Portland poverty rate steady, seniors hit hardest
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Portland's overall poverty rate remained stable from 2019 to 2024 — at 9.8% — according to newly released census data, but the stats beneath the surface remain uneven across age groups and demographics.
By the numbers: There are more seniors living below the poverty line now than there were four years ago, and while residents with only some high school education saw an increase in wages, their rate of poverty remained the highest.
Flashback: Portland's poverty rate has improved since the 15% recorded in 2011, but it has hovered around 9% for more than half a decade.
Context: The Census Bureau defined someone as living below the poverty line if they made less than about $16,000 as an individual, or less than $31,812 as a family of four with two children.