hawaii	11.5%	158
10	Massachusetts	11.7%	760
11	Virginia	11.8%	955
12	Utah	11.8%	341
13	Colorado	12.1%	632
14	Vermont	12.2%	72
15	Iowa	12.3%	368
16	Nebraska	12.3%	167
17	Delaware	13.0%	118
18	Washington	13.2%	913
19	Wisconsin	13.2%	737
20	Kansas	13.5%	381
21	Pennsylvania	13.6%	1,679
22	Maine	14.0%	181
23	South Dakota	14.1%	115
24	Illinois	14.3%	1,802
-	United States	14.8%	45,950
25	Idaho	14.8%	237
26	Rhode Island	14.8%	149
27	Indiana	15.2%	968
28	Montana	15.2%	151
29	Nevada	15.4%	430
30	Missouri	15.5%	908
31	Ohio	15.8%	1,778
32	New York	15.9%	2,760
33	Michigan	16.2%	1,567
34	California	16.4%	6,253
35	Oregon	16.4%	637
36	Florida	16.6%	3,231
37	Oklahoma	16.6%	623
38	Texas	17.2%	4,519
39	North Carolina	17.2%	1,663
40	South Carolina	17.9%	838
41	Arizona	18.2%	1,195
42	Tennessee	18.2%	1,165
43	West Virginia	18.3%	328
44	Georgia	18.4%	1,298
45	District of Columbia	18.4%	114
46	Arkansas	18.7%	539
47	Kentucky	19.0%	812
48	Alabama	19.2%	905
49	Louisiana	19.9%	898
50	New Mexico	20.6%	347
51	Mississippi	21.9%	634
52	U.S. Virgin Islands	22.4%	23.6
53	Guam	22.9%	35.8
54	Puerto Rico	43.5%	1,451.6
55	Northern Mariana Islands	52.3%	27.9
56	American Samoa	57.8%	31.8

POVERTY IN U.S. TERRITORIES

Poverty in American Samoa [RNZ, 2003]
Between 1990-2000 an estimated increase from 62% to 67% occurred with children, and has one of the worst rates in the United States.
Poverty in Guam [Pacific Daily News, 2015]
In Guam the poverty is measured by households, and of 44,000 about 2,500 households are in poverty with no income at all. These houses have families men, women, and children. Also, a further 25% of Guam residents make 3,000 to 20,000 a year.
Poverty in Northern Mariana Islands [Borgen Project, 2016]
The poverty rate in this Pacific island territory is staggering 51%. Of that 51%, 1,800 families income does not exceed $5,000 a year.
Poverty in Puerto Rico [Quartz, 2013]
The poverty rate in Puerto Rico is much higher than any all 50 other states. It doubles the next highest state's poverty rate with Mississippi at 24.2% compared to Puerto Rico's 44.9%. This stems from a huge debt looming, and Hurricane Maria still having long term effects.
Poverty in the USVI (United States Virgin Islands) [Borgen Projects, 2015]
The poverty rate of children in the United States Virgin Islands is 31%, but nearly two thirds children live on food stamps. Education is also effected with 64% of 11th graders not being able to read proficiently.

Spotlight: Zeitgeist Dance Theatre

zeitgeist (noun)

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.

Directed by Yusha-Marie Sorzano and Francisco Gella, Zeitgeist Dance Theatre is dedicated to showcasing then and now. From honoring moments from the past to connecting to the future, Zeitgeist commits to forming bonds between dancers of all walks of life and fostering community and individuality in an industry where conformity is the norm.

Yusha-Marie Sorzano and Francisco Gella

VIDEO: The ZDT Racial Justice Dance on Film Project, 2020

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS POLL

Where in the United States seems the most impoverished?

New England: 13 votes (4.3%)

Mid-Atlantic: 12 votes (3.97%)

South East: 48 votes (15.89%)

South: 149 votes (49.34%)

Midwest: 45 votes (14.9%)

Southwest: 26 votes (8.61%)

Northwest: 9 votes (2.98%)

Total Votes: 302

POVERTY BY U.S. STATE

Poverty in Alabama [Independent UK, 2017]
The United Nations has stated 'We haven't seen this in the first world' in Alabama comparing it to that of a third world nation.
Poverty in Alaska [Anchorage Daily News, 2016]
Despite Alaska's large native population; they contain one of the lowest poverty rates in the nation at 9.9%. Byline - Scott Woodham, updated June 2016.
Poverty in Arizona [KTAR News, 2018]
Arizona has been in-between the 5th and 6th spot for two decades with their poverty rate at about 18%. This could soon change with a bill raising the minimum wage to 14.33/hour. Byline - Griselda Zetino, January 2018.
Poverty in Arkansas [US News, 2017]
Arkansas, a state located near the bottom of most lists with a 17% poverty rate, has made steady improvements as it climbed out of the basement and out of poverty.
Poverty in California [Public Policy Institute of California, 2019]
California metropolitan areas are home to poverty rates of 20%. This could increase by 10% across the state if safety net is not implicated soon.
Poverty in Colorado [The Denver Post, 2017]
Poverty in the Centennial State has dropped amongst children with it slightly dropping to 15%
Poverty in Connecticut [Hartford Business Journal, 2018]
Connecticut may be one of the wealthiest states in the Union, but also has just as much economic poverty found in their major cities.
Poverty in Delaware [U.S. News, 2018]
The first state in the union and has maintained a poverty rate below the national average up until the '08 crash when it has matched the national average.
Poverty in Florida [South Florida Sun Sentinel, 2018]
Florida has cases of extreme poverty on their coastline with Boward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach having rates well above the national average with one out of every five people in Miami-Dade living below the poverty line. Their poverty rate lies at about 17.1%.
Poverty in Georgia [Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, 2019]
Poverty in Georgia is at about 18.5% with it translating to 1.83 million Georgians in poverty. Many statistics that correlate with poverty place them above the national average.
Poverty in Hawaii [Hawaii News Now, 2016]
In Poverty a sixth of the state is in poverty, but their are different ways to measure poverty compared to the contiguous 48 states.
Poverty in Idaho [Idaho GDP, 2018]
Children in poverty is far more serious of an issue than the total poverty rate. The child poverty rate is 21%, and has risen 3% in the last 12 years, and more must be done. On a brighter note health in Idaho has improved 20th best in the nation.
Poverty in Illinois [Chicago Tribune, 2017]
Chicago, a city full of gun violence and gangs, the poverty rate fell and income in the region rose. This shows that even places that seem to hit rock bottom can recover and become great again.
Poverty in Indiana [RTV6 Indianapolis, 2017]
In Indiana the poverty rate has been increasing at a rapid rate from 11.8% in 2000 to 21.3% today. This has lead Indiana to have the worst fall in the poverty rankings and the top 11 cities in Indiana have had a large increase of poverty.
Poverty in Iowa [Des Moines Register, 2016]
In Iowa there are 110,000 children in poverty, and this is a large increase of 44% from 2000. This is another instance of a midwest state that has had issues with keeping parents and their eventual children out of poverty.
Poverty in Kansas [The Topeka Capital Journal, 2017]
Another Midwest state that has an issue with poverty, but this issue is declining from 19% to 17% and helped more children with food security.
Poverty in Kentucky [National Center for Children in Poverty, 2016]
Poverty in Kentucky has an interesting pattern as parents of children in poverty are almost evenly distributed across the spectrum with 25% fully employed, 37% for part time workers, and 38% for the unemployed.
Poverty in Louisiana [Louisiana Budget Project, 2016]
In Louisiana they along with many southern states have high rates of poverty throughout the state with them ranking in the top five for poverty rate, child poverty rate, and income inequality.
Poverty in Maine [U.S. Census, 2018]
National poverty has decreased across the whole country, but Maine's rate has stagnated. The state has been able to provide the impoverished of Maine with ways to rise out of poverty.
Poverty in Maryland [Welfare Info, 2019]
In Maryland they say that one of your ten closest neighbors are in poverty. Though this is a generalized fact the general population of Maryland has a poverty rate of 13.1%.
Poverty in Massachusetts [The Salem News, 2017]
In Massachusetts that have a similar situation to that of Maryland with about 10% of the population below the poverty line. This means that 688,000 out of Massachusetts 6.8 million people are in poverty.
Poverty in Michigan [University of Michigan, 2017]
About 15% of Michigan's population is in poverty, and this lies mostly in their major cities with Detroit being their biggest offender. Wayne's country, where metropolitan Detroit is located, has a poverty rate almost doubling the national average at 22.9%.
Poverty in Minnesota [Minnesota State Demographic Center, 2017]
Poverty in Minnesota is also at about 10.8% which is lower than their 2014 rate of 11.5%. Like Michigan, the majority of poverty accumulates in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Poverty in Mississippi [Mississippi Today, 2017]
The poverty in Mississippi is the worst in the nation, and has been so for a while. Their rate, 20.8%, can be compared to counties like Wayne's country or cities like Detroit than entire states.
Poverty in Missouri [Missouri Community Action Network, 2017]
In Missouri the poverty rate is 14.8%, but on the borders of Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky the Poverty rate reaches 27 and 28%.
Poverty in Montana [Talk Poverty, 2018]
Poverty in Montana is very complicated, but has steadily increased to 16%. One of the largest factors is 18-64 year old whose poverty rate is almost 1% higher than the national average.
Poverty in Nebraska [Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, 2019]
In Nebraska, it is not common to see a poverty rate of adults that exceeds the poverty rate of children. With the rates 17%>16.3% lets us know at least their less kids on the streets and more in good homes.
Poverty in Nevada [Las Vegas Journal Review, 2017]
In Nevada Their income has been increasing steadily, and has lost 1% of their poverty rate as it dips under 14%.
Poverty in New Hampshire [New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, 2017]
In the last 15 years the child poverty rate in New Hampshire has almost doubled from 6% in 2000 to 11% in 2015. Though it has been declining from 16% since 2011.
Poverty in New Jersey [NJ Spotlight, 2016]
New Jersey is at about 11% poverty rate and was being held back by Christe who refused to fund government programs providing heating assistance and food for impoverished areas of New Jersey.
Poverty in New Mexico [New Mexico News Port, 2017]
Poverty in New Mexico may stand at 19.8%, but child poverty ranks last in the nation above 30% and is the worst with Native Americans with 1 in 3 below the poverty line.
Poverty in New York [NY Daily News, 2017]
New York is going through the issue of poor New Yorkers moving into impoverished neighborhoods. This cycle stems from children not going to college and not helping to better the community but getting stuck in a perpetual cycle of poverty.
Poverty in North Carolina [Indy Week, 2019]
With 725,000 people in poverty about 7% of the states population lives below the line. Counties like Watauga and Scotland have the highest rates at 20% poverty.
Poverty in North Dakota [Statista, 2018]
As of 2016 20.7% of the populations lives below the poverty line. It has been on a steady decline since the recession off 2009 raised it to 13%.
Poverty in Ohio [Cleveland.com, 2019]
Poverty in Ohio is bad, but Child poverty in some cities in unfathomable. For Example the city of East Cleveland has a poverty rate of 42.6%, but exceeds 61% for children.
Poverty in Oklahoma [OK Policy.com 2019]
Many of the factors that compile poverty can be found in Oklahoma like poor health, incarceration, unemployment, and inequality. These conditions have created a poverty rate of 16.9% and has left 1 in 6 Oklahomans in poverty along with 1 in 3 countries having a poverty rate above 20%.
Poverty in Oregon [Oregon Department of Health, 2019]
Poverty in Oregon sits at 16.6%, and is much worse in southern and more mountainous areas. The worst being Malheur County at 22.6%
Poverty in Pennsylvania [Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, 2020]
Poverty in Pennsylvania has become stagnant as it drops by .1% from 2013 to 2014. At 13.7% Pennsylvania's poverty rate is lower than most states, but their child poverty rate is just below 20% at 19.4%.
Poverty in Rhode Island [Providence Journal, 2017]
You can still see the effects of the great recession of 2008 in Rhode Island with 1 in 8 families struggling to afford food. At 12.8% they have the highest poverty rate in New England, but this rate is much better than many southern states.
Poverty in South Carolina [Children's Trust of South Carolina, 2017]
South Carolina poverty's stagnated and has the 9th highest such rate in the United States. From 2012 to 2013 poverty rose from 18.3% to 18.6% and for people under 18 rose from 26.9% to 27.5%.
Poverty in South Dakota [Talk Poverty, 2019]
Western South Dakota is home to the nations 3 poorest counties. Ziebach, Todd, and Shannon are roughly at 50%, but Ziebach was at 63% after the recession of 2009. This seems out of place with a below national poverty rate at 14.6%.
Poverty in Tennessee [The Sycamore Institute, 2019]
With the nations 12th highest poverty rate; Tennessee has an 18% individual poverty rate. A bright spot is that among families it is actually lower at 13.7%
Poverty in Texas [Center for Public Policy Priorities, 2016]
Poverty in Texas is much lower than the national poverty rate at 12.7%. The poverty rate of Hispanic's (22 percent) and African American (20 percent) is much higher than Caucasian's (9 percent) or Asian (11 percent) Texans.
Poverty in Utah [The Salt Lake Tribune, 2018]
Utah is fighting their poverty rate in a small way with passing bills that will give birth control to at risk women in low income areas to stop unplanned pregnancies. The other bill to supply money in the form of tax credits , but have been criticized for being behind the times at they are the 30th state to pass such laws.
Poverty in Vermont [Vermontbiz, 2017]
Due to having no major cities to "drag their percentage down" they are 14th in the nation at 11.9%. This has been rising recently and with a stagnant median income could lead to the poverty rate going even higher.
Poverty in Virginia [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2016]
Virginia is home to the single worst city in the nation by the standards of poverty with 76.7% of inner-city section of Hampton. Though most of Virginia is seen as wealthy, with pockets in the north, but mostly poverty is found in major cities and the coalfield of Southern Virginia.
Poverty in Washington [Office of Financial Management, 2020]
Washington state's poverty rate may only be 14.1%, but it was 13.5% only two years ago in 2012. Washington has a serious issue of being one of a select few state's with an increasing poverty rate.
Poverty in Washington D.C. [An Affiliate of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2017]
Poverty runs rampant in our nations capital, and the inequality can be seen with all people. Children have a 27% poverty rate while adults are only 17%. About 20% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Poverty in West Virginia [US News, 2017]
West Virginia is home to a 17.9% poverty rate which gives it the 46th highest in the nation. This rate has been much unchanged as little is being done to stop it from continuing to be such an issue.
Poverty in Wisconsin [Wisconsin State Journal, 2018]
With more jobs you would assume that this would lead to a lower poverty rate, but you would be wrong. Wisconsin gained 1.1% (9.7% to 10.8%) in their poverty rate this year, and people speculate it may be due to the higher cost of living out pacing the median income of the state.
Poverty in Wyoming [Spotlight on Poverty, 2020]
The poverty rate of Wyoming is 11.5%, and is far below the national average. Almost all of the counties are below 20% except for Albany at 26%.

Our World 2022: Stepping Forward: National & Regional Demographics

POVERTY INDICATORS