Poverty Facts

Tour Poverty USA, presented by Catholic Campaign for Human Development:

• The Federal Poverty Rate (according to the 2000 census) for the U.S. was 11.3% or 31.1 million people. Since most families cannot meet their most basic needs with an annual income of $18,100 (the 2002 Federal Poverty standard), we know the “true” poverty rate is much higher.
• An increasing percentage (44.5%) of poor families has a full-time working member - a 24% increase since 1993.
• Although Oregon is one of 11 states which have decreased their Federal Poverty Rate average (1998 - 2000), we remain 8% above the national average with a rate of 12.9%. The single year rate in 1999 was 11.6% or 388,740 poor Oregonians - an increase of 44,000 since 1989.
• Most people living in poverty are children. From 1979 to 1998, Oregon had the 5th largest increase (73%) in child poverty.
• The National Child Poverty Rate is 16.2%. Multnomah County’s Child Poverty Rate (17.45%) is 7% higher than the national average.
• The gap between rich and poor families grew four times faster in Oregon than nationally.
• Multnomah County has a poverty rate of 12.7% in comparison to Clackamas County with Oregon’s lowest rate at 6.6% and Malheur County with Oregon’s highest rate at 19%.
• A recent Brandeis University study ranked Oregon in the bottom 20% nationally of states who lack key assets needed to succeed in today’s American economy - housing security, full-time employment and family-wage income for working families.