Poverty Stats: 11/19/11

Was doing my daily readings and came across an article written in the New York Times entitled, "Older, Suburban and Struggling, ‘Near Poor’ Startle the Census"..

According to the Census Bureau, (There are) "51 million people with incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line.  That number of Americans is 76 percent higher than the official account, published in September. All told, that places 100 million people — one in three Americans — either in poverty or in the fretful zone just above it."



The full article is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/19/us/census-measures-those-not-quite-in-poverty-but-struggling.html?_r=1&hp


What does that mean exactly?  Here's a better way to understand...

According to the 2009/10 Federal Poverty guidelines, a person living in poverty makes $10,830 or less.  If that person lived 50% above the poverty line, he/she would be earning no more than $16,245.

A family of four living in poverty based on these guidelines makes no more than $22,040.  If that person lived 50% above the poverty line, the family of four would be earning no more than $33,075

Chart for up to families of 8 found here:

http://www.liheap.ncat.org/profiles/povertytables/FY2010/popstate.htm

1 in 3 ...  and not getting any better...