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Trends in Poverty in the US, CA, MS, NH, and PA |
Of course in every state there is considerable variability in the poverty level at the county level. In the graph above there were 30 counties with poverty rates higher than the state rate in 2013 of 16.8% and 32 above the national rate of 15.8%.
As for the effect of the anti poverty programs in California, they had the second largest percentage drop of the four states considered in the rate from 2012-2016. Mississippi had the largest decrease in the rate at 2.8% followed by California and then New Hampshire at 2.1% but there is greater uncertainty in their rates as shown by the width in the confidence interval. This is due to Mississippi's and New Hampshire's smaller populations. It seems clear that Pennsylvania had the smallest decrease in poverty at 0.8% of the frour states considered. The US poverty rate decreased by 1.9% over this period.
State | Year | All Ages SAIPE Poverty Universe | All Ages in Poverty Percent | 90% Confidence Interval (All Ages in Poverty Percent) | Decrease in the rate 2012-2016 |
United States | 2016 | 315,165,470 | 14 | 13.9 to 14.1 | 1.9 |
2012 | 306,086,063 | 15.9 | 15.8 to 16.0 | ||
California | 2016 | 38,513,333 | 14.4 | 14.3 to 14.5 | 2.6 |
2012 | 37,303,312 | 17 | 16.9 to 17.1 | ||
Mississippi | 2016 | 2,892,926 | 21 | 20.5 to 21.5 | 2.8 |
2012 | 2,890,915 | 23.8 | 23.3 to 24.3 | ||
New Hampshire | 2016 | 1,292,241 | 7.6 | 7.2 to 8.0 | 2.1 |
2012 | 1,280,031 | 9.7 | 9.2 to 10.2 | ||
Pennsylvania | 2016 | 12,368,248 | 12.9 | 12.7 to 13.1 | 0.8 |
2012 | 12,353,852 | 13.7 | 13.5 to 13.9 |