Poverty in America: Statistics, Thresholds & Trends by State (2026)
By Wealthvieu · Updated
36.8 million Americans live below the poverty line. Here’s what the data reveals about who’s affected, where, and how the poverty line actually works.
Table of Contents
Federal Poverty Level (2025-2026)
Household Size
48 States & DC
Alaska
Hawaii
1 person
$15,650
$19,563
$18,000
2 people
$21,150
$26,438
$24,323
3 people
$26,650
$33,313
$30,645
4 people
$32,150
$40,188
$36,968
5 people
$37,650
$47,063
$43,290
6 people
$43,150
$53,938
$49,613
Each additional
+$5,500
+$6,875
+$6,323
What the poverty line means in practice: A family of four living at the poverty line has $2,679/month ($32,150/12) for ALL expenses — housing, food, transportation, healthcare, clothing, and everything else.
Poverty Rates by State
10 Highest Poverty Rates
Rank
State
Poverty Rate
# in Poverty
Median Income
1
Mississippi
18.7%
548,000
$52,985
2
Louisiana
18.6%
857,000
$57,852
3
New Mexico
17.6%
370,000
$58,722
4
West Virginia
16.8%
295,000
$52,520
5
Arkansas
15.7%
474,000
$56,335
6
Kentucky
15.5%
693,000
$60,407
7
Alabama
14.8%
739,000
$59,674
8
Oklahoma
14.3%
567,000
$61,364
9
South Carolina
13.8%
718,000
$63,623
10
Tennessee
13.4%
928,000
$63,426
10 Lowest Poverty Rates
Rank
State
Poverty Rate
# in Poverty
Median Income
1
New Hampshire
5.6%
78,000
$90,845
2
Utah
7.2%
244,000
$86,833
3
Minnesota
7.7%
439,000
$84,313
4
Maryland
8.1%
500,000
$94,991
5
Colorado
8.3%
483,000
$87,598
6
New Jersey
8.4%
772,000
$97,126
7
Hawaii
8.5%
123,000
$94,814
8
Connecticut
8.7%
313,000
$90,213
9
Massachusetts
8.8%
614,000
$96,505
10
Virginia
9.0%
778,000
$87,249
Poverty by Demographics
By Age Group
Age Group
Poverty Rate
# in Poverty
Notes
Under 6
15.3%
3.7 million
Highest rate — children most affected
6-17
13.2%
6.8 million
School-age children
18-24
14.5%
4.6 million
Young adults, students
25-34
10.5%
4.8 million
Early career
35-44
9.2%
3.8 million
Peak earning years beginning
45-54
9.0%
3.6 million
Mid-career
55-64
9.8%
4.1 million
Pre-retirement
65-74
8.5%
2.7 million
Early retirement
75+
10.2%
2.2 million
Fixed income, rising healthcare
By Race/Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity
Poverty Rate
# in Poverty
White (non-Hispanic)
8.6%
16.8 million
Black
17.1%
7.3 million
Hispanic/Latino
16.9%
10.3 million
Asian
8.8%
1.7 million
American Indian/Alaska Native
23.0%
0.5 million
Two or more races
12.5%
1.4 million
By Family Type
Family Structure
Poverty Rate
Why
Married couple families
4.7%
Two potential earners, shared costs
Single mother families
23.4%
One earner, childcare costs
Single father families
11.2%
One earner, but higher avg income
Individuals (no family)
19.8%
No shared expenses
What Poverty Actually Looks Like
Monthly Budget at 100% FPL (Family of 4: $32,150/Year)
Expense
Amount
% of Income
Reality
Housing
$800
30%
Requires subsidized housing in most areas
Food (SNAP + out-of-pocket)
$600
22%
SNAP benefits cover much of this
Transportation
$350
13%
Older car, public transit
Healthcare
$0-$100
0-4%
Medicaid covers most
Utilities
$200
7%
May qualify for LIHEAP assistance
Phone
$35
1%
Lifeline program
Childcare
$0-$300
0-11%
Subsidized or family help
Clothing
$50
2%
Thrift stores, donations
Everything else
$44-$344
2-13%
Virtually no savings or discretionary
Total
$2,379 - $2,679
The “Cliff Effect”: Losing Benefits
Income Level (Family of 4)
Key Benefits Lost
Net Loss
$32,150 (100% FPL)
—
Full benefits
$40,188 (125% FPL)
Some SNAP reduction
~$100/month benefit reduction
$48,225 (150% FPL)
Reduced childcare subsidy
~$300-$500/month
$60,000 (187% FPL)
No more CHIP (some states)
~$200/month healthcare cost
$64,300 (200% FPL)
SNAP eliminated
~$400/month food cost
$70,000-$80,000
Most benefits gone
May be worse off than at $50K
The “cliff effect” means a raise from $50,000 to $65,000 can actually leave a family worse off after lost benefits.
Historical Poverty Rate Trends
Year
Poverty Rate
# in Poverty
Key Context
1960
22.2%
39.9 million
Pre-War on Poverty
1970
12.6%
25.4 million
Post-Great Society programs
1980
13.0%
29.3 million
Recession
1990
13.5%
33.6 million
Recession
2000
11.3%
31.6 million
Dot-com peak
2010
15.1%
46.3 million
Post-Great Recession
2015
13.5%
43.1 million
Recovery
2019
10.5%
34.0 million
Pre-COVID (near historic low)
2020
11.4%
37.2 million
COVID impact
2021
11.6%
37.9 million
Expanded benefits partially offset
2024
11.1%
36.8 million
Benefits expired, inflation pressure
Child Poverty: America’s Challenge
Country
Child Poverty Rate (OECD Measure)
How US Compares
Denmark
2.9%
5x lower than US
Finland
3.3%
4.5x lower
Netherlands
5.3%
3x lower
Germany
8.5%
2x lower
Canada
9.4%
1.6x lower
United Kingdom
10.5%
1.4x lower
United States
15.3%
—
Mexico
19.0%
Higher
Israel
21.2%
Higher
Working Poor: Employed but Still in Poverty
Statistic
Value
Workers below poverty line
6.3 million
Working full-time, below poverty
1.5 million
Working part-time, below poverty
4.8 million
Most common industries
Food service, retail, agriculture
Federal minimum wage
$7.25/hr ($15,080/yr) — below poverty for family of 2+
States with highest working poverty
Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico
Full-Time Minimum Wage vs Poverty Line
Family Size
Poverty Line
Federal Min Wage ($7.25 FT)
$15/hr FT
Gap at $7.25
1 person
$15,650
$15,080
$31,200
-$570
2 people
$21,150
$15,080
$31,200
-$6,070
3 people
$26,650
$15,080
$31,200
-$11,570
4 people
$32,150
$15,080
$31,200
-$17,070
A full-time worker at federal minimum wage cannot lift a family of 2 above the poverty line.
