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Children Are the Poorest Americans: A Look at Poverty in the United States
Featuring an interactive map and recent census data, this activity examines U.S. poverty rates by state and age group.
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Children Are the Poorest Americans: A Look at Poverty in the United States
It probably comes as no surprise that the rate of poverty is twice as high in some states as in others. What is surprising is how much the rates vary among age groups within the same state.
Click on each state to see how many people in each age group (under 18, 18–64, and 65 and over) were living below the poverty line in 2014. (In 2017, the U.S. Health and Human Services’ poverty guideline for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia was $24,600. Alaska’s was $30,750, and Hawaii’s was $28,290.)
Focus on each state to see how many people in each age group are living below the poverty line.
Children Are the Poorest Americans: A Look at Poverty in the United States
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REFERENCES
U.S. Census Bureau. (2017, September 8). Historical poverty tables: People and families – 1959 to 2016. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau.