In 2021, the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania had the highest family poverty rate of the 25 most populated cities in the United States. The city with the next highest poverty rate was Houston, Texas.
Percentage of families who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021
Characteristic
Percentage of families below the poverty line
Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania
18.1
Houston city, Texas
16.1
El Paso city, Texas
16
New York city, New York
14.4
Boston city, Massachusetts
13.7
Dallas city, Texas
13.6
Columbus city, Ohio
13.6
San Antonio city, Texas
13.3
Los Angeles city, California
12.9
Chicago city, Illinois
12.9
Washington city, District of Columbia
12.8
Oklahoma City city, Oklahoma
11.8
Indianapolis city (balance), Indiana
11.3
Jacksonville city, Florida
11.2
Phoenix city, Arizona
10.7
Fort Worth city, Texas
10.6
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, 2021). Percentage of families who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/205648/percentage-of-poor-families-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Percentage of families who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021." Chart. September 30, 2021. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/205648/percentage-of-poor-families-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. (2021). Percentage of families who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/205648/percentage-of-poor-families-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Percentage of Families Who Live below The Poverty Level in The Most Populated Cities in The United States in 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Sep 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205648/percentage-of-poor-families-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau, Percentage of families who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205648/percentage-of-poor-families-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
Percentage of families who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the United States in 2021 [Graph], US Census Bureau, September 30, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/205648/percentage-of-poor-families-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
