Friday, October 17, 2014

The poor ye shall always have with you

Especially if you live in California (23.4% of its population), Washington DC (22.4%) or Nevada (20%), according to the Census Bureau's newly released Supplemental Poverty Measure. That's the Census's attempt to factor in the cost of living, and welfare benefits, into cruder measurements that ignore that it costs more to live in some states than in others.

The percentage of poor for the United States as a whole is 15.9%. States with noticeably higher rates being, Arizona and Florida at 19%, Hawaii and Louisiana at well above 18%, and New York (17.5%).

You're in the money if you live in Iowa (8.7%), North Dakota (9.2%), South Dakota, Vermont, or Wyoming  (9.7%). Even Menzie Chinn's fellow Wisconsinites (11.2%) should be smiling at their comparative affluence. (Though we suspect he'll be able to see through the silver linings for the clouds.)

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