The Census Bureau has released two reports with some information about poverty and median income by state and for the most populous metro areas.
They say their tables with the full range of American Community Survey will be up on the American Factfinder site by 10:00 a.m. ET.
Some key points from their first reports:
Poverty declined nationally, from 15.5 percent in 2014 to 14.7 percent in 2015.1 Poverty declined in 23 states and did not have a statistically significant increase in any state.
(Report: Poverty: 2014 and 2015)
Median househod income rose to $55,775 in this sample, up from $53,713 in 2014. This is a significant increase nationally and in 39 states.
Inequality as measured by the Gini index was significantly higher in 2015 in the US and in 8 states.
(Report: Household Income: 2015)
Here are the 10 states with the highest poverty rates (only where there are asterisks was the change from 2014 to 2015 statistically significant):
| 2015
percent |
2014
percent |
2015 Median Income | |
| MS | 22.0 | 21.5 | $40,593 |
| NM | 20.4 | 21.3 | $45,382 |
| LA | 19.6 | 19.8 | $45,727 |
| AR | 19.1 | 18.9 | $41,995 |
| AL | 18.5 | 19.3 | $44,765 |
| KY | 18.5 | 19.1 | $45,215 |
| WV | 17.9 | 18.3 | $42,019 |
| AZ | 17.4 * | 18.2 | $51,492 |
| DC | 17.3 | 17.7 | $75,628 |
| GA | 17.0 * | 18.3 | $51,244 |
| US | 14.7 * | 15.5 | $55,775 |
Here are the 10 states with the lowest poverty rates:
| 2015
percent |
2014
percent |
2015 Median Income | |
| NH | 8.2 * | 9.2 | $70,303 |
| MD | 9.7 | 10.1 | $75,847 |
| MN | 10.2 * | 11.5 | $63,488 |
| VT | 10.2 * | 12.2 | $56,990 |
| AK | 10.3 | 11.2 | $73,355 |
| CT | 10.5 | 10.8 | $71,346 |
| HI | 10.6 | 11.4 | $73,486 |
| NJ | 10.8 | 11.1 | $72,222 |
| ND | 11.0 | 11.5 | $60,557 |
| WY | 11.1 | 11.2 | $60,214 |
| US | 14.7 * | 15.5 | $55,775 |
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