FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  THURSDAY, SEPT. 16, 2010

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009

Summary of Key Findings


     The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income in the United States in 2009 was $49,777, not statistically different from the 2008 median.

     The nation's official poverty rate in 2009 was 14.3 percent, up from 13.2 percent in 2008 — the second statistically significant annual increase in the poverty rate since 2004. There were 43.6 million people in poverty in 2009, up from 39.8 million in 2008 — the third consecutive annual increase.

     Meanwhile, the number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 46.3 million in 2008 to 50.7 million in 2009, while the percentage increased from 15.4 percent to 16.7 percent over the same period.

     These findings are contained in the report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009. The following results for the nation were compiled from information collected in the 2010 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC):

Income

Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to people reporting a single race only. Hispanics can be of any race.)

Regions

Nativity

Earnings

Income Inequality

Poverty

Thresholds

Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to people reporting a single race only. Hispanics can be of any race.)

Age

Nativity

Regions

Health Insurance Coverage

Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to those reporting a single race only. Hispanics can be of any race.)

Nativity

Regions

The Census Bureau's statistical experts, with assistance from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, the Economics and Statistics Administration and other appropriate agencies and outside experts, are now developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure. The Supplemental Poverty Measure will provide an additional measure of economic well-being. It will not replace the official poverty measure and will not be used to determine eligibility for government programs. See Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009, for more information.

The Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement is subject to sampling and nonsampling errors. All comparisons made in the report have been tested and found to be statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level, unless otherwise noted.

For additional information on the source of the data and accuracy of the estimates for the CPS, visit <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/p60_238.pdf>.

Table A. Median Household Income
  2008 2009 Percent change in
  (in 2009 dollars) real median income
Region      
U.S. $50,112 $49,777 -0.7
Northeast $54,140 $53,073 -2.0
Midwest $49,922 $48,877 *-2.1
South $45,417 $45,615 0.4
West $54,876 $53,833 *-1.9
       
Race and Hispanic Origin of Householder      
White $52,113 $51,861 -0.5
  White, not Hispanic $55,319 $54,461 *-1.6
Black $34,088 $32,584 *-4.4
Asian $65,388 $65,469 0.1
Hispanic origin (any race) $37,769 $38,039 0.7
       
Nativity of Householder      
Native born $50,862 $50,503 *-0.7
Foreign born $43,328 $43,923 1.4
  Naturalized citizen $51,328 $51,975 1.3
  Not a citizen $37,807 $36,089 *-4.5
*Change statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level.

Table B. People in Poverty
(Numbers in thousands)
  2008 2009 Change in poverty
  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Region            
U.S. 39,829 13.2 43,569 14.3 *3,740 *1.1
Northeast 6,295 11.6 6,650 12.2 *355 0.6
Midwest 8,120 12.4 8,768 13.3 *648 *0.9
South 15,862 14.3 17,609 15.7 *1,747 *1.4
West 9,552 13.5 10,542 14.8 *990 *1.3
             
Race and Hispanic Origin            
White 26,990 11.2 29,830 12.3 *2,841 *1.1
  White, not Hispanic 17,024 8.6 18,530 9.4 *1,506 *0.8
Black 9,379 24.7 9,944 25.8 *565 *1.1
Asian 1,576 11.8 1,746 12.5 *169 0.6
Hispanic origin 10,987 23.2 12,350 25.3 *1,363 *2.1
             
Nativity            
Native born 33,293 12.6 36,407 13.7 *3,114 *1.1
Foreign born 6,536 17.8 7,162 19.0 *626 *1.3
  Naturalized citizen 1,577 10.2 1,736 10.8 160 0.6
  Not a citizen 4,959 23.3 5,425 25.1 *466 *1.8
*Statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level.

Table C. People Without Health Insurance Coverage
(Numbers in thousands)
  2008 2009 Change
  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Region            
U.S. 46,340 15.4 50,674 16.7 *4,335 *1.3
Northeast 6,277 11.6 6,789 12.4 *512 *0.8
Midwest 7,588 11.6 8,770 13.3 *1,181 *1.7
South 20,154 18.2 22,105 19.7 *1,951 *1.5
West 12,321 17.4 13,011 18.3 *690 *0.9
             
Race and Hispanic Origin            
White 34,890 14.5 38,399 15.8 *3,509 *1.4
  White, not Hispanic 21,322 10.8 23,658 12.0 *2,336 *1.2
Black 7,284 19.1 8,102 21.0 *818 *1.8
Asian 2,344 17.6 2,409 17.2 65 -0.4
Hispanic origin 14,558 30.7 15,820 32.4 *1,263 *1.7
             
Nativity            
Native 34,036 12.9 37,694 14.1 *3,658 *1.3
Foreign born 12,304 33.5 12,980 34.5 *677 *1.0
  Naturalized citizen 2,792 18.0 3,044 19.0 *252 1.0
  Not a citizen 9,511 44.7 9,936 46.0 *425 *1.3
*Change statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level.


Source: U.S. Census Bureau | Public Information Office | PIO@census.gov | Last Revised: September 16, 2010