What does this measure?

The share of residents with incomes below the federal poverty level. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2017, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $24,858.

Why is this important?

The percentage of people living in or near poverty is a measure of the overall economic health of a region. It also indicates the level of need for social and government supports.

How is our county doing?

In 2013-17, 17% of Erie County residents had incomes below the poverty level. This was an increase of 5 percentage points since 2000, when 12% of county residents had incomes below the poverty line. Erie County's poverty rate was higher than Pennsylvania, at 13%, and the nation, at 15%. Since 2000, the county's poverty rate also increased by a larger margin than the state, which saw a 2-point rise, and the nation, which experienced a 3-point increase.

How do we compare to similar counties?

The percentage of households in Erie County with incomes below the poverty level was similar to the comparison counties. In 2013-17, 17% of residents in Broome County, NY lived below the poverty line, 15% in Luzerne County, PA and 14% in Stark County, OH. Since 2000, Erie and the comparison counties all saw similar rates of increases in their poverty rates.

Notes about the data

The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined 5 years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with 3 asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are expected to be released annually in December.