From Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity
On September 12, 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual report on incomes and poverty in the United States. Last year saw a second consecutive sharp decline in the official poverty rate, with a drop from 13.5% in 2015 to 12.7% in 2016, accompanied by a surge in median household income. This year, the Census Bureau reported that the official poverty rate fell again to 12.3% in 2017. The total number of Americans living in poverty fell to 39.7 million, down sharply from the 2014 peak of 46.7 million but not a statistically significant difference from the year before. The median household income rose by 1.8 percent, to $61,372. And the proportion of uninsured Americans remained at 8.8 percent, still historically low but representing slightly more people than in 2016.
How did activists, researchers, and policymakers from across the political spectrum react to this latest round of data? Lots of information available. We’re rounding it all up for you here.
