Poverty in the US

The US is one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, but many Americans don’t share in the benefits of that wealth.

Date from the Census Bureau program, the 2023 American Community Survey confirms this.

• More than 15% of children live in poverty in the North Central, Southern and Southwestern regions of the US. The percentage in poverty exceeds 20% in West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
• More than 15% of working age adults live in poverty in West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
• More than 15% of seniors (age 65 and older) live in poverty in Mississippi.(1)

Lower incomes tend to correlate with less educational resources, less access to healthcare and shorter life expectations.

The map below is from the CDC archive. If you compare this map to those above, how the patterns match should be obvious.(2)

The map below shows infant mortality rates by state in the US.(3)

To be blunt, if you look in Zillow, you can find a home (4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2700 sq. ft.) in Shrewsbury, West Virginia, for $249,000, and it may not sell at that price. A comparable house in Jackson, Mississippi is $279,000. A comparable house in New Jersey lists for $515,000. There’s a reason. Quality of life matters.

Sources:

1. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/09/acs-child-poverty.html?utm_campaign=20240913acos1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
2. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-visualization/life-expectancy/index.html
3. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/infant_mortality_rates/infant_mortality.htm