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Raw data: Poverty in big cities

The ordinary poverty line is based on a set amount of money that's the same nationwide. It's currently $15,060 for a single person and $31,200 for a family of four.

The Supplemental Poverty Measure accounts for both benefits and expenses, so it can vary in different places. Economist Jed Kolko recently analyzed Census data to extract the metro areas with the highest actual rates of poverty:

Average income is certainly higher in Los Angeles than in McAllen, TX, but it costs a lot more to live in LA. When you account for this, there are more people living in poverty in Los Angeles: 20.9% compared to the national average of 12.9% in 2023.

9 thoughts on “Raw data: Poverty in big cities

    1. Crissa

      Destitute is not having any, actively drowning.
      Poverty is not keeping your head above water.
      Poor is usually keeping your head above water but still treading.

      Etc, etc.

  1. Justin

    The linked article refers to some alleged "renewed research and political interest in policies that bring economic opportunity to distressed areas."

    Really? Because we just had an election and I didn't see anything like political interest. It seems to me that there is little to none and that we're all just fine with that state of affairs. Local opposition to a Michigan auto battery (EV) manufacturing killed it and all the republicans opposed it.

    GREEN CHARTER TOWNSHIP, MI — On one side of a rural Michigan highway, U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and other Republicans on Wednesday vowed to stop a proposed electric vehicle battery plant they call a symbol of ill-conceived economic incentives and Chinese government threats.

    So really... no political interest in this sort of economic policy. Yeah, it's EV so that explains some of it, but even in 2023 there was opposition.

    Voters in a Michigan community removed five local officials in a recall election (November 2023) fueled by opposition to a Chinese company's plan to make components for electric vehicle batteries. The Green Township supervisor, clerk, treasurer and two trustees — all Republicans — were defeated Tuesday by challengers who listed no party affiliation. "This recall shows how the community did not want this," recall advocate Lori Brock told The Detroit News, referring to the factory.

    Rural voters don't want development? No, they don't.

    1. NotCynicalEnough

      They don't want those kind of jobs, they want manly jobs like coal mining and fracking. FWIW, a Judge just ruled that they have to honor the contract that the town entered into so they are going to get good paying jobs whether they want them or not. However Rogers et al decide to pass a law specifically to prevent it. That said, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the Trump administration and GOP Congress ban all solar panel, windmill, and lithium battery production in the US. They are all honest politician and an honest politician when they are bought stays bought.

      1. Justin

        That's part of it, sure. But then maybe they should stop buying Chinese made junk!

        The initial opposition to this plant was just plain NIMBY nonsense. It's been going on for a couple of years. The Chinese angle is a convenient excuse.

  2. jeffreycmcmahon

    12.9% of the population is over 43 million people, more than live in California, that live at this level of extreme poverty. It's shameful.

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