San Diego County's poverty rate is declining again
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The share of San Diego County residents living in poverty in 2023 was the lowest it's been in over a decade, new census data shows.
The big picture: The poverty rate has been declining locally and statewide over the years as wages have increased, particularly for low-income workers.
- It's trending down again since a small rise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the numbers: San Diego County's poverty rate dropped slightly to 10.1% in 2023 from 10.6% in 2022, according to new data released by the American Community Survey (ACS) this week.
- It was about 15% a decade earlier.
Reality check: San Diego's upward mobility is one of the worst in the nation as people born to low-income families here tend to be worse off than their parents, per a recent analysis.
Context: The poverty rate in 22 of the 25 most populous metropolitan areas did not change significantly from 2022 to 2023, according to the ACS.
- Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis metros had among the lowest poverty rates at about 8%.
- Houston, Detroit and San Antonio were among the highest at about 14%.
Zoom out: Most states did not see a significant change in poverty rates last year, including California which stands at 12%.
- Georgia, Utah and Tennessee saw increases, while seven states saw decreases — North Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Florida and West Virginia.
- New Hampshire had the lowest poverty rate at 7.2%, while Louisiana had the highest at 18.9%.
How it works: The ACS uses an income threshold to determine whether a household is below poverty level.
- The threshold is adjusted for inflation and changes depending on household size and number of children.
- The Census Bureau considered someone below the poverty line in December 2023 if they made less than about $15,800 as an individual, or under about $31,000 as a family with two adults and two children.