Who Are the Poor?

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Chapter 2
Who Are the Poor?

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POOR

In 2005 almost thirty-seven million people in the United States, or 12.6% of the population, were poor. (See Table 2.1.) Another 4.2% had income-to-poverty ratios between 1 and 1.25, meaning that 16.8% of the U.S. population was poor or near-poor.

Race and Ethnicity

Historically, poverty rates have been consistently lower for whites than for minorities in the United States. According to the Census Bureau in Poverty in the United States: 2000 (September 2001, http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p60-214.pdf), in 1959, 18.1% of all whites, or 28.5 million people, lived below the poverty level; in the same year, 55.1% of African-Americans, or 9.9 million people, lived in poverty. By 1970 the rate of poverty of white Americans had declined to 9.9%, about where it remained for the next ten years. The poverty rate for African-Americans was still almost triple that of whites in 1970, at 33.5%. By 2000, a year in which the U.S. economy was strong, only 9.4% of whites lived in poverty, whereas over one-fifth (22.1%) of all African-Americans did.

In 2005 African-Americans and Hispanics continued to be disproportionately affected by poverty. In 2005, 8.3% of non-Hispanic whites were poor, compared with 24.9% of African-Americans and 21.8% of Hispanics. (See Table 2.1.) Even more African-American and Hispanic children suffered from poverty. Over one-third (33.5%) of African-Americans under the age of eighteen and 28.3% of Hispanics under the age of eighteen were poor, compared with only 14.4% of white children in the same age group. (See Table 1.3 in Chapter 1.)

According to the Census Bureau, the overall Asian-American poverty rate in 2005 was 11.1% (or 1.4 million people). (See Table 2.1.) The rate was slightly lower than it was in 1987, the first year that the Census Bureau kept statistics on Asians and Pacific Islanders, when 12.7% lived below the poverty level. See Table 1.3 for the breakdown of poverty rates by different age groups among Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Age

CHILD POVERTY

Young adults and children under eighteen years of age were the age groups most likely to be poor (18.2% and 17.6%, respectively). Among these groups, it was the youngest children that suffered the most from poverty and deprivation. In 2005 one in five (20%) children under age six were poor, and more than one in four (25.4%) children under age six were poor or near-poor. Almost one in ten children this age (8.9%) were desperately poor, living in families with income-to-poverty ratios of under 0.5. (See Table 2.1.) In Poor Kids in a Rich Country: America's Children in Comparative Perspective (2003), Lee Rainwater and Timothy M. Smeeding indicate that the United States has the highest rate of child poverty among the fifteen richest nations in the world.

In 2005 children living with a female householder were particularly likely to live in poverty. Over a quarter of these children (28.7%) lived in poverty, compared with 13% of children living with a single dad and 5.1% of children living with married parents. (See Table 2.2.) Data from 2004 provide a more detailed look at children in female-householder families. In that year 53% of children under age six living in female-household families were poor, compared with 37% of children aged six to seventeen. (See Table 2.3.) Almost half (49%) of African-American children and over half (52%) of Hispanic children living in female-householder families were poor, compared with about a third (32%) of white, non-Hispanic children living in female-householder families.

Children are not only more likely than adults to be poor but they also arguably suffer more from the deprivations of poverty than do adults. Childhood poverty is a matter of great concern because strong evidence suggests that food insecurity and lack of good medical care caused by poverty can limit a child's physical and cognitive development. In addition, poverty is the largest predictor of child abuse and neglect. In fact, the Children's Defense Fund (2006, http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageNavigator/c2pp_poverty) argues that "poverty is the largest driving force behind the 'Cradle to Prison Pipeline,'" a life trajectory that the organization believes leads children to marginalized lives and premature deaths. In addition, the National Center for Children in Poverty states in "Children's Mental Health: Facts for Policymakers" (November 2006, http://www.nccp.org/media/ucr06b_text.pdf) that children in poverty are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than are other children.

TABLE 2.1
People with income below specified ratios of their poverty thresholds, by age, race, and family status, 2005
[Numbers in thousands. People as of March of the following year.]
CharacteristicTotalIncome-to-poverty ratio
Under 0.50Under 1.00Under 1.25
NumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercent
*Federal surveys now give respondents the option of reporting more than one race. Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race group are possible. A group such as Asian may be defined as those who reported Asian and no other race (the race-alone or single-race concept) or as those who reported Asian regardless of whether they also reported another race (the race-alone-or-in-combination concept). This table shows data using the first approach (race alone). The use of the single-race population does not imply that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. The Census Bureau uses a variety of approaches. About 2.6 percent of people reported more than one race in Census 2000.
Note: Details may not sum to totals because of rounding.
Source: Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Cheryl Hill Lee, "Table 6. People with Income Below Specified Ratios of Their Poverty Thresholds by Selected Characteristics: 2005," in Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005Current Population Reports, U.S. Census Bureau, August 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-231.pdf (accessed December 1, 2006)
   All people293,13515,9285.436,95012.649,32716.8
Age
Under 18 years73,2855,6487.712,89617.616,67922.8
18 to 24 years27,9652,6259.45,09418.26,37922.8
25 to 34 years39,4802,2485.74,96512.66,57416.7
35 to 44 years43,1211,8424.34,1869.75,59913.0
45 to 54 years42,7971,4943.53,5048.24,57310.7
55 to 59 years17,8276633.71,4418.11,92310.8
60 to 64 years13,1534983.81,2609.61,68412.8
65 years and older35,5059092.63,60310.15,917167
Race* and Hispanic origin
White235,43010,2884.424,87210.633,86414.4
White, not Hispanic195,5536,9163.516,2278.322,26211.4
Black36,8024,30211.79,16824.911,48431.2
Asian12,5806475.11,40211.11,90915.2
Hispanic (any race)43,0203,7018.69,36821.812,58229.2
Family status
In families242,38910,5734.426,06810.835,36214.6
  Householder77,4183,2304.27,6579.910,44213.5
  Related children under 1872,0955,2097.212,33517.116,02822.2
    Related children under 623,9142,1278.94,78420.06,07025.4
Unrelated subfamilies1,22030825.245637.456846.5
Unrelated individual49,5265,04810.210,42521.113,39727.1
  Male24,1582,2399.34,31517.95,56423.0
  Female25,3672,80911.16,11124.17,83330.9

POVERTY AMONG THE ELDERLY

In contrast with children, senior citizens are underrepresented among the poor. Barely one in ten (10.1%) adults aged sixty-five and older were poor, up by 0.3% from the year before. (See Table 2.2.) From 1959 to 2002 the number of people sixty-five years and older living in poverty dropped significantly, from about 35% to 10.4%. (See Figure 2.1.) Most observers credit Social Security for the sharp decline in poverty among the elderly.

Urban Areas

People living in inner cities are most likely to suffer from poverty. In 2005, 17% of people living in inner cities lived below the poverty line. (See Table 2.2.) Only 9.3% of people who lived in suburban areasinside metropolitan statistical areas but outside principal citieslived below the poverty line. In rural areas the poverty rate was also high14.5%.

Family Status

In 2005 people living in families (10.8%) were less likely to suffer from poverty than people living in unrelated subfamilies (37.4%) or in households with unrelated individuals (21.1%). (See Table 2.1.) However, there was a great difference in the poverty rate between different family structures. Even though about one in every ten families in the United States was living in poverty in 2005, families headed by married couples had the lowest poverty rate (5.1%). More than a quarter (28.7%) of all families with a female householder (no husband present) were living in poverty, a 0.4% increase over the previous year. Male householders were also more likely than married-couple families to be in poverty (13%), but they were much less likely than female householders to be poor. (See Table 2.2.)

TABLE 2.2
People and families living in poverty, by demographic characteristics, 200405
[Numbers in thousands. People as of March of the following year.]
CharacteristicBelow poverty in 2004aBelow poverty in 2005Change in poverty (2005 less 2004)b
NumberPercentageNumberNumberNumberPercentage
People
    Total37,04012.736,95012.6900.1
Family status
In families26,54411.026,06810.84760.3
    Householder7,83510.27,6579.91770.3
    Related children under 1812,47317.312,33517.11380.2
        Related children under 64,74720.04,78420.037
In unrelated subfamilies57045.445637.41148.1
    Reference person23445.418135.9539.5
    Children under 1831546.627039.7456.9
Unrelated individual9,92620.410,42521.14990.6
    Male4,31618.24,31517.910.4
    Female5,61122.56,11124.15001.6
Racec and Hispanic origin
White25,32710.824,87210.64560.3
    White, not Hispanic16,9088.716,2278.36820.4
Black9,01424.79,16824.91540.2
Asian1,2019.81,40211.12011.3
Hispanic origin (any race)9,12221.99,36821.82460.1
Age
Under 18 years13,04117.812,89617.61450.2
18 to 64 years20,54511.320,45011.1950.2
65 years and older3,4539.83,60310.11500.3
Nativity
Native31,02312.131,08012.1570.1
Foreign born6,01717.15,87016.51470.6
    Naturalized citizen1,3269.81,44110.41150.6
    Not a citizen4,69121.64,42920.42621.3
Region
Northeast6,26011.66,10311.31560.3
Midwest7,54511.77,41911.41260.2
South14,81714.114,85414.0380.1
West8,41912.58,57312.6154
Residence
Inside metropolitan statistical areas(NA)(NA)30,09812.2(X)(X)
    Inside principal cities(NA)(NA)15,96617.0(X)(X)
    Outside principal cities(NA)(NA)14,1329.3(X)(X)
Outside metropolitan statistical areasd(NA)(NA)6,85214.5(X)(X)
Work experience
All workers (16 years and older)9,3846.19,3406.0450.1
    Worked full-time, year-round2,8912.82,8942.830.1
    Not full-time, year-round6,49312.86,44612.847
Did not work at least one week15,87121.716,04121.8170
Families
    Total7,83510.27,6579.91770.3

SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES

An increasing number of children are being raised by one parent, usually the mother. The proportion of single-parent families grew rapidly between 1970 and the mid-1990s, whereas the proportion of families headed by married couples dropped. Since then the structure of U.S. households and families has remained relatively stable. In 2003, 23.3% of all households were married couples with children, down from 40.3% in 1970. (See Figure 2.2.) Another 28.2% of all households were married couples without children, down slightly from 30.3% in 1970. The percentage of other family households, including single-parent households headed by single women and single men, had risen to 16.4% of all households in 2003 from 10.6% in 1970. Most of these other family households were headed by female householders. Table 2.4 shows that in 2003 there were almost three times as many single female-headed families as there were single male-headed families (13.6 million female householders versus 4.6 million male householders).

TABLE 2.2
People and families living in poverty, by demographic characteristics, 200405 [continued]
[Numbers in thousands. People as of March of the following year.]
CharacteristicBelow poverty in 2004aBelow poverty in 2005Change in poverty (2005 less 2004)b
NumberPercentageNumberNumberNumberPercentage
Represents zero or rounds to zero.
(NA) Not available.
(X) Not applicable.
aThe 2004 data have been revised to reflect a correction to the weights in the 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).
bDetails may not sum to totals because of rounding.
cFederal surveys now give respondents the option of reporting more than one race. Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race group are possible. A group such as Asian may be defined as those who reported Asian and no other race (the race-alone or single-race concept) or as those who reported Asian regardless of whether they also reported another race (the race-alone-or-in-combination concept). This table shows data using the first approach (race alone). The use of the single-race population does not imply that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. The Census Bureau uses a variety of approaches. Information on people who reported more than one race, such as white and American Indian and Alaska Native or Asian and black or African American, is available from Census 2000 through American FactFinder. About 2.6 percent of people reported more than one race in Census 2000.
dThe "Outside metropolitan statistical areas" category includes both micropolitan statistical areas and territory outside of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas.
Source: Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Cheryl Hill Lee, "Table 4. People and Families in Poverty by Selected Characteristics: 2004 and 2005," in Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005Current Population Reports, U.S. Census Bureau, August 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-231.pdf (accessed December 1, 2006)
Type of family
Married-couple3,2165.52,9445.12710.5
Female householder, no husband present3,96228.34,04428.7820.4
Male householder, no wife present65713.466913.0120.4

One factor in the rise of single-parent families is the rise in the divorce rate. In 1970 only 3.5% of men and 5.7% of women were separated or divorced. (See Figure 2.3.) By 2003, 10.1% of men and 13.3% of women were divorced. The percentage of divorced women is consistently higher than the percentage of divorced men because divorced men are more likely to remarry. After divorce, women most often raise the children. As Table 2.5 shows, almost two-thirds (64.2%) of custodial parents in 2003 were women.

Another reason for the increase in single-parent families is the rise in people who never marry yet still have children. Jason Fields reports in America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2003 (November 2004, http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-553.pdf) that the percentage of people aged fifteen or older who had never married rose from 24.9% in 1970 to 28.6% in 2003. The proportion of those who have never married has increased as young adults delay the age at which they marry. Between 1970 and 2003 the median age at first marriage had risen from 20.8 years to 25.3 years for women, and from 23.2 years to 27.1 years for men. In addition, the proportion of all households that were unmarried-partner heterosexual households steadily rose between 1996 and 2003, from 2.9% to 4.2% of all households. (See Figure 2.4.)

Single-parent women are more likely than single-parent men to have never been married. In 2003, 4.4 million of 10.1 million single mothers (43.6%), compared with 601,000 of 1.7 million single fathers (35.3%), had never been married. (See Table 2.6.) In 2003 African-American single mothers were most likely to have never been married (1.9 million of 3.1 million, or 61.3%), followed by Hispanic women (850,000 of 1.8 million, or 47.2%), and non-Hispanic white women (1.5 million of 4.9 million, or 30.6%).

In 2002 African-American children were far more likely to live with a single parent than were white or Hispanic children. In that year 48% of African-American children lived with their mothers and 5% with their fathers. Twenty-five percent of Hispanic children lived with their mothers and 5% with their fathers. Sixteen percent of white children lived with their mothers and 4% with their fathers. (See Figure 2.5.)

Jason Fields reports in Children's Living Arrangements and Characteristics: March 2002 (June 2003, http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-547.pdf) that in 2002 a higher percentage of African-American children (9%) than Hispanics (6%) or whites (4%) lived with neither parent. In part, this is because African-American children are more likely to live with grandparents without the presence of either parent.

CHILD SUPPORT

Child support is an important source of income for single parents, especially mothers. In 2003, 64.2% of custodial mothers and 39.8% of custodial

TABLE 2.3
Percentage of all children and related children living below selected poverty levels, by demographic characteristics, 19802004
Characteristic1980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004
Below 100% poverty
All childrenb18202222222121202020212222232221212019171616171818
Gender
    Male202020212122232120202018171616171818
    Female201920212223232221212019171616171818
Age
    Ages 0-5232223242526262524232221191818192020
    Ages 6-17191818192020212019191918161515161617
Race and Hispanic originc
White, non-Hispanic12131415141313121112121313141311111111991091011
Black42454847474443454444454647464442403737333130323434
Hispanicd33364038394038393836384040414240403734302828293029
Region
    Northeast171616182020212019192019161515151516
    Midwest191619192020201917161515141313131517
    South242423242426252424232220191819192020
    West192020202222232322232221181716171818
Related childrena
Children in all families, total18202122212020201919202122222120201918171616161717
    Related children ages 0-520222325232322222222232426262524232221181818192020
    Related children ages 6-1717182020201919181717182019202018181817161515151616
   White, non-Hispanic111214141312121111111212121312111011109999910
      Black42454746464343444343444646464342403736333130323433
Hispanicd33353938394037393736384039404139403634302827282929
Children in married-couple families, total10101010111112111010109988999
    Related children ages 0-5121112121213131211121110999101010
    Related children ages 6-17109910101011109999887888
    White, non-Hispanic767777876555555555
    Black18171818151818151314131211910121113
Hispanicd272525272929303028292623222120212121
Children in female-house holder families, no husband present, total51525655545454545351535655545350494946424039404242
    Related children ages 0-565666768656665666462666666646462595955515049495353
    Related children ages 6-1746475150494850484846475049494745454542393635363737
    White, non-Hispanic383736404140393834353733292829293132
      Black65525655546767676563656867666362585555524947485049
Hispanicd65525655547267707064686966666866676360525049485152
TABLE 2.3
Percentage of all children and related children living below selected poverty levels, by demographic characteristics, 19802004 [continued]
Characteristic1980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004
Below 50% poverty
All childrenb9989101010109998777788
Gender
    Male9989101010108898777788
    Female99991011101091098777788
Age
    Ages 0-51011101112131212111110108888109
    Ages 6-17987899997887767677
Race and Hispanic originc
    White, non-Hispanic554556654554444445
    Black232523232627262421212018151516151817
Hispanicd151613141516151716151614111011111110
Region
    Northeast776899109910108867678
    Midwest9899910997766666677
    South12121111121312121011109788899
    West686688898898666687
Related childrena
Children in all families, total779998899889101098888667777
    Related children ages 0-5101010101112121210111098888109
    Related children ages 6-17887789887787666666
    White, non-Hispanic544455543444333344
    Black17212323232223232422222527262320202017151516151717
Hispanicd15161214141514171614161311910111110
Children in married-couple families, total333333333333222222
    Related children ages 0-5333344443333223333
    Related children ages 6-17332233333332222222
    White, non-Hispanic222222221212122212
    Black674467763353333344
Hispanicd876789799775545554
Children in female-house holder families, no husband present, total282926282930292824262623201920202222
     Related children ages 0-5363834373739363734353431272828283131
    Related children ages 6-17252522232526252419222219171517161718
    White, non-Hispanic191816191920191813181715131213121515
    Black383836374041403632333129252427252727
Hispanicd323930323131303633343632272526262528
TABLE 2.3
Percentage of all children and related children living below selected poverty levels, by demographic characteristics, 19802004 [continued]
Characteristic1980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004
Below 150% poverty
All childrenb313031313333343332323130282728282928
Gender
    Male313031313233343332313029282727282928
    Female313031323334343333333130292728282928
Age
    Ages 0-5333434353638383736353432312930313232
    Ages 6-17292828303131323131302928282526272727
Race and Hispanic originc
    White, non-Hispanic212020212222222220202018181617171817
    Black585758586060615857565252484646484948
Hispanicd565455565958605959585653504747474847
Region
    Northeast252525272829292929292828262325252523
    Midwest292728293030303027262425232223232526
    South353536363738393636353432313031313231
    West313132313434353635353433312928303030
Related childrena
Children in all families, total29323434323230303030313233333232313029282627272828
    Related children ages 0-5333434343637383735353332302930313131
    Related children ages 6-17292828293030313030292827272525262726
    White, non-Hispanic202020212121222119191918171617171717
    Black57626362615957575657576060615856565152484546484848
Hispanicd565454555858605859575652494746474847
Children in married-couple families, total201920202121222120201918171617181817
    Related children ages 0-5222323222424252321222120191819202020
    Related children ages 6-17191718191920201919191717171516161716
    White, non-Hispanic151414151515151513131211111011111110
    Black323033323233352826282426212121252223
Blackd464545475049514950484743413939404140
Children in female-house holder families, husband present, total676766676968686765656462605757575858
    Related children ages 0-5777775777879777875747471686766656868
    Related children ages 6-17636362626463636260606058565354535453
    White, non-Hispanic535353545554535349505248454446454646
    Black797977778179807876757272716666656766
Hispanicd818179808180818182817876717066666868
TABLE 2.3
Percentage of all children and related children living below selected poverty levels, by demographic characteristics, 19802004 [continued]
Characteristic1980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004
Below 200% poverty
All childrenb414141424444454443434140393838383939
Gender
Male414141434444454443434140393838383939
Female414142424445454444444241383838384040
Age
    Ages 0-5444545464848504847474543424142424243
    ages 6-17403939414242434242424039383637373838
Race and Hispanic originc
    White, non-Hispanic313130323333333231313028272627262627
    Black686768687071726868686464615957606161
Hispanicd686667707271737273726967646362626362
Region
    Northeast343435363839393838393837353334343432
    Midwest393838404142414137373634333133333436
    South464647484949504848484643424242424443
    West424342434545464746474444424140404142
Related childrena
Children in all families, total404141424344444343434140383738383939
    Related children ages 0-5444545454748494846464543414141414242
    Related children ages 6-17393839404141424141413938373536363737
    White, non-Hispanic303030313332323230302927262526172626
    Black686768687071726868686464605957486160
Hispanicd686667697270727273726966646261476262
Children in married-couple families, total303030313332333231312928272627272727
    Related children ages 0-5343534343635363533343331292930303031
    Related children ages 6-17292828303131313030302727262525252626
    White, non-Hispanic242524252625252523232120191819191918
    Black464446454647504239433839353633363636
Hispanicd605860626564656466656359585554565656
Children in female-house holder families, no husband present, total777677777879787876767573726970697071
    Related children ages 0-5858584858687868784848380807879767879
    Related children ages 6-17737373737474747372737270686666666767
    White, non-Hispanic656566676667666661646461595659585960
    Black868685868888888587858382827977767879
Hispanicd898787898788899088898684828280798080

TABLE 2.3

Percentage of all children and related children living below selected poverty levels, by demographic characteristics, 19802004 [continued]

=Not available.

aA related child is a person ages 0-17 who is related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption, but is not the householder or the householder's spouse.

bIncludes children not related to the householder.

cFor race and Hispanic origin data in this table: From 1980 to 2002, following the 1977 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards for collecting and presenting data on race, the Current Population Survey (CPS) asked respondents to choose one race from the following: white, black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Asian or Pacific Islander. The Census Bureau also offered an "other" category. Beginning in 2003, following the 1997 OMB standards for collecting and presenting data on race, the CPS asked respondents to choose one or more races from the following: white, black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. All race groups discussed in this table from 2002 onward refer to people who indicated only one racial identity within the racial categories presented. People who responded to the question on race by indicating only one race are referred to as the race-alone population. The use of the race-alone population in this table does not imply that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. Data from 2002 onward are not directly comparable with data from earlier years. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately; Hispanics may be any race.

dPersons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

Note: Data for 1999, 2000, and 2001 use Census 2000 population controls. Data for 2000 onward are from the expanded Current Population Survey sample. The poverty level is based on money income and does not include noncash benefits, such as food stamps. Poverty thresholds reflect family size and composition and are adjusted each year using the annual average Consumer Price Index level. The average poverty threshold for a family of four was $19,307 in 2004. The levels shown here are derived from the ratio of the family's income to the family's poverty threshold.

source: "Table ECON1.A. Child Poverty: Percentage of All Children and Related Children Ages 0-17 Living Below Selected Poverty Levels by Selected Characteristics, Selected Years 19802004," in America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2006, Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2006, http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/tables/econ1a.asp (accessed January 2, 2007)

fathers were awarded child support. (See Table 2.5.) However, less than half of all custodial parents received all child support payments owed to them (46.2% of custodial fathers and 45.2% of custodial mothers). Almost a quarter of all custodial mothers (23%) and 28.4% of all custodial fathers due child support payments did not receive any.

Child support is often not enough to keep custodial mothers and their children out of poverty. According to the Census Bureau, between 1993 and 2001 the percent of custodial parents and their children living below the poverty level declined from 33.3% to 23.4%, and then remained statistically unchanged in 2002 and 2003. (See Figure 2.6.) However, the poverty rate among custodial mothers (26.1%) remained significantly higher than the poverty rate among custodial fathers (13.4%).

The Census Bureau further breaks down whether custodial parents received their child support payments by whether their families were below the poverty level in 2001. A lower proportion of custodial parents with incomes below the poverty level received child support payments in 2001 (65.6%) than did all custodial parents (73.9%). (See Table 2.7.) In addition, a lower proportion of the poor custodial parents (30.8%) than all custodial parents (44.8%) received the full amount of child support due them.

The average amount of child support due to custodial mothers in 2003 was $5,176; they actually received an average of $3,579. (See Table 2.5.) The average amount of child support due to custodial fathers in 2003 was $4,471; they actually received an average of $2,797. According to the Census Bureau, the mean total income of custodial mothers who actually received child support in 2001 was $28,258, substantially less than the mean total income of custodial fathers who received child support ($36,255). (See Table 2.7.)

By Race

The Census Bureau calculates the three-year average poverty rate of different racial and ethnic groups in the United States. It finds that non-Hispanic whites had the lowest rate, at 8.4%, followed by Asians, at 10.9%, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, at 12.2%. (See Table 2.8.) In contrast, more than one in five Americans of Hispanic origin (22%) and one in four African-Americans (24.7%) and Native Americans and Alaskan Natives (25.3%) lived in poverty.

Work Experience

The probability of a family living in poverty is influenced by three primary factors: the size of the family, the number of workers, and the characteristics of the wage earners. As the number of wage earners in a family increases, the probability of poverty declines. The likelihood of a second wage earner is greatest in families headed by married couples.

In 2004 most Americans aged sixteen and older, at or above the poverty level, worked at some point during the year (144.4 million of 200 million, or 72.2%). About 6.7% of all Americans who worked lived in poverty, compared with 21% of those who did not work that year. The rate of poverty was higher for those who worked only twenty-six weeks or less (18.4%) than for those who worked twenty-seven weeks or more (5.6%). (See Table 2.9.)

Most poor children live in families where one or more adults work. However, millions of working parents are not able to earn enough to lift their families out of povertyeven those who work full time all year.

Education

Not surprisingly, poverty rates drop sharply as years of schooling rise. In 2005 the median income for men aged twenty-five and older who had not completed high school was $22,138; for women it was only $13,076. (See Table 2.10.) Male high school graduates earned a median of $31,683, whereas females earned $20,179. Men with a four-year college degree earned a median of $53,693, whereas women earned $36,250. Heather Koball, Michelle Chau, and Ayana Douglas-Hall report in the fact sheet "Parents' Low Education Leads to Low Income, Despite Full-Time Employment" (October 2006, http://www.nccp.org/pub_pei06b.html) that most children who live in low-income or poor families have parents without any college education and that full-time employment does not protect families from low earnings.

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE

With few exceptions, the demand for welfare assistance increased sharply in the 1990s. However, because of decreased funding and welfare reform measures that gave states more flexibility in dispersing benefits, a smaller proportion of eligible families actually received benefits. In the fact sheet "Decade of Welfare Reform: Facts and FiguresAssessing the New Federalism" (June 2006, http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900980_welfarereform.pdf), the Urban Institute reports that even though 80% of eligible families were enrolled in welfare programs in 1996, by 2002 only 48% were enrolled. Some were ineligible because they had assets such as a car or a savings account that brought them above permitted limits. Others did not know they were eligible for benefits, whereas some knew they were eligible but chose not to accept benefits or thought the effort was not worth the amount of benefits they would receive.

Who Receives Benefits?

The Census Bureau reports that in 2004 about 76.7 million people, or 26.4% of the total U.S. population, lived in households that received some form of means-tested assistanceassistance based on earning below a certain amount. (See Table 2.11.) Approximately thirty-seven million people were living below the poverty level in 2004. (See Table 2.12.) Of those living in poverty, twenty-five million, or 67.6%, were receiving some form of means-tested aid.

Certain types of households were more likely than others to receive means-tested assistance. Almost nine out of ten (86.9%) poor families with children under eighteen years of age received government assistance. (See Table 2.12.) Poor families headed by a single mother were most likely to receive government assistance; 91.6% of these families received some form of government assistance. In fact, more than two out of three of all families with children headed by a single mother (69.6%) received some form of means-tested assistance in 2004. (See Table 2.11.) In comparison, about half (49.7%) of families headed by a single father received means-tested assistance in that year.

TABLE 2.4
Households, by type and selected characteristics, 2003
[In thousands, except average size]
CharacteristicAll householdsFamily householdsNonfamily households
TotalMarried coupleOther families
NumberMale householderFemale householderTotalMale householderFemale householder
X Not applicable.
Note: Data are not shown separately for the other race groups because of the small sample sizes in the Current Population Survey in the 2003 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Source: Jason Fields, "Table 1. Households by Type and Selected Characteristics: 2003," in America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2003Current Population Reports, U.S. Census Bureau, November 2004, http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-553.pdf (accessed December 6, 2006)
    All households111,27875,59657,3204,65613,62035,68216,0209,662
Age of householder
15 to 24 years6,6113,5511,3797891,3833,0601,5071,552
25 to 34 years19,05613,4389,5361,0112,8925,6173,3432,274
35 to 44 years24,06918,74114,00110873,6525,3283,2782,051
45 to 54 years22,62316,86313,2979222,6445,7602,9712,789
55 to 64 years16,26011,2619,5434131,3054,9992,0232,976
65 years and over22,65911,7419,5654341,74310,9182,8988,020
Race and ethnicity of householder
White only91,64562,29749,9153,5008,88129,34913,07016,278
    Non-Hispanic81,16653,84544,1012,6747,07027,32111,96815,353
Black only13,4658,9284,1657624,0004,5382,0432,495
Asian only3,9172,8452,2862233371,073526547
Hispanic (of any race)11,3399,0906,1898722,0292,2491,2281,021
Size of households
1 person29,431(X)(X)(X)(X)29,43112,51116,919
2 people37,07832,04724,3101,9925,7455,0312,6602,371
3 people17,88917,07611,5261,4034,147813556257
4 people15,96715,67212,7547332,18529521283
5 people7,0296,9695,719296955604217
6 people2,5212,4892,004142344311912
7 or more people1,3641,3431,0079024622192
Average size2.573.193.223.113.121.241.321.17
Number of related children under 18
No related children72,36736,68530,2612,2404,18335,68216,02019,662
With related children38,91138,91127,0592,4169,437(X)(X)(X)
    1 child16,51116,51110,3781,4294,704(X)(X)(X)
    2 children14,33314,33310,8006832,850(X)(X)(X)
    3 children5,7715,7714,2352201,317(X)(X)(X)
    4 or more children2,2962,2961,64684566(X)(X)(X)
Presence of own children under 18
No own children75,31039,62831,4062,7415,48135,68216,02019,662
With own children35,96835,96825,9141,9158,139(X)(X)(X)
    With own children under 1226,25126,25119,1681,2955,788(X)(X)(X)
        With own children under 615,58415,58411,7437293,111(X)(X)(X)
            With own children under 39,0819,0817,0144511,615(X)(X)(X)
                With own children under 12,9172,9172,255181481(X)(X)(X)
Tenure
Owner75,90957,09247,6762,7216,69518,8177,74211,075
Renter33,79917,6049,0071,8736,72416,1957,9518,244
Occupies without payment1,57090063762201670327343

In 2004 a slightly higher proportion of females (27.6%) than males (25.2%) lived in a household that received means-tested assistance, or welfare benefits of any kind. (See Table 2.11.) About 40.8 million females received program assistance during 2004, compared with nearly 35.9 million males. Among those living below the poverty level, 14.2 million women, or 68.8% of females living below the poverty line, received benefits during some part of the year, compared with 10.8 million males, or 66.1% of males living below the poverty line. (See Table 2.12.)

One reason for the larger percentage of females receiving assistance is that women are more likely to live in a family without a spouse present. Another reason is that, as reported by many government and private studies, women, on average, earned approximately 76.7% of what men earn in 2005. (See Table 2.10.) Another reason is that fewer single mothers participate in the workforce permanently and full time than do single fathers. In Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2003 (July 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-230.pdf), Timothy S. Grall reports that although 80.1% of custodial mothers worked in 2003, only 50.5% of them worked full time, year round, whereas 70.6% of custodial fathers held full-time, full-year jobs. Grall notes one reason that might be part of the cause of this disparity: Custodial mothers were more likely than custodial fathers to have two or more children living with them (44.4% and 35.9%, respectively).

TABLE 2.5
Award status given and support payments made to custodial parents, by demographic characteristics, 2003
[Numbers in thousands, as of spring 2004. Parents living with own children under 21 years of age whose other parent is not living in the home.]
CharacteristicTotalWith child support agreements or awards
TotalPercentDue child support payments in 2003
TotalAverage due (dollars)Average received (dollars)Received all paymentsDid not receive payments
TotalPercentTotalPercent
*Public assistance program participation includes receiving at least one of the following: Medicaid, food stamps, public housing or rent subsidy, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or general assistance.
Source: Timothy S. Grall, "Table 2. Demographic Characteristics of Custodial Parents by Award Status and Payments Received: 2003," in Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2003Current Population Reports, U.S. Census Bureau, July 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-230.pdf (accessed December 6, 2006)
All custodial parents
    Total13,9518,37660.07,2565,1043,4993,29045.31,70823.5
Sex
Male2,36494039.87404,4712,79734246.221028.4
Female11,5877,43664.26,5165,1763,5792,94845.21,49823.0
Age
Under 30 years3,2961,88857.31,6533,8721,96450330.442325.6
30 to 39 years5,1183,26063.72,8945,0243,8151,34746.576626.5
40 years and over5,5383,22858.32,7105,9414,0971,43953.151919.2
Race and ethnicity
White alone9,6016,04863.05,3135,2433,8402,59548.81,04819.7
    White alone, non-Hispanic7,8375,18466.14,5765,3963,9432,26649.583018.1
Black alone3,5541,85252.11,5474,6072,10452233.753234.4
Hispanic (any race)1,97797549.38324,3203,78237144.624629.6
Current marital status
Married3,0752,03566.21,8754,8763,30188046.937720.1
Divorced5,0233,30965.92,8655,7684,1961,48651.961021.3
Separated1,63288053.96825,0933,03528241.318326.8
Never married4,0052,03750.91,7364,2452,80160935.150529.1
Educational attainment
Less than high school diploma2,2001,20854.99883,8263,68240440.932633.0
High school graduate5,1233,07860.12,6854,7402,7811,10141.071426.6
Less than 4 years of college4,5892,84962.12,5415,2753,6081,19947.249319.4
Bachelor's degree or more2,0391,24160.91,0426,8364,91058656.217616.9
Selected characteristics
Family income below 2003 poverty level3,3431,96458.71,6894,2482,54859435.253031.4
Worked full-time, year-round7,5234,48059.63,9045,3643,6671,96550.385621.9
Public assistance program participation*4,2292,52059.62,1574,2242,74277636.059527.6
With 1 child7,9584,40955.43,7874,6103,0741,68944.686322.8
With 2 or more children5,9943,96766.23,4695,6433,9641,60146.284624.4
Child had contact with other parent in 20039,2695,93164.05,2005,2553,9142,68651.790617.4

African-Americans and Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanic whites and Asians to received some form of means-tested assistance in 2004. The Census Bureau notes in Current Population Survey, 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (2005, http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/pov/new26_000.htm) that 17.6% of non-Hispanic whites, 23.3% of Asians, 46.8% of African-Americans, and 49.6% of Hispanics lived in households receiving some form of means-tested assistance in 2004. Among those with incomes below the poverty line, 55.1% of non-Hispanic whites, 54.7% of Asians, 80.4% of African-Americans, and 79.8% of Hispanics received benefits.

More than one-third (39.6%) of children under eighteen years old lived in households that received means-tested assistance at some time during 2004. Approximately one out of six people aged sixty-five or older (17.6%) received assistance. (See Table 2.11.)

Only 20.4% of those living in families headed by married couples received assistance in 2004. (See Table 2.11.) However, well over half (57.7%) of individuals in female-headed families with no spouse present received benefits. In contrast, about a third (36.2%) of those living in families headed by single men received means-tested benefits. The highest rate of assistance was provided to families headed by women with children under the age of six (75.1%).

LENGTH OF TIME IN POVERTY AND IN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Entering and Exiting Poverty

For most poor Americans poverty is not a static condition. Some people near the poverty level improve their economic status within two years or less, whereas others at near-poverty levels become poor through economic catastrophes, such as an illness or job loss. Most data collected by the Census Bureau reflect a single point in timein other words, showing how many people are in poverty or participating in a means-tested government program in a certain month. These surveys, however, do not reflect the dynamic nature of poverty for individual people and families.

The Census Bureau collects longitudinal information (measurements over time for specific individuals or families) about poverty and government program participation rates in its Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). This makes it possible to measure the movement of individuals and families into and out of poverty (entry and exit rates) and the duration of poverty spells (the number of months in poverty for those who were not poor during the first interview month, but who became poor at some point in the study) as well as the length of time individuals and families use government programs.

In Dynamics of Economic Well-Being, Poverty 19961999 (July 2003, http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p70-91.pdf), John Iceland uses data from the 1996 SIPP panel to examine poverty in the period from January 1996 through December 1999. He focuses on monthly measures of poverty and distinguishes between short- and long-term poverty. Some highlights of the survey include:

  • More than one in three people (34.2%) were poor for at least two months in the four years between 1996 and 1999.
  • About 2% of the population were chronically poor. That is, they were poor during all forty-eight months from January 1996 through December 1999. (See Figure 2.7.)
  • Nonelderly adults were more likely to exit poverty than children and the elderly.
  • Children had the highest entry rates into poverty and, along with retirement-age adults, had a low exit rate.
  • More than half of all poverty spells lasted two to four months, whereas 11.9% lasted more than twenty-one months. (See Figure 2.8.)

RACE AND AGE

Of the poor in 1996, non-Hispanic whites (57.1%) were more likely to have left poverty by 1999 than either African-Americans (42.4%) or Hispanics (41.6%). (See Figure 2.9.) Figure 2.10 shows the newly poor as a percent of the population that was not poor in 1996. Non-Hispanic whites were less likely to have entered poverty by 1999 than African-Americans or Hispanics.

The elderly (often on fixed incomes) and children were less likely to exit poverty than were people of other ages. About 32.4% of the elderly and 47.9% of children under eighteen years of age who were poor in 1996 were able to escape poverty by 1999. (See Figure 2.9.) Adults eighteen to sixty-four years of age were the most likely to escape53.9% moved out of poverty. Only 3.3% of the elderly entered poverty by 1999, compared with 4.5% of children under eighteen years of age. (See Figure 2.10.)

TABLE 2.6
Single parents, by sex and demographic characteristics, 2003
[In thousands]
CharacteristicSingle fathersSingle mothers
TotalRace and ethnicityTotalRace and ethnicity
White onlyBlack onlyHispanic (of any race)White onlyBlack onlyHispanic (of any race)
TotalNon-HispanicTotalNon-Hispanic
*Married spouse absent includes separated.
Source: Jason Fields, "Table 4. Single Parents by Sex and Selected Characteristics: 2003," in America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2003Current Population Reports, U.S. Census Bureau, November 2004, http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-553.pdf (accessed December 6, 2006)
All single parents2,2601,7581,33035345010,1426,4714,8703,1241,807
Type of family group
Family household1,9151,5061,1762853468,1395,1553,9602,5911,357
Related subfamily2601759762841,5961,003645475390
Unrelated subfamily8478586204073132655861
Number of own children under 18
1 child142211018632282545,5293,6702,8661,563904
2 children609485353841372,9351,8761,396915530
3 children1701339028431,223697484443246
4 or more children5839241315455228125203127
Presence of own children under 18
With own children under 182,2601,7581,33035345010,1426,4714,8703,1241,807
    With own children under 121,5471,1878462543607,4174,6243,38523911,405
        With own children under 68786684301392534,2342,5751,8111,395872
            With own children under 3530404261841522,2871,364956789453
                With own children under 12031621122755734446309241155
Education
Less than high school450356170641951,9661,267600585736
High school graduate9537425901461563,5772,2351,7261,169586
Some college580426269113623,2982,0651,7221,055396
Bachelor's degree or higher27723430229351,30190482231590
Marital status
Never married8526013591832574,4132,2551,5071,924850
Married spouse absent*34426420353631,8101,193773479480
Divorced956817707951153,5042,7252,363632394
Widowed107766222154162982288983
Poverty status in 2002
Below poverty level357239142931003,2681,8491,2141,237730
At or above poverty level1,9031,5201,1882603496,8754,6223,6561,8871,077

FAMILY STATUS

Poor families headed by married couples were much more likely than other poor family types to have left poverty by 1999, underscoring how having two potential wage earners in a family helps protect a family from poverty. Of the poor families headed by married couples in 1996, 59.7% were able to escape poverty by 1999. Only 39.4% of the poor families of other types recovered from poverty by 1999. (See Figure 2.9.) Nonpoor families headed by married couples were also significantly less likely to have entered poverty by 1999. (See Figure 2.10.) With at least two adults in the household, these families are more likely to have at least one person working than a family headed by a single person.

Having a Job Does Not Guarantee Escape from Poverty

The working poor are those people who participated in the labor force for at least twenty-seven weeks (either working or looking for work) and who lived in families with incomes below the official poverty level. Over 7.8 million workers in 2004 (5.6% of individuals aged sixteen and over in the labor force) found that their jobs did not provide enough income to keep them out of poverty. (See Table 2.13.)

Working women had a higher poverty rate (4 million workers, or 6.2%) than working men (3.8 million workers, or 5%). (See Table 2.13.) Although nearly three-quarters of the working poor were white (5.6 million workers, or 71.6%), African-American and Hispanic workers continued to experience poverty while employed at more than twice the rates of whites. African-Americans (10.6%) and Hispanics (10.5%) with at least twenty-seven weeks in the labor force had a far higher poverty rate than whites (4.9%) or Asians (4.4%). Younger workers were more likely to be in poverty than older workers. Much of the reason for this is that many younger workers are still in school and work at part-time or entry-level jobs that often do not pay well.

In general, the lower the educational level, the higher the risk of poverty. Among workers in the labor force for at least twenty-seven weeks in 2004, those with less than a high school diploma had a much higher poverty rate (15.2%) than high school graduates (6.5%). (See Table 2.14.) Far lower poverty rates were reported for workers with an associate's degree (3.1%) or a four-year college degree (1.7%). African-American and Hispanic workers, regardless of education levels, had higher poverty rates than white workers. The highest poverty rate (31.5%) was for African-American women workers without a high school diploma.

In 2004 working families headed by married couples without children were less likely than other family types to be poor (1.8%). (See Table 2.15.) The presence of children under age eighteen increased the married-couple poverty rate to 5.9%, reflecting the added monetary burdens of raising children and the decreased likelihood that a family will have two adults working full time. Single women with families were most likely to be living in poverty (23.3%). Single men with children were also relatively likely to be poor (12.4%).

In a family headed by a married couple, there is a greater likelihood that two members of the family are working than in a single-parent family. Two-income families are rarely poor. Only 1.5% of families headed by married couples with two or more wage earners were poor in 2004. (See Table 2.15.) Of the 4.2 million working-poor families, 1.9 million families (45.2%) were families maintained by women. Working women who were the sole supporters of their families had the highest poverty rate: 24.2%.

Several factors affect the poverty status of working families: the size of the family, the number of workers in the family, the characteristics of the workers, and various labor market problems. The addition of a child puts a financial strain on the family and increases the chances that a parent might have to stay home to care for the child. Even though a child in a single-parent family may work, children are usually employed for low pay and at part-time jobs. In addition, the more education a person has, the more his or her job is likely to pay. Single mothers are more likely to have less education than married women with children.

Finally, the labor market plays a major role in whether a working family lives in poverty. Three major labor market problems contributed to poverty among workers in 2004: unemployment, low earnings, and involuntary part-time employment. Only 0.8% of workers who did not suffer from any of these problems were poor in 2004, whereas 22.4% of low-paid workers were in poverty. (See Table 2.16.) Unemployment accounted for the poverty of 7.6% of workers, and involuntary part-time work for 2.4%. However, it was the combination of two or more factors that had the most devastating effect on families. Unemployment coupled with low earnings and involuntary part-time employment accounted for 38.8% of workers in poverty.

Duration of Program Spells

The most recent Census Bureau report using SIPP data focused on the use of government assistance programs by families and individuals. In Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Participation in Government Programs, 2001 through 2003Who Gets Assistance (October 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p70-108.pdf), Tracy A. Loveless and Jan Tin examine the use of government programs over the survey period. Some highlights of the survey include:

  • In 2003 one in five people (20%) took part in one or more major aid programs (Housing Assistance, Supplemental Security Income [SSI], Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF]/general assistance, Food Stamps, or Medicaid) for at least one month. (See Figure 2.11.)
  • More individuals participated in Medicaid (16% for at least one month in 2003) than in any other single aid program. (See Figure 2.11.)
  • In an average month in 2003, 50.8% of people in poverty received benefits, compared with only 9.7% of people who were not poor. (See Figure 2.12.)
  • In 2003, 48% of all households headed by a single female participated in a major means-tested program for at least one month, compared with 25.7% of households headed by a single male and 13.7% of married-couple households. (See Figure 2.13.)
  • Adults who had not graduated from high school were more likely than high school graduates to participate in means-tested programs in an average month in 2003 (25.6% and 11.7%, respectively). (See Figure 2.14.)

The length of time people received assistance, referred to as a spell, differed by program. As Figure 2.15 shows, the average number of months for receiving any means-tested assistance between 2001 and 2003 was 7.2 months. The spell length for TANF/general assistance (4.9 months) was shorter than that for food stamps (7.7 months) and Medicaid (7.6 months). The spell length for SSI was longest (fifteen months).

Table 2.17 gives more detail about the characteristics of people by the length of time they participated in major means-tested programs between 2001 and 2003. Among racial and ethnic groups, non-Hispanic whites (7 months), Hispanics (7.2 months), and African-Americans (7.5 months) had similar median durations of participation in means-tested programs, whereas Asians and Pacific Islanders had a significantly lower median duration of program participation (3.9 months). Adults who had not graduated from high school had a longer median duration of participation (7.4 months) than did high school graduates (5.6 months) or those with at least some college (3.9 months), reflecting the increased economic opportunities of those with higher educational attainments.

Families had a longer median duration of participation in major means-tested programs than did households of unrelated individuals (7.2 months and 5.2 months, respectively). (See Table 2.17.) Among families, those headed by a single female spent the longest time in these programs (7.7 months), compared with single male-headed households (7.3 months) and married-couple families (6.9 months).

TABLE 2.7
Custodial parents awarded child support and actually receiving it, by poverty level, 2001
[In thousands except as noted (13,383 represents 13,383,000). Custodial parents 15 years and older with own children under 21 years of age present from absent parents as of spring 2002. Covers civilian noninstitutional population. Based on Current Population Survey.]
Award and recipiency statusAll custodial parentsCustodial parents below the poverty level
TotalMothersFathersTotalMothersFathers
NumberPercent distributionNumberPercent distribution
X Not applicable.
Source: "Table 558. Child SupportAward and Recipiency Status of Custodial Parent: 2001," in Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006Social Insurance and Human Services, U.S. Census Bureau, http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/social_insurance_human_services/socinsur.pdf (accessed January 2, 2007)
    Total13,383(X)11,2912,0923,131(X)2,823308
With child support agreement or award7,916(X)7,1108071,706(X)1,571135
    Supposed to receive payments in 20016,924100.06,2127121,469100.01,339130
        Actually received payments in 20015,11973.94,63948096365.688577
             Received full amount3,09944.82,82127845330.842330
             Received partial payments2,02029.21,81820251034.746347
        Did not receive payments in 20011,80426.11,57323250734.545453
Child support not awarded5,466(X)4,1811,2851,425(X)1,253172
Mean income and child support
Received child support payments in 2001:
Mean total money income ($)29,008(X)28,25836,2557,571(X)7,6047,189
Mean child support received ($)4,274(X)4,2744,2733,041(X)3,0782,622
    Received the full amount due:
        Mean total money income ($)32,338(X)31,73438,4797,963(X)7,9588,032
        Mean child support received ($)5,665(X)5,6555,7684,576(X)4,7012,831
    Received partial payments:
        Mean total money income ($)23,899(X)22,86533,1997,223(X)7,2816,647
        Mean child support received ($)2,141(X)2,1322,2191,677(X)1,5952,487
Received no payments in 2001:
    Mean total money income ($)23,571(X)21,83535,3486,832(X)6,7557,492
Without child support agreement or award:
    Mean total money income ($)24,055(X)19,33939,3966,113(X)6,0896,287

Not surprisingly, people who were not employed full time and families with incomes under the poverty line had the longest median durations of participation in means-tested programs. Those who were employed full time spent a median of 3.8 months in these programs, compared with 6.6 months for those employed part time and 7.2 months for those who were either unemployed or not in the labor force. (See Table 2.17.) Families under the poverty line spent a median of ten months participating in means-tested programs, whereas families with incomes above the poverty line spent a median of only six months in these programs.

TABLE 2.8
Three-year average of poverty statistics, by race and Hispanic origin, 200305
[Numbers in thousands. People as of March of the following year]
Racea and Hispanic origin3-year average 20032005b
Number estimatePercentage estimate
aFederal surveys now give respondents the option of reporting more than one race. Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race group are possible. A group such as Asian may be defined as those who reported Asian and no other race (the race-alone or single-race concept) or as those who reported Asian regardless of whether they also reported another race (the race-alone-or-in-combination concept). This table shows data using the first approach (race alone). The use of the single-race population does not imply that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. The Census Bureau uses a variety of approaches. Information on people who reported more than one race, such as white and American Indian and Alaska Native or Asian and black or African American, is available from Census 2000 through American FactFinder. About 2.6 percent of people reported more than one race in Census 2000.
bThe 2004 data have been revised to reflect a correction to the weights in the 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).
Source: Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Cheryl Hill Lee, "Table 5. Number in Poverty and Poverty Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin Using 3-Year Average: 2003 to 2005," in Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005Current Population Reports, U.S. Census Bureau, August 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-231.pdf (accessed December 1, 2006)
All races36,61712.6
White24,82410.6
   White, not Hispanic16,3468.4
Black8,98824.7
American Indian and Alaska Native57325.3
Asian1,33510.9
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander7912.2
Hispanic origin (any race)9,18022.0
TABLE 2.9
Poverty status and work experience of people in families and unrelated individuals, 2004
[Numbers in thousands. The unrelated individuals category includes people who live by themselves or with others not related to them.]
Poverty status and work experienceTotal personsIn married-couple familiesIn families maintained by womenIn families maintained by menUnrelated individuals
HusbandsWivesRelated children under 18Other relativesHouse-holderRelated children under 18Other relativesHouse-holderRelated children under 18Other relatives
aData on families include people in primary families and unrelated subfamilies.
bNumber below the poverty level as a percent of the total.
cData not shown where base is less than 80,000.
Note: Data in this table may vary slightly from that previously published due to corrections to the sample weights.
Source: "Table 6. People in Families and Unrelated Individuals: Poverty Status and Work Experience, 2004," A Profile of the Working Poor, 2004, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpswp2004.pdf (accessed April 30, 2007)
    Total
All peoplea225,23657,32657,9115,71217,64113,9682,08910,9774,8695135,09349,137
With labor force activity154,79645,40837,1422,16611,86910,1376516,9163,8721573,45133,029
1 to 26 weeks13,8881,4643,4351,3632,495814415942183903532,334
27 weeks or more140,90843,94433,7078039,3759,3232365,9733,689673,09930,694
With no labor force activity70,44011,91820,7703,5465,7713,8311,4384,0619983561,64216,109
At or above poverty level
All peoplea200,04954,15654,7025,32416,85610,0091,4849,2594,2174634,57639,003
With labor force activity144,41143,58236,2352,10111,6247,9115186,3333,4981473,25629,205
1 to 26 weeks11,3381,3043,1641,3172,423306322754127822881,253
27 weeks or more133,07342,27933,0717849,2017,6051965,5793,372652,96827,952
With no labor force activity55,63810,57418,4663,2235,2322,0989662,9267193161,3209,798
Below poverty level
All peoplea25,1873,1703,2103887843,9596051,7176525051810,134
With labor force activity10,3851,826906642452,226133582373101963,823
1 to 26 weeks2,549161270467250894188568651,081
27 weeks or more7,8361,665636191731,7183939431721302,742
With no labor force activity14,8021,3442,3043235391,7334721,135279403226,310
Rateb
All peoplea11.25.55.56.84.428.329.015.613.49.710.220.6
With labor force activity6.74.02.43.02.122.020.48.49.66.35.711.6
1 to 26 weeks18.411.07.93.42.962.522.520.030.78.718.546.3
27 weeks or more5.63.81.92.31.818.416.86.68.6(C)4.28.9
With no labor force activity21.011.311.19.19.345.232.827.928.011.319.639.2
TABLE 2.10
Past-year median earnings of workers, by gender, race and Hispanic origin, and educational level, 2005
[In 2005 inflation-adjusted dollars. Data are limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters.]
Selected characteristicMenWomenPercent of men's earnings estimate
Median earnings (dollars) estimateMedian earnings (dollars) estimate
Note: Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability.
Source: Adapted from Bruce H. Webster, Jr., and Alemayehu Bishaw, "Table 5. Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months of Workers by Sex and Women's Earnings as a Percentage of Men's Earnings by Selected Characteristics for the United States: 2005," in Income, Earnings, and Poverty Data from the 2005 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, August 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/acs-02.pdf (accessed January 2, 2007)
Race and Hispanic origin
Full-time, year-round workers 16 years and older with earnings41,96532,16876.7
White alone44,85033,23774.1
White alone, not Hispanic46,80734,19073.0
Black alone34,43329,58885.9
American Indian and Alaska Native alone33,52027,97783.5
Asian alone48,69337,79277.6
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone35,42630,04184.8
Some other race alone27,04123,67887.6
Two or more races38,62131,24980.9
Hispanic (any race)27,38024,45189.3
Educational attainment
Population 25 years and older with earnings38,51425,73666.8
Less than high school graduate22,13813,07659.1
High school graduate (includes equivalency)31,68320,17963.7
Some college or associate's degree39,60125,73665.0
Bachelor's degree53,69336,25067.5
Graduate or professional degree71,91847,31965.8
TABLE 2.11
Program participation status of householdall income levels, 2004
[Numbers in thousands. People who lived with someone (a nonrelative or a relative) who received aid. Not every person tallied here received the aid themselves.]
TotalIn household that received means-tested assistanceIn household that received means-tested assistance excluding school lunchIn household that received means-tested cash assistanceIn household that received food stampsIn household in which one or more persons were covered by MedicaidLived in public or authorized housing
NumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercent
All races
All income levels
Both sexes
    Totala290,60576,74526.466,65922.918,4846.421,9057.559,10720.310,6183.7
Under 18 years73,27128,98639.623,97432.75,5537.69,57313.122,25030.43,9955.5
18 to 24 years27,9728,02528.77,30026.11,9867.12,2898.26,43423.01,2384.4
25 to 34 years39,30710,96827.99,47924.12,1475.53,2488.38,52221.71,3313.4
35 to 44 years43,35010,33723.88,63319.92,2805.32,5896.07,74817.91,0732.5
45 to 54 years41,9607,59118.16,75716.12,4895.91,8244.35,83113.99182.2
55 to 59 years16,7632,69016.02,56515.31,0966.56233.72,10412.53472.1
60 to 64 years12,7691,95815.31,89314.88266.54723.71,55112.13182.5
65 years and over35,2136,18917.66,05817.22,1076.01,2863.74,66913.31,3994.0
    65 to 74 years18,3883,17817.33,07416.71,1146.17223.92,46913.46653.6
    75 years and over16,8253,01117.92,98417.79935.95643.42,20013.17334.4
Male
    Total142,42635,90625.231,10921.88,5556.09,5496.727,75919.54,2853.0
Under 18 years37,48114,96039.912,41733.12,9087.84,91013.111,53730.82,0415.4
18 to 24 years14,0483,54925.33,17122.69006.48576.12,76119.74333.1
25 to 34 years19,6754,81624.54,20821.49184.71,1695.93,76119.14382.2
35 to 44 years21,4684,69221.93,98718.61,0655.01,0374.83,61416.83791.8
45 to 54 years20,5553,57917.43,15415.31,1155.47833.82,71413.23531.7
55 to 59 years8,0031,18914.91,13314.25246.62172.794511.81211.5
60 to 64 years6,04483413.880713.33575.91732.965310.8971.6
65 years and over15,1512,28715.12,23314.77675.14042.71,77411.74242.8
    65 to 74 years8,4661,30515.41,26114.94495.32482.91,04312.32212.6
    75 years and over6,68598114.797214.53184.81562.373110.92023.0
Female
    Total148,17940,84027.635,55124.09,9296.712,3558.331,34821.26,3334.3
Under 18 years35,79014,02639.211,55732.32,6457.44,66313.010,71329.91,9535.5
18 to 24 years13,9244,47732.24,12929.71,0867.81,43210.33,67326.48055.8
25 to 34 years19,6326,15231.35,27126.81,2286.32,07910.64,76124.38934.6
35 to 44 years21,8825,64525.84,64621.21,2155.61,5527.14,13318.96953.2
45 to 54 years21,4054,01318.73,60416.81,3746.41,0424.93,11714.65652.6
55 to 59 years8,7601,50117.11,43316.45726.54064.61,15813.22252.6
60 to 64 years6,7241,12516.71,08716.24697.02994.489713.32213.3
65 years and over20,0633,90219.53,82519.11,3406.78834.42,89514.49754.9
    65 to 74 years9,9221,87318.91,81318.36656.74754.81,42614.44444.5
    75 years and over10,1402,02920.02,01219.86756.74084.01,46914.55315.2
TABLE 2.11
Program participation status of householdall income levels, 2004 [continued]
[Numbers in thousands. People who lived with someone (a nonrelative or a relative) who received aid. Not every person tallied here received the aid themselves.]
TotalIn household that received means-tested assistanceIn household that received means-tested assistance excluding school lunchIn household that received means-tested cash assistanceIn household that received food stampsIn household in which one or more persons were covered by MedicaidLived in public or authorized housing
NumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercent
Household relationship
    Totala290,60576,74526.466,65922.918,4846.421,9057.559,10720.310,6183.7
65 years and over35,2136,18917.66,05817.22,1076.01,2863.74,66913.31,3994.0
In familiesb241,15367,08427.857,27723.815,4136.418,8017.852,03021.68,0053.3
Householder77,01918,55424.116,07420.94,4805.85,2786.914,35918.62,5053.3
    Under 65 years64,87716,61825.614,20721.93,7365.84,8707.512,79419.72,2953.5
    65 years and over12,1421,93515.91,86815.47446.14093.41,56512.92101.7
Related children under 18 yearse72,16428,39239.323,45032.55,4507.69,38613.021,75730.13,9625.5
    Under 6 years23,7509,83941.48,88037.41,9618.33,63815.38,36235.21,5886.7
    6 to 17 years48,41418,55338.314,57130.13,4907.25,74811.913,39527.72,3744.9
Own children 18 year and overg22,2626,27228.25,70625.62,1949.91,4746.65,07322.86202.8
In married-couple familiesf185,22637,80920.431,50317.06,8783.76,7793.728,79015.52,0351.1
Husbandsf58,1189,39616.27,99813.81,8843.21,6392.87,13912.35991.0
    Under 65 years47,5168,18917.26,82514.41,4693.11,4513.16,15513.04651.0
    65 years and over10,6011,20711.41,17311.14153.91881.89849.31341.3
Wivesf58,1189,39616.27,99813.81,8843.21,6392.87,13912.35991.0
    Under 65 years49,8928,54817.17,16614.41,5963.21,5093.06,46513.04991.0
   65 years and over8,22584810.383210.12883.51301.66748.21001.2
Related children under 18 yearse51,22014,60428.511,53622.51,7573.42,9345.710,82621.17191.4
    Under 6 years17,3975,26930.34,60026.45823.31,2317.14,33824.93442.0
   6 to 17 years33,8239,33527.66,93620.51,1753.51,7035.06,48819.23751.1
Own children 18 years and overg14,1973,02021.32,72019.29586.74062.92,48917.5980.7
In families with male householder, no spouse present13,8865,02836.24,25230.61,1007.91,1808.53,86727.84313.1
Householder4,8931,66734.11,43629.33877.94058.31,29626.51422.9
    Under 65 years4,4251,53834.81,31129.63407.73768.51,19527.01313.0
   65 years and over46812927.612426.64710.1296.210121.6112.4
Related children under 18 yearse3,9151,94449.71,55639.72957.549512.61,47137.61654.2
    Under 6 years1,26274759.266852.91169.222918.264551.1695.5
    6 to 17 years2,6531,19745.188833.51796.726610.082631.1963.6
Own children 18 years and overg1,45037926.234623.81158.0805.528219.5362.5
In families with female house-holder, no spouse present42,04024,24757.721,52251.27,43517.710,84225.819,37346.15,53913.2
TABLE 2.11
Program participation status of householdall income levels, 2004 [continued]
[Numbers in thousands. People who lived with someone (a nonrelative or a relative) who received aid. Not every person tallied here received the aid themselves.]
TotalIn household that received means-tested assistanceIn household that received means-tested assistance excluding school lunchIn household that received means-tested cash assistanceIn household that received food stampsIn household in which one or more persons were covered by MedicaidLived in public or authorized housing
NumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercent
aUniverse: All people except unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children). Since the Current Population Survey (CPS) asks income questions not only to people age 15 and over, if a child under 15 is not part of a family by birth, marriage, or adoption, we do not know their income and cannot determine whether or not they are poor. Those people are excluded from the totals so as not to affect the percentages.
bPeople in families: People who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. People who are related to each other but not to the householder are counted elsewhere (usually as unrelated subfamilies).
cPeople in unrelated subfamilies: People who are not related to the householder, but who are related to each other, either as a married couple or as a parent-child relationship with an unmarried child under 18.
dUnrelated individuals: People who are not in primary families (the householder's family) or unrelated subfamilies.
ePeople in families with related children. People living in a family where at least one member is a related childa person under 18 who is related to the householder but is not the householder or spouse.
fIn married-couple families the householder may be either the husband or wife.
gOwn children: Sons and daughters, including stepchildren and adopted children, of the householder.
Source: "Pov26: Program Participation Status of HouseholdPoverty Status of People: 2004, All RacesAll Income Levels," in Current Population Survey, 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, U.S. Census Bureau, 2005, http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/pov/new26_001_01.htm (accessed January 2, 2007)
Householder14,0097,49153.56,64147.42,20815.83,23423.15,92442.31,76412.6
    Under 65 years12,2076,76755.45,95148.71,88415.43,02224.85,32843.61,68713.8
    65 years and over1,80172440.269038.332418.021211.859633.1774.3
Related children under 18 yearse17,02911,84569.610,35860.83,39820.05,95735.09,45955.53,07918.1
    Under 6 years5,0913,82375.13,61170.91,26224.82,17842.83,37966.41,17623.1
    6 to 17 years11,9388,02267.26,74756.52,13617.93,77931.76,08050.91,90315.9
Own children 18 years and overg6,6142,87243.42,64039.91,12116.998714.92,30234.84867.3
In unrelated subfamiliesc1,25566452.958446.51028.221216.956444.9352.8
  Under 18 years67536954.732548.1619.012518.531446.5182.6
    Under 6 years20210953.810350.82210.64823.99748.083.7
    6 to 17 years47326155.122246.9398.37716.221745.9102.2
18 years and over58029550.825944.7427.28715.025043.1172.9
Unrelated individualsd48,1988,99718.78,79818.32,9696.22,8916.06,51313.52,5795.4
Male23,4424,27618.24,14917.71,4486.21,3345.73,21813.71,0274.4
    Under 65 years20,1213,58517.83,45917.21,2506.21,2036.02,75713.77573.8
    Living alone9,8071,11311.31,11311.34885.04224.37808.04294.4
    65 years and over3,32169120.869020.81986.01313.946113.92698.1
    Living alone2,90858520.158520.11485.11023.537012.72608.9
Female24,7564,72119.14,64918.81,5216.11,5576.33,29513.31,5526.3
    Under 65 years16,6283,02818.22,95617.81,0476.31,1276.82,24313.57974.8
    Living alone9,5431,43015.01,43015.05766.06556.99469.96406.7
    65 years and over8,1281,69320.81,69320.84745.84305.31,05212.97559.3
    Living alone7,7081,55920.21,55920.24165.43915.193812.27489.7
TABLE 2.12
Program participation status of householdpersons below poverty level, 2004
[Numbers in thousands. People who lived with someone (a nonrelative or a relative) who received aid. Not every person tallied here received the aid themselves].
TotalIn household that received means-tested assistanceIn household that received means-tested assistance excluding school lunchIn household that received means-tested cash assistanceIn household that received food stampsIn household in which one or more persons were covered by MedicaidLived in public or authorized housing
NumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercent
All races
Below poverty level
Both sexes
    Totala36,99725,02267.622,68161.37,55220.413,39036.220,00954.15,95916.1
Under 18 years13,02711,23086.29,97376.63,09623.86,55250.39,16570.42,71620.9
18 to 24 years5,0682,74254.12,58351.081816.11,38227.32,26044.668513.5
25 to 34 years4,9243,36868.43,03661.785717.41,85637.72,71955.271114.4
35 to 44 years4,2722,94669.02,57060.284119.71,44333.82,24752.655513.0
45 to 54 years3,5072,04058.21,88853.880122.899428.31,54944.245312.9
55 to 59 years1,41667447.664845.728420.031722.451036.017312.2
60 to 64 years1,32653040.052239.425719.426019.642331.915912.0
65 years and over3,4571,49243.21,46142.359817.358617.01,13632.950814.7
    65 to 74 years1,72179246.076944.734019.734720.261535.827215.8
    75 years and over1,73670040.369139.825914.923913.852030.023513.5
Male
    Total16,38110,82866.19,75359.53,12919.15,56934.08,60652.52,31214.1
Under 18 years6,6675,78286.75,14777.21,57723.63,33550.04,71470.71,38320.8
18 to 24 years2,1571,02347.495244.128813.445521.179436.82089.7
25 to 34 years1,9071,11258.398651.725013.153928.385845.01618.5
35 to 44 years1,7881,13863.71,00456.130016.851128.687548.917910.0
45 to 54 years1,63190455.482350.532720.039023.967341.31489.1
55 to 59 years59423239.122337.611519.49015.118330.9539.0
60 to 64 years57920134.719734.09015.59716.715927.5467.9
65 years and over1,05843641.242239.918317.315414.534933.013312.5
    65 to 74 years61526442.925341.111118.09916.220633.57912.8
    75 years and over44317238.816938.27216.35412.214332.35412.1
Female
    Total20,61714,19368.812,92762.74,42321.57,82037.911,40355.33,64817.7
Under 18 years6,3605,44985.74,82675.91,52023.93,21750.64,45170.01,33321.0
18 to 24 years2,9111,71859.01,63156.053018.292731.81,46650.447716.4
25 to 34 years3,0172,25674.82,05068.060720.11,31743.61,86161.755018.2
35 to 44 years2,4841,80872.81,56663.054121.893237.51,37255.237615.2
45 to 54 years1,8771,13660.51,06556.847425.360432.287546.630416.2
55 to 59 years82344253.742551.616920.522727.632739.711914.5
60 to 64 years74733044.132543.516722.416321.826435.311415.2
65 years and over2,3981,05644.01,03943.341517.343318.078732.837515.6
    65 to 74 years1,10552847.851746.722920.724722.440937.019317.5
    75 years and over1,29352840.852240.418614.418514.337829.218214.0
Household relationship
    Totala36,99725,02267.622,68161.37,55220.413,39036.220,00954.15,95916.1
    65 years and over3,4571,49243.21,46142.359817.358617.01,13632.950814.7
    In familiesb26,56420,47077.118,25668.75,86522.111,39842.916,55662.34,73217.8
    Householder7,8545,69072.55,14265.51,70321.73,17740.44,63959.11,42018.1
TABLE 2.12
Program participation status of householdpersons below poverty level, 2004 [continued]
[Numbers in thousands. People who lived with someone (a nonrelative or a relative) who received aid. Not every person tallied here received the aid themselves].
TotalIn household that received means-tested assistanceIn household that received means-tested assistance excluding school lunchIn household that received means-tested cash assistanceIn household that received food stampsIn household in which one or more persons were covered by MedicaidLived in public or authorized housing
NumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercent
    Under 65 years7,0625,36075.94,83368.41,56322.13,03843.04,36661.81,34819.1
    65 years and over79233041.730939.013917.613817.427334.4729.1
Related children under 18 yearse12,46010,82686.99,60477.13,01824.26,38951.38,82170.82,68921.6
    Under 6 years4,7374,10886.73,85281.31,24126.22,50852.93,63176.61,14124.1
    6 to 17 years7,7236,71887.05,75274.51,77723.03,88050.25,19067.21,54820.0
Own children 18 years and overg1,7751,23969.81,14264.444224.964036.01,00956.926715.0
In married-couple familiesf11,8247,87966.66,63156.11,43912.23,32828.15,95750.47876.7
  Husbandsf3,2221,85257.51,58849.339012.178924.51,40543.62056.4
    Under 65 years2,7391,69862.01,43852.531811.673026.71,27246.51615.9
    65 years and over48415431.815031.07214.95912.213327.5449.1
  Wivesf3,2221,85257.51,58849.339012.178924.51,40543.62056.4
    Under 65 years2,8591,75061.21,48852.033911.974426.01,31746.11756.1
    65 years and over36310228.210127.85113.94512.58824.1308.2
  Related children under 18 yearse4,5813,67180.13,00965.754411.91,57234.32,75160.13427.5
    Under 6 years1,7511,41680.91,26972.521412.265137.21,19468.21669.5
    6 to 17 years2,8312,25479.61,74061.533011.692132.51,55755.01766.2
  Own children 18 years and overg56833759.430253.27012.312622.227448.3295.2
In families with male householder, no spouse present1,9171,35670.81,13959.533217.354128.21,03253.920910.9
  Householder65845268.639159.311617.618227.635453.87010.6
    Under 65 years59742270.636461.010918.317228.832955.26811.4
    65 years and over613048.82642.8710.71016.02540.223.0
  Related children under 18 yearse74762083.150768.014018.726535.646862.710113.5
    Under 6 years30924478.821469.35818.611537.320265.45116.6
    6 to 17 years43737786.229367.18218.815034.426660.85011.4
  Own children 18 years and overg1417955.97050.01510.73121.96344.553.3
In families with female householder, no spouse present12,82311,23587.610,48581.84,09531.97,52958.79,56674.63,73529.1
  Householder3,9733,38785.23,16279.61,19730.12,20555.52,88072.51,14628.8
    Under 65 years3,7003,22587.23,01581.51,13130.62,12757.52,75074.31,11630.2
    65 years and over27316159.114754.06624.17828.713047.63010.8
  Related children under 18 yearse7,1326,53591.66,08885.42,33532.74,55163.85,60178.52,24631.5
    Under 6 years2,6772,44891.42,36988.596936.21,74265.02,23483.492434.5
    6 to 17 years4,4554,08791.83,71983.51,36630.72,81063.13,36775.61,32229.7
  Own children 18 years and overg1,06682377.277072.235733.548345.367263.023321.8
In unrelated subfamiliesc57043476.239168.77913.817931.537666.0315.4
    Under 18 years31424678.322170.44714.910734.221367.8165.1
    Under 6 years1038077.37572.51918.54139.77067.766.0
    6 to 17 years21116678.714669.42813.16631.514367.8104.6
    18 years and over25618973.817066.53212.57228.216363.8155.7
TABLE 2.12
Program participation status of householdpersons below poverty level, 2004 [continued]
[Numbers in thousands. People who lived with someone (a nonrelative or a relative) who received aid. Not every person tallied here received the aid themselves].
TotalIn household that received means-tested assistanceIn household that received means-tested assistance excluding school lunchIn household that received means-tested cash assistanceIn household that received food stampsIn household in which one or more persons were covered by MedicaidLived in public or authorized housing
NumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercentNumberPercent
aUniverse: All people except unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children). Since the Current Population Survey (CPS) asks income questions not only to people age 15 and over, if a child under 15 is not part of a family by birth, marriage, or adoption, we do not know their income and cannot determine whether or not they are poor. Those people are excluded from the totals so as not to affect the percentages.
bPeople in families: People who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. People who are related to each other but not to the householder are counted elsewhere (usually as unrelated subfamilies).
cPeople in unrelated subfamilies: People who are not related to the householder, but who are related to each other, either as a married couple or as a parent-child relationship with an unmarried child under 18.
dUnrelated individuals: People who are not in primary families (the householder's family) or unrelated subfamilies.
ePeople in families with related children. People living in a family where at least one member is a related childa person under 18 who is related to the householder but is not the householder or spouse.
fIn married-couple families the householder may be either the husband or wife.
gOwn children: Sons and daughters, including stepchildren and adopted children, of the householder.
Source: "Pov26: Program Participation Status of HouseholdPoverty Status of People: 2004, All RacesBelow Poverty Level," in Current Population Survey, 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, U.S. Census Bureau, 2005, http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/pov/new26_002_01.htm (accessed January 2, 2007)
Unrelated individualsd9,8644,11741.74,03440.91,60816.31,81218.43,07731.21,19712.1
    Male4,2841,75440.91,70839.967515.876317.81,33331.144410.4
        Under 65 years3,8281,54340.31,49739.158615.369218.11,17430.73639.5
           Living alone1,49759739.959739.928519.031821.344529.724216.2
        65 years and over45621146.321146.38919.67015.416035.08117.8
           Living alone39017043.717043.77318.75814.812532.07519.3
    Female5,5802,36342.32,32641.793316.71,05018.81,74331.275213.5
        Under 65 years3,9381,65442.01,61741.165916.776919.51,24831.745011.4
           Living alone1,72782647.882647.839422.844625.858633.937621.8
        65 years and over1,64270943.270943.227416.728017.149530.230218.4
           Living alone1,51365343.165343.124716.326217.344529.429819.7
TABLE 2.13
Poverty status by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2004
[Numbers in thousands; people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more]
Age and sexTotalWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino ethnicityBelow poverty levelRatea
TotalWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino ethnicityTotalWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino ethnicity
Note: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. In addition, people whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
aNumber below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
bData not shown where base is less than 80,000.
Source: "Table 2. People in the Labor Force for 27 Weeks or More: Poverty Status by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, 2004," in A Profile of the Working Poor, 2004, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpswp2004.pdf (accessed January 23, 2007)
    Total, 16 years and older140,908115,66215,8196,03918,2967,8365,6151,6702661,9305.64.910.64.410.5
16 to 19 years4,2083,5504101035954303198079310.29.019.57.015.6
20 to 24 years13,32710,7921,5914102,3631,5571,1642793331011.710.817.58.213.1
25 to 34 years30,86724,4533,9591,5985,7282,2271,508577577097.26.214.63.612.4
35 to 44 years35,00328,2954,2001,7024,8141,7741,266382854915.14.59.15.010.2
45 to 54 years33,70528,0573,6331,3573,1271,195852251532253.53.06.93.97.2
55 to 64 years18,57815,9381,6097171,3625484238920883.02.75.62.86.5
65 years and older5,2214,577417152308106831110142.01.82.66.34.4
Men, 16 years and older75,88763,3687,4013,28411,1743,7992,8926211541,1565.04.68.44.710.3
16 to 19 years2,0681,73620948346188126463459.17.322.1b13.1
20 to 24 years7,1025,8547562041,479686525109191739.79.014.59.411.7
25 to 34 years17,20313,9731,8429113,6951,067808185274476.25.810.03.012.1
35 to 44 years19,00115,6581,9429572,931875678132522974.64.36.85.410.1
45 to 54 years17,73715,0011,7046881,783641471113351433.63.16.65.28.0
55 to 64 years9,8708,5577523897732762283511442.82.74.62.75.6
65 years and older2,9062,5891968716666561772.32.20.78.64.2
Women, 16 years and older65,02252,2948,4192,7557,1224,0362,7231,0491127746.25.212.54.110.9
16 to 19 years2,1401,814201542492411933454811.310.616.8b19.2
20 to 24 years6,2254,9388352068838716401701413614.012.920.37.015.4
25 to 34 years13,66410,4792,1176882,0331,159700393302628.56.718.64.412.9
35 to 44 years16,00212,6372,2587461,883899587250341945.64.611.14.510.3
45 to 54 years15,96813,0571,9286701,34355438113818823.52.97.12.66.1
55 to 64 years8,7077,3818583285892721955510453.12.66.42.97.6
65 years and older2,3161,98822165142402710271.71.44.3b4.7
TABLE 2.14
Poverty status by educational attainment, race, ethnicity, and sex, 2004
[Numbers in thousands]
Educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicityTotalMenWomenBelow poverty levelRatea
TotalMenWomenTotalMenWomen
Note: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. In addition, people whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
aNumber below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
bIncludes people with a high school diploma or equivalent.
cIncludes people with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
dData not shown where base is less than 80,000.
Source: "Table 3. People in the Labor Force for 27 Weeks or More: Poverty Status by Educational Attainment, Race, Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, and Sex, 2004," in A Profile of the Working Poor, 2004, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpswp2004.pdf (accessed January 23, 2007)
    Total, 16 years and older140,90875,88765,0227,8363,7994,0365.65.06.2
Less than a high school diploma16,01310,0325,9812,4271,3411,08715.213.418.2
    Less than 1 year of high school5,0553,4901,56684656228416.716.118.1
    1-3 years of high school9,2265,4633,7631,36867269614.812.318.5
    4 years of high school, no diploma1,7321,07965321410610712.39.816.4
High school graduates, no collegeb42,92224,12918,7922,7921,3821,4106.55.77.5
Some college or associate degree40,57019,81820,7531,9037271,1764.73.75.7
    Some college, no degree27,38513,70613,6791,4995759245.54.26.8
    Associate degree13,1866,1127,0734041522523.12.53.6
Bachelor's degree and higherc41,40421,90819,4957143503641.71.61.9
White, 16 years and older115,66263,36852,2945,6152,8922,7234.94.65.2
Less than a high school diploma12,9578,4104,5471,7901,07271813.812.715.8
    Less than 1 year of high school4,3743,0951,27972849723116.616.118.0
    1-3 years of high school7,2964,4502,84693549244412.811.015.6
    4 years of high school, no diploma1,28786542212884449.99.710.4
High school graduates, no collegeb34,89819,84415,0541,9391,0099305.65.16.2
Some college or associate degree33,35616,62116,7361,3625598044.13.44.8
    Some college, no degree22,31211,41910,8931,0624476164.83.95.7
    Associate degree11,0445,2025,8423001121882.72.23.2
Bachelor's degree and higherc34,45018,49415,9575232522711.51.41.7
Black or African American, 16 years and older15,8197,4018,4191,6706211,04910.68.412.5
Less than a high school diploma2,0221,05496849018530524.317.631.5
    Less than 1 year of high school30317413057253218.814.325.0
    1-3 years of high school1,40672468135914121825.519.532.0
    4 years of high school, no diploma31315615774195523.712.335.1
High school graduates, no collegeb5,8673,0522,81569728641111.99.414.6
Some college or associate degree4,8252,0232,8033831012837.95.010.1
    Some college, no degree3,4501,4641,986307742338.95.111.7
    Associate degree1,3755588177727505.64.86.1
Bachelor's degree and higherc3,1051,2721,8339949503.23.82.7
Asian, 16 years and older6,0393,2842,7552661541124.44.74.1
Less than a high school diploma49823626150282210.111.88.5
    Less than 1 year of high school2241141102517810.914.57.3
    1-3 years of high school203961071910109.610.09.2
    4 years of high school, no diploma712644624ddd
High school graduates, no collegeb1,1466445026138235.35.84.7
Some college or associate degree1,2356116257641356.16.75.6
    Some college, no degree8204154046433307.88.07.5
    Associate degree41619522012752.93.82.1
Bachelor's degree and higherc3,1611,7931,3677948312.52.72.3
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older18,29611,1747,1221,9301,15677410.510.310.9
Less than a high school diploma6,6084,5092,0981,17073343717.716.320.8
    Less than 1 year of high school3,5302,5081,02266045820218.718.319.8
    1-3 years of high school2,5351,62890843722820917.214.023.0
    4 years of high school, no diploma54237316973472613.512.515.6
High school graduates, no collegeb5,4613,3412,1194622781848.58.38.7
Some college or associate degree4,0432,1101,9332311141185.75.46.1
    Some college, no degree2,9681,5731,39517691855.95.86.1
    Associate degree1,0755375385523325.14.26.0
Bachelor's degree and higher32,1851,2149716631353.02.63.6
TABLE 2.15
Poverty status of families, by selected characteristics, 2004
[Numbers in thousands]
CharacteristicTotal familiesAt or above poverty levelBelow poverty levelRate*
Note: Data relate to primary families with at least one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
*Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
Source: "Table 5. Primary Families: Poverty Status, Presence of Related Children, and Work Experience of Family Members in the Labor Force for 27 Weeks or More, 2004," in A Profile of the Working Poor, 2004, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpswp2004.pdf (accessed January 23, 2007)
    Total primary families63,91259,6524,2616.7
With related children under 18 years36,15432,5653,5899.9
Without children27,75827,0876712.4
With one member in the labor force27,30723,6963,61113.2
With two or more members in the labor force36,60535,9566491.8
    With two members30,96030,3615991.9
    With three or more members5,6455,59550.9
Married-couple families48,67546,7251,9504.0
With related children under 18 years26,28824,7421,5465.9
Without children22,38721,9834041.8
With one member in the labor force16,72715,2551,4718.8
    Husband12,66411,4631,2029.5
    Wife3,4773,2492286.6
    Relative585543427.1
With two or more members in the labor force31,94931,4704791.5
    With two members27,24126,7934481.6
    With three or more members4,7084,67731.7
Families maintained by women10,9449,0191,92517.6
With related children under 18 years7,5485,7931,75523.3
Without children3,3963,2261705.0
With one member in the labor force7,9376,1431,79322.6
    Householder6,6115,0091,60224.2
    Relative1,3261,13419114.4
With two or more members in the labor force3,0072,8751324.4
Families maintained by men4,2933,9083859.0
With related children under 18 years2,3192,03028912.4
Without children1,9751,878964.9
With one member in the labor force2,6442,29834713.1
    Householder2,2171,93228512.9
    Relative4273666114.3
With two or more members in the labor force1,6491,611392.3
TABLE 2.16
Poverty status and labor market problems of full-time wage and salary workers, 2004
[Numbers in thousands]
Poverty status and labor market problemsTotalAt or above poverty levelBelow poverty levelRatea
aNumber below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
bThe low-earnings threshold in 2004 was $278.03 per week.
Source: "Table 8. People in the Labor Force for 27 Weeks or More: Poverty Status and Labor Market Problems of Full-Time Wage and Salary Workers, 2004," in A Profile of the Working Poor, 2004, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpswp2004.pdf (accessed January 23, 2007)
Total, full-time wage and salary workers109,297105,5203,7773.5
No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earningsb90,80590,076729.8
Unemployment only5,6125,1884247.6
Involuntary part-time employment only2,3252,270552.4
Low earnings only7,2445,6201,62322.4
Unemployment and involuntary part-time employment998924747.4
Unemployment and low earnings1,31878953040.2
Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings68246122132.4
Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings31319112238.8
Unemployment (alone or with other problems)8,2427,0931,14913.9
Involuntary part-time employment (alone or with other problems)4,3183,84747210.9
Low earnings (alone or with other problems)9,5577,0622,49526.1
TABLE 2.17
Median spell length in major means-tested programs, by type of program and demographic characteristics, 200103
[In months]
CharacteristicAny means-tested programsaTANF/GASupplemental Security IncomeFood stampsMedicaidHousing assistanceb
MedianMedianMedianMedianMedianMedian
All recipientsc7.24.915.07.77.64.0
Race and Hispanic origind
White7.14.015.07.47.63.9
Not Hispanic7.04.011.77.57.63.9
Black7.56.511.88.67.97.5
Asian or Pacific Islander3.911.4(X)7.17.03.7
Hispanic7.24.022.37.07.73.9
Not Hispanic7.25.411.97.87.64.0
Agee
Under 18 years7.96.311.38.89.77.0
18 to 64 years5.44.015.07.17.43.9
65 years and older4.0(B)15.719.84.97.9
Sex
Men7.05.715.27.27.73.9
Women7.34.412.08.27.65.0
Educational attainment (people 18 and older)
Less than high school graduate7.44.319.710.27.77.2
High school graduate, no college5.63.916.27.07.23.9
Some college3.93.97.95.25.03.8
Disability status (people 15 to 64 years old)
With a work disability7.84.019.311.69.37.6
With no work disability4.54.07.86.57.13.8
Residence
Metropolitan7.15.911.97.67.64.0
Central city7.16.911.97.87.64.4
Noncentral city7.25.613.47.37.63.9
Nonmetropolitan7.43.819.07.97.93.9
Region
Northeast7.27.215.69.07.64.0
Midwest7.35.311.77.77.87.3
South7.23.812.98.07.63.9
West7.05.111.56.17.63.9
Family status
In families7.24.911.57.67.74.0
In married-couple families6.93.911.56.07.33.8
    In families with a female householder, no husband present7.75.811.38.89.97.6
    In families with a male householder, no wife present7.33.815.78.47.83.8
Unrelated individuals5.24.6(X)9.57.63.9
Employment and labor force status (people 18 and older)
Employed full-timef3.83.73.93.93.93.7
Employed part-time6.63.711.66.37.34.0
Unemployed7.23.9(B)8.47.55.1
Not in labor force7.24.719.011.47.57.3
TABLE 2.17
Median spell length in major means-tested programs, by type of program and demographic characteristics, 200103 [continued]
[In months]
CharacteristicAny means-tested programsaTANF/GASupplemental Security IncomeFood stampsMedicaidHousing assistanceb
MedianMedianMedianMedianMedianMedian
(X) Not applicable. (B) The sample size is too small for analysis.
aMajor means-tested programs include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), General Assistance (GA), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, Medicaid, and housing assistance.
bMedian duration cannot be computed when more than half of the spells are continuing in the last month of data collection. (This situation is especially likely to occur for elderly recipients whose incomes from other sources are unlikely to rise over time.)
cMedian duration for each program is derived only for those who begin participating in each program at the start of the survey, while those who are already in the program at the start of the survey are excluded from the analysis.
dHispanics may be any race.
eAge, educational attainment, and other variables are measured at the time the spells begin, except that, for those who are already on programs at the start of the survey, these characteristics are measured at the first interview.
fFull-time and part-time employment reflects the average employment status.
gFamily income-to-poverty threshold ratio reflects the monthly poverty status. A ratio of under 1.00 indicates that a person is in poverty, whereas a ratio of higher than or equal to 1.00 indicates that a person is not in poverty.
Source: Tracy A. Loveless and Jan Tin, "Table A7. Median Duration of Participation in Major Means-Tested Programs by Program: 20012003 (in months)," in Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Participation in Government Programs, 2001 through 2003, Who Gets Assistance?Current Population Reports U.S. Census Bureau, October 2006, http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p70-108.pdf (accessed January 2, 2007)
Family income-to-poverty ratiog
Under 1.0010.05.9(X)11.511.47.6
1.00 and over6.03.911.35.87.33.8

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