Special Report
25 Facts of Life the Federal Poverty Rate Completely Ignores
November 8, 2019 6:15 pm
Last Updated: January 15, 2020 2:05 pm
11. Incarceration
There are over 1.5 million Americans currently incarcerated in state or federal prisons, but they are not counted as part of the official poverty estimate.
12. Military servicemen and women
There are over 1.3 million members of the U.S. military in active duty. Anyone residing in military barracks is not accounted for in the official poverty estimate.
13. College dorm residents
There are almost 20 million Americans attending colleges and universities in 2019, a large share of them living in college dorms, but those are not counted in the official poverty rate.
14. Nursing home residents
People living in group living facilities of any kind, including nursing homes, are not counted in the federal poverty measurement.
15. Homeless people
The single group facing the most economic distress, the nation’s homeless population, is not counted as part of the poverty rate. According to one estimate, over 500,000 Americans are homeless.