Article

New Census data shows what happened to income, poverty and the uninsured rate

Community Solutions Team
Transforming data into progress
Additional Contributors
No items found.
September 17, 2018
Read time:
Download Fact Sheets
Register now
Share this resource
Subscribe to our Newsletter
By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download this as a PDF

Newly released reports from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) show that median household income increased in the United States between 2016 and 2017, and the poverty rate declined in the same period. The percent of Americans without health insurance did not change significantly between 2016 and 2017.

Median household income nationally in 2017 was $61,372, which reflects an increase of 3.0 percent from 2016, after adjusting for inflation. This is the third year in a row that median income increased nationally. The median income of married-couple families increased by 1.6 percent to $90,386, but that of female-headed families ($41,703) was not significantly different from 2016. As in previous years, racial disparities persisted, with households headed by non-Hispanic whites making $68,145, compared to $40,258 for African-Americans, $81,331 for Asians and $50,486 for people with Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. Among full-time, year-round workers, women earned a median of $41,977 compared to $52,146 for men; on average, women’s earned income was 80.5 percent of men’s.

African-Americans had a poverty rate of 21.2 percent in 2017, more than twice the rate for non-Hispanic whites

[bctt tweet="Income, poverty and the uninsured - new Census data shows us how those numbers have changed and who is most affected" username="CommunitySols"]

In 2017, 39.7 million Americans lived below the federal poverty line ($24,858 for a family of four), not significantly different from 2016. The official poverty rate was 12.3 percent, down from 12.7 percent in 2016. This is the third consecutive year with a declining national poverty rate. African-Americans had a poverty rate of 21.2 percent in 2017, more than twice the rate for non-Hispanic whites, 8.7 percent; the Hispanic/Latino poverty rate was 18.3 percent. Among children under 18, 17.5 percent lived below poverty in 2017, compared to 11.2 percent of those aged 18 to 64, and 9.2 percent of those aged 65 and older.

Among full-time, year-round workers, women earned a median of $41,977 compared to $52,146 for men; on average, women’s earned income was 80.5 percent of men’s

Twenty-eight and a half million Americans were without health insurance for the whole year in 2017, which is 8.8 percent of the population. Two-thirds of Americans had private insurance, and 37.7 percent had government insurance (some people had both private and public coverage). Almost 700,000 Ohioans were uninsured in 2017, just more than half as many as in 2013, the year before the Affordable Care Act went into effect.

Download Fact Sheets

Lake County

Download

Geauga County

Download

Cuyahoga County

Download

All Municipalities Geauga County

Download

All Municipalities Lake County

Download

All Municipalities Cuyahoga County

Download

Thompson

Download

South Russell

Download

Russell

Download

Parkman

Download

Newbury

Download

Munson

Download

Montville

Download

Middlefield Township

Download

Middlefield Village

Download

Huntsburg

Download

Hambden

Download

Claridon

Download

Chester

Download

Chardon Township

Download

Chardon City

Download

Burton

Download

Bainbridge

Download

Auburn

Download

Willowick

Download

Willoughby Hills

Download

Willoughby

Download

Wickliffe

Download

Waite Hill

Download

Timberlake

Download

Painesville City

Download

Mentor-on-the-Lake

Download

Mentor

Download

Madison

Download

Lakeline

Download

Kirtland Hills

Download

Kirtland

Download

Eastlake

Download

Concord

Download

Highland Heights 2018

Download

Garfield Heights 2018

Download

Fairview Park 2018

Download

Euclid 2018

Download

East Cleveland 2018

Download

Cleveland 2018

Download

Cleveland Heights 2018

Download

Cities in Cuyahoga County Combined 2018

Download

Brooklyn 2018

Download

Brook Park 2018

Download

Broadview Heights 2018

Download

Brecksville 2018

Download

Berea 2018

Download

Bedford 2018

Download

Bedford Heights 2018

Download

Beachwood 2018

Download

Bay Village 2018

Download

Westlake 2018

Download

Warrensville Heights 2018

Download

University Heights 2018

Download

Strongsville 2018

Download

South Euclid 2018

Download

Solon 2018

Download

Shaker Heights 2018

Download

Seven Hills 2018

Download

Rocky River 2018

Download

Richmond Heights 2018

Download

Pepper Pike 2018

Download

Parma 2018

Download

Parma Heights 2018

Download

Olmsted Falls 2018

Download

North Royalton 2018

Download

North Olmsted 2018

Download

Middleburg Heights 2018

Download

Mayfield Heights 2018

Download

Maple Heights 2018

Download

Lyndhurst 2018

Download

Lakewood 2018

Download

Independence 2018

Download

Woodmere

Download

Westlake

Download

Warrensville Heights

Download

Walton Hills

Download

Valley View

Download

University Heights

Download

Strongsville

Download

South Euclid

Download

Shaker Heights

Download

Seven Hills

Download

Rocky River

Download

Richmond Heights

Download

Pepper Pike

Download

Parma Heights

Download

Orange

Download

Olmsted Falls

Download

Olmsted

Download
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download report

Subscribe to our newsletter

5 Things you need to know arrives on Mondays with the latest articles, events, and advocacy developments in Ohio

Explore the fact sheets

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

No Related Fact Sheets

Explore Topics

Browse articles, research, and testimony.

Poverty & Safety Net
Article

From lead-safe to lead abatement: tackling lead-based properties in Cleveland

Natasha Takyi-Micah
December 9, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

5 Things to know about Census Hardship Data for Ohio

John R. Corlett
December 9, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

Data to go...literally on wheels!

Emily Muttillo
December 9, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

Barriers and Access to Resources in the Union-Miles Neighborhood 

Tamikka James-Haygood
November 24, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

ARPA 3 Years later: Lessons learned in Ohio

Dylan Armstrong
November 18, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

New Human Services Chamber launching in December

Emily Campbell
November 17, 2024