Facts About Poverty in the U.S. and York Pennsylvania

Some Facts about Poverty in the United States

 ·        The official poverty rate in 2006 was 12.3 percent, down from 12.6 percent in 2005.

 ·         In 2006, 36.5 million people were in poverty, not statistically different from 2005.

 ·         Poverty rates in 2006 were statistically unchanged for non-Hispanic Whites (8.2 percent), Blacks (24.3 percent), and Asians (10.3 percent) from 2005. The poverty rate decreased for Hispanics (20.6 percent in 2006, down from 21.8 percent in 2005).

 ·         The poverty rate in 2006 was lower than in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available. From the most recent trough in 2000, the rate rose for four consecutive years, from 11.3 percent in 2000 to 12.7 percent in 2004, and then declined to 12.3 percent in 2006 – a rate not statistically different from those in 2002 and 2003 (12.1 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively).

 ·         For children under 18 years old and people aged 18 to 64, the poverty rates (17.4 percent and 10.8 percent, respectively) and the numbers in poverty (12.8 million and 20.2 million, respectively) remained statistically unchanged from 2005.

 ·         Both the poverty rate and the number in poverty decreased for people aged 65 and older (9.4 percent and 3.4 million in 2006, down from 10.1 percent and 3.6 million in 2005)

 ·         Both the percentage and the number of people without health insurance increased in 2006. The percentage without health insurance increased from 15.3 percent in 2005 to 15.8 percent in 2006 and the number of uninsured increased from 44.8 million to 47.0 million.

 ·         The number of people with health insurance increased to 249.8 million in 2006 (up from 249.0 million in 2005). In 2006, the number of people covered by private health insurance (201.7 million) and the number of people covered by government health insurance (80.3 million) were not statistically different from 2005.

 ·         The percentage of people covered by employment-based health insurance decreased to 59.7 percent in 2006, from 60.2 percent in 2005.

 ·         The percentage of people covered by government health programs decreased to 27.0 percent in 2006 from 27.3 percent in 2005. The percentage and the number of people covered by Medicaid were statistically unchanged at 12.9 percent and 38.3 million, respectively, in 2006.

 ·         The percentage and the number of children under 18 years old without health insurance increased to 11.7 percent and 8.7 million in 2006 (from 10.9 percent and 8.0 million, respectively, in 2005). With an uninsured rate in 2006 at 19.3 percent, children in poverty were more likely to be uninsured than all children.

 ·         The uninsured rate and the number of uninsured in 2006 were not statistically different from 2005 for non-Hispanic Whites (at 10.8 percent and 21.2 million). The percentage and the number of uninsured Blacks increased (from 19.0 percent and 7.0 million in 2005) to 20.5 percent and 7.6 million in 2006.

  ·         The percentage and the number of uninsured Hispanics increased to 34.1 percent and 15.3 million in 2006

Some Facts about Poverty in York, Pennsylvania

·         In 2000, among residents of York County, 5.34 percent of Whites, 23.28 percent of Blacks, 7 percent of Asians, and 27.43 percent of Hispanics were living in poverty. During the same year among York City residents, 18.73 percent of Whites, 27.96 percent of Blacks, 20.38 percent of Asians, and 35.27% of Hispanics were living in poverty.

·         The York County poverty rate in 2005 was 7.8 percent, up from 6.2 percent in 2000 and 5.5 percent in 1989. The poverty rate has thus been steadily increasing in York County over the past several years.

·         In 2005 18.7 percent of children age 5-17 residing in York City were living below the poverty line, down from 20.2 percent in 2000, but up from 18.1 percent in 1995.

·         In 2003, 13 percent of York County residents did not have health insurance, an increase from 9.3 percent in 2000 (York Counts).