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Politics & Government

Census Data Shows Decrease in Hispanic Poverty Rate

The recently released 2011 report by the Census also shows a decline in the household income among Hispanics in the U.S.

A U.S. Census report released on Wednesday showed a slight decrease for some subgroups living below the poverty line, including Hispanics. Household income showed a slight dip, whereas the number of medically insured slightly rose among a sample of 100,000 respondents from all over the United States. 

Income

According to a U.S. Census report released last week, the median household income decreased 1.5 percent in 2011, which was the second consecutive annual decrease in household income.

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The report further found that the west coast experienced more of a decline in income with Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites showing the most decline with a 2.7 and 1.4 percent decrease, respectively. 

As a whole, the median household income in the nation in 2011 was $50,054, a 1.5 percent decline from 2010. For Hispanics, the median household income was $38,624.

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In 2010, the median household income in Lynwood was about $43,654. 

Further the Census data showed that none of the subgroups have recovered from pre-2001 recession median household income peaks. 

Household income in 2011 was 10.8 percent lower for Hispanics (from $43,319 in 2000). Household income was 16.8 percent lower for Blacks, the highest of all the subgroups, (from $38,747 in 2000). 

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Poverty 

In 2011, the official poverty rate was 15 percent with 46.2 million people in poverty.

Data showed that after three consecutive years of increases, neither the official poverty rate nor the number of people in poverty were statistically different from the 2010 estimates. 

For Blacks, the 2011 poverty rate was 27.6 percent, which represents 10.9 million people in poverty. That estimate was not different from its 2010 estimate.

Among Hispanics, the poverty rate declined from 26.5 percent in 2010 to 25.3 percent in 2011.

The number of Hispanics in poverty in 2011 was 13.2 million, not so different from the 2010 estimate.

According to the Census, 20.1 percent of the Lynwood population, or about 14,000 people in a city of about 70,000, was below the poverty line in 2010. 

Health Insurance Coverage 

In 2011, the percentage of people without health insurance decreased to 15.7 percent from 16.3 percent in 2010. The number of uninsured people decreased to 48.6 million, down from 50.0 million in 2010.

For the first time in the last ten years the number of people privately insured did not decrease, according to data which showed 63.9 percent (197.3 million) of people insured in 2010. 2011 saw no statistical difference.

The number of those receiving aid through Medicare and Medicaid also increased to 32.2 percent and 99.5 million in 2011 from 31.2 percent and 95.5 million in 2010.

Download the full 2011 U.S. Census report (.pdf) or read it above.

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