Source: Census Bureau (Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement)
Tools: Datawrapper, Illustrator
Note: The Census Bureau uses a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. In 2023, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $30,900. The national poverty rate is 11.1%.
Kinda surprised to see Mississippi isn’t last in a chart like this. I mean, it’s close! But not last.
In 2023—the most recent data available—36.8 million people in the US lived in poverty, or about 11.1% of the population.
The national poverty rate was first officially recorded in 1959 at 21.9%. It has generally declined since then, with spikes during economic downturns. The last time the rate rose above 15% was in 2010, following the Great Recession.
The 2023 rate of 11.1% was a slight decrease of 0.4 percentage points from 2022. However, the poverty rate for children under 18 increased from 15% to 15.3%. The rate for adults under 65 decreased from 10.6% to 10.0%, and the rate for over-65s decreased from 10.2% to 9.7%.
At the state level, poverty rates ranged from 18.9% (Louisiana) to 7.2% (New Hampshire) in 2023.
So it’s set by national poverty rates which don’t adjust for cost of living? Feels like we should adjust for that. It’d also be neat to see that side by side with effective poverty rate since states vary in their welfare levels
Poverty rate without adjusting for cost of living is meaningless.
Others have pointed COL out. We’ll just take the two favorites, MS and CA. MS has a COL index of 88% of US average and CA 145%. So in MS you only need to make $27,200 to meet basic needs but in CA it’s $44,500. Using adjusted numbers that map would look wildly different.
Alternate title, “Salaries are higher in places with high cost of living.” No kidding.
EU map for comparison would be nice
Always make me wonder why people don’t move to the next state for a better life.
Why is the Southern half poorer?
Reminder:
Capitalism promotes poverty. People who start with less will be less likely to get a share of the economic pie, and the cycle perpetuates.
but the internet told me my home state of new jersey is too expensive to stay in
There are large portions of this nation that are in fact more 3rd than 1st world. I have lived in a few of them. My wife is from Iberia parrish. Poor is an understatement.
![[OC] Poverty rates in the US](https://www.europesays.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/n6e0ov1052df1-1920x1024.png)
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Source: Census Bureau (Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement)
Tools: Datawrapper, Illustrator
Note: The Census Bureau uses a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. In 2023, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $30,900. The national poverty rate is 11.1%.
More data [here](https://usafacts.org/answers/what-is-the-us-poverty-rate/country/united-states/)
Kinda surprised to see Mississippi isn’t last in a chart like this. I mean, it’s close! But not last.
In 2023—the most recent data available—36.8 million people in the US lived in poverty, or about 11.1% of the population.
The national poverty rate was first officially recorded in 1959 at 21.9%. It has generally declined since then, with spikes during economic downturns. The last time the rate rose above 15% was in 2010, following the Great Recession.
The 2023 rate of 11.1% was a slight decrease of 0.4 percentage points from 2022. However, the poverty rate for children under 18 increased from 15% to 15.3%. The rate for adults under 65 decreased from 10.6% to 10.0%, and the rate for over-65s decreased from 10.2% to 9.7%.
At the state level, poverty rates ranged from 18.9% (Louisiana) to 7.2% (New Hampshire) in 2023.
Here’s a [guide](https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html) on how the Census Bureau measures poverty, including a link to its poverty thresholds. Here’s what they looked like in 2023:
https://preview.redd.it/7xf4qkqg72df1.png?width=1497&format=png&auto=webp&s=a898d1eeecdbdb0831341a754bb967b6288f9c40
So it’s set by national poverty rates which don’t adjust for cost of living? Feels like we should adjust for that. It’d also be neat to see that side by side with effective poverty rate since states vary in their welfare levels
Poverty rate without adjusting for cost of living is meaningless.
Others have pointed COL out. We’ll just take the two favorites, MS and CA. MS has a COL index of 88% of US average and CA 145%. So in MS you only need to make $27,200 to meet basic needs but in CA it’s $44,500. Using adjusted numbers that map would look wildly different.
Alternate title, “Salaries are higher in places with high cost of living.” No kidding.
EU map for comparison would be nice
Always make me wonder why people don’t move to the next state for a better life.
Why is the Southern half poorer?
Reminder:
Capitalism promotes poverty. People who start with less will be less likely to get a share of the economic pie, and the cycle perpetuates.
but the internet told me my home state of new jersey is too expensive to stay in
There are large portions of this nation that are in fact more 3rd than 1st world. I have lived in a few of them. My wife is from Iberia parrish. Poor is an understatement.
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