Pa. poverty rate inches up
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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Poverty in Pennsylvania rose slightly last year but remained below the national average, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
The data showed that almost 1.8 million people in Pennsylvania, or 13.9 percent, were living in poverty last year. That’s up slightly from 13.8 percent in 2011 and 13.4 percent the year before. Pennsylvania’s population is almost 12.8 million.
“I think it’s indicative of the fact that times are tough for a lot of Pennsylvanians,” said Tony Ross, CEO of the United Way of Pennsylvania. “We just all need to work together to find ways to lift folks out of poverty.”
The Census Bureau’s annual report offers a snapshot of the economic well-being of U.S. households in 2012. Nationally, the number of people living in poverty was 15 percent in last year. A family of four with an income less than $23,492 was considered poor.
Mississippi had the highest share of poor people, at 22 percent, according to rough calculations by the Census Bureau. New Hampshire had the lowest share or poor, at 8.1 percent.
The rate varied widely among Pennsylvania’s neighboring states. New York was at 17.2 percent, West Virginia at 16.7 percent, Ohio at 15.4 percent, Maryland at 9.9 percent, and New Jersey at 9.3 percent.