West Coast Poverty

Poverty in the West Coast States

As shown in the figure below, the latest poverty estimates show that about 13% of the population in California (about 4.7 million people), 14% of the population in Oregon (just under half a million people) and 12% of the population in Washington (over 700,000 people) are living below the poverty line (link to poverty measurement page). When the poor population is combined with those who are living just above poverty (at between 100% and 149% of the poverty line), nearly one out of four people in California (23.1%) and Oregon (23.6%) and about one in five people in Washington (19.8%) are either ly poor or perilously close to it. As discussed in the section on Data Limitations, it is important to realize that the difference between two states’ poverty rates may not be statistically significant. Comparisons should be made in the context of the margin of error for each state’s poverty estimate. Follow the link below to see the margin of error associated with each state’s poverty estimate.

• Link to data in Microsoft EXCEL format

West Coast Poverty among Children and the Elderly

As was the case nationwide, children were generally more likely to live in poverty than working age or elderly adults in 2005. Nearly one in five children in California (18.6%) and Oregon (18.4%) were living below the poverty line. Whereas the difference in the percent of children below poverty between Oregon and California is not significant, children in Washington were significantly less likely to live in poverty than children in Oregon, California or the nation as a whole. Nationally, Mississippi had the highest percentage of children living in poverty (at 30.9%). New Hampshire was the only state in the country where less than 10% of children were living below poverty (9.4%).

• Link to data in Microsoft EXCEL format

Poverty among Minorities in the West Coast States

As was evident for the nation as a whole, ethnic and racial minorities in the West Coast states were more likely to be living below poverty than non Hispanic whites in 2005. Blacks and Hispanics appear particularly vulnerable, with between one in five and one in four living in poverty, depending upon the state. Native Americans in Oregon and Washington are also experiencing considerable economic distress, with nearly one third (30.3%) living below the poverty line in Washington State.

• Link to data in Microsoft EXCEL format

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