Poverty Day 2017: What You Need to Know

From Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity (https://spotlightonpoverty.org/):

This morning, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual report on incomes, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States, revealing mostly good news in the last year for low-income Americans. Some key findings:

• The official poverty rate fell from 13.5% in 2015 to 12.8% in 2016, following one of the largest single-year declines in decades in last year’s report. There was a similar decline in the Supplemental Poverty Measure, also released today.
• The median household income rose by 3.2%, to $59,000. This is the highest figure ever reported by the Census Bureau.
• The uninsured rate fell from 9.1% in 2015 to 8.8% in 2016, an historic low.

There’s a lot of data to sift through and a lot of buzz from activists, researchers, and policymakers — but Spotlight has you covered. Our Poverty Day 2017 page compiles the numbers, news coverage, and reaction from across the political spectrum. Check out the page and share it with your networks!