Percent of People below 200% of Official Poverty Threshold

Description: 

Percent of people living in families with total income below 200 percent of the official poverty threshold.

Source: 

U.S. Census Bureau Historical Poverty Tables for People. The Census Bureau’s estimates are based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

Methodological Notes: 

To classify people as poor, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. If a family's total income is below the poverty threshold relevant to that family, then every individual in the family is classified as poor. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes as its measure of income, and does not include capital gains or the monetary value of noncash benefits such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps. For more information, see the Census Bureau’s poverty definitions.