In 2021, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the city with the highest poverty rate of the United States' most populated cities. In this statistic, the cities are sorted by poverty rate, not population. The most populated city in 2021 according to the source was New York city - which had a poverty rate of 18 percent.
Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021
Characteristic
Percentage of people below the poverty line
Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania
22.8%
Houston city, Texas
19.4%
El Paso city, Texas
19.1%
Boston city, Massachusetts
18.7%
New York city, New York
18%
Columbus city, Ohio
17.7%
Los Angeles city, California
17.1%
Chicago city, Illinois
17.1%
San Antonio city, Texas
17%
Dallas city, Texas
16.5%
Washington city, District of Columbia
16.5%
Oklahoma City city, Oklahoma
15.8%
Jacksonville city, Florida
15.4%
Indianapolis city (balance), Indiana
15.4%
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), Tennessee
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country. In practice, like the definition of poverty, the official or common understanding of the poverty line is significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries.
Population data for U.S. cities can be found here.
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US Census Bureau. (September 30, 2022). Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021." Chart. September 30, 2022. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. (2022). Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Percentage of People Who Live below The Poverty Level in The Most Populated Cities in The United States in 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Sep 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau, Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021 [Graph], US Census Bureau, September 30, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
