Measure by Measure: State Poverty Rates

Read the CLASP report, Measure by Measure: the Current Poverty Measure v. the NAS Measures

The current federal poverty measure is widely considered outmoded. It is based on a 1960s-era formula that established poverty as three times the subsistence food budget. Much has changed since the 1960s. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in the 1990s developed a method for measuring poverty that considers  a wider variety of family expenses, including food, clothing, shelter, child care and medical costs. It also includes other income such as tax credits or non-cash income such as Food Stamps. Using a Census tool and the NAS formula, CLASP calculated the poverty rate in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Read Measure by Measure: the Current Poverty Measure v. the NAS Poverty Measures to learn more. Or, to view alternative poverty measures for your state, click one of the below links.