The Census Bureau has released the 2013 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for all states, counties, and school districts in the US. The graphs showing the rates for 2008-2013 are presented for the graphs above with 90% confidence bounds for the estimates for the % in poverty and the state Median income for the state of Pennsylvania. The blue line represents the estimates while the light green line represents the upper bound and the dark green line represents the lower.
The top graph shows that median income (the median is the value that appears in the middle of incomes when they are ranked from highest to lowest) has steadily increased since 2010 after decreasing from 2008 to 2010. A different pattern emerges for the poverty estimates in the second graph for the state. It shows a steady increase in poverty levels from 2008 to 2011 with a leveling off for 2011 to 2013. Graphs for Allegheny County are below.
If we look at the county level estimates, a different emerges for each county and school district. Like the state, median income increased for Allegheny County from 2009-2013. Poverty estimates increased from 2010 to 2013 with the other years relatively equal. The larger the population of the county is, the narrower the confidence bounds are for the estimates.
School District level estimates for child poverty are available and presented in the map below. There are too many districts presented to present in table form and graphically for years 2008 to 2013. The districts with the highest poverty rates are listed below the map. The top four counties are in the Pittsburgh Area and the fifth highest in the Reading district. The Greater Johnstown School District ranks sixth with 40.7%. All of the top six have estimates above 40%.
Rates in Pa (Age 5-17, Local Districts in Bold)
|
Name
|
Estimate
|
|
Clairton City School District
|
47.9
|
|
Duquesne City School District
|
46.0
|
|
Sto-Rox School District
|
44.7
|
|
Wilkinsburg Borough School
District |
43.2
|
|
Reading School District
|
43.1
|
|
Greater Johnstown School
District |
40.7
|
|
York City School District
|
39.8
|
|
Harrisburg City School District
|
39.1
|
|
Allentown City School District
|
38.6
|
|
Erie City School District
|
38.5
|
Below are 2013 estimates for each county, the US and Pennsylvania for % in Poverty and median income. Pennsylvania is close to the national estimates for median income but lower than the US for poverty. There are 11 counties above the national poverty rate. There are 21 counties above the national and state medians and 47 counties below. Philadelphia county has the highest poverty rate and the lowest median income.
| State County Name | All Ages in Poverty % | Median Household Income |
| United States | 15.8 | $52,250 |
| Pennsylvania | 13.7 | $52,005 |
| Adams County | 9.5 | $57,725 |
| Allegheny County | 13.5 | $51,400 |
| Armstrong County | 14.7 | $42,927 |
| Beaver County | 11.3 | $49,215 |
| Bedford County | 13.5 | $48,003 |
| Berks County | 14.0 | $55,634 |
| Blair County | 16.2 | $41,756 |
| Bradford County | 13.5 | $49,117 |
| Bucks County | 6.4 | $73,662 |
| Butler County | 9.4 | $58,430 |
| Cambria County | 16.2 | $40,930 |
| Cameron County | 14.6 | $37,891 |
| Carbon County | 14.1 | $44,338 |
| Centre County | 18.4 | $52,559 |
| Chester County | 7.0 | $83,775 |
| Clarion County | 18.7 | $40,043 |
| Clearfield County | 16.5 | $39,912 |
| Clinton County | 14.2 | $44,887 |
| Columbia County | 17.1 | $45,564 |
| Crawford County | 14.4 | $43,793 |
| Cumberland County | 8.6 | $60,134 |
| Dauphin County | 13.8 | $53,480 |
| Delaware County | 10.9 | $64,186 |
| Elk County | 9.8 | $46,388 |
| Erie County | 17.9 | $44,223 |
| Fayette County | 19.2 | $37,929 |
| Forest County | 24.5 | $38,087 |
| Franklin County | 11.8 | $53,913 |
| Fulton County | 12.5 | $46,032 |
| Greene County | 16.3 | $45,156 |
| Huntingdon County | 14.8 | $42,479 |
| Indiana County | 14.7 | $44,504 |
| Jefferson County | 15.5 | $41,637 |
| Juniata County | 11.8 | $46,183 |
| Lackawanna County | 14.8 | $44,926 |
| Lancaster County | 10.5 | $56,766 |
| Lawrence County | 13.8 | $43,199 |
| Lebanon County | 11.2 | $54,952 |
| Lehigh County | 14.2 | $53,722 |
| Luzerne County | 16.1 | $44,734 |
| Lycoming County | 14.0 | $46,663 |
| Mc Kean County | 19.0 | $41,653 |
| Mercer County | 14.1 | $43,936 |
| Mifflin County | 14.5 | $42,567 |
| Monroe County | 12.0 | $55,273 |
| Montgomery County | 6.8 | $77,021 |
| Montour County | 10.3 | $53,329 |
| Northampton Count | 10.1 | $59,605 |
| Northumberland Co | 14.7 | $41,078 |
| Perry County | 10.2 | $56,544 |
| Philadelphia Coun | 26.0 | $36,918 |
| Pike County | 10.4 | $60,168 |
| Potter County | 15.4 | $39,781 |
| Schuylkill County | 13.6 | $41,514 |
| Snyder County | 12.0 | $45,558 |
| Somerset County | 12.7 | $42,712 |
| Sullivan County | 14.3 | $41,668 |
| Susquehanna Count | 14.4 | $49,244 |
| Tioga County | 13.2 | $45,052 |
| Union County | 13.5 | $49,488 |
| Venango County | 15.8 | $41,736 |
| Warren County | 14.2 | $42,043 |
| Washington County | 10.9 | $54,919 |
| Wayne County | 11.8 | $45,807 |
| Westmoreland Coun | 10.7 | $51,412 |
| Wyoming County | 11.3 | $47,012 |
| York County | 10.8 | $56,963 |
**Update**
This post was cited in Pittsburgh’s local NPR station’s website.
**Related Posts**
Census State Level Estimates Are Out for 2013 (Cross Post with Healthcare for All PA)
Most Recent County Level Uninsured Estimates for Pennsylvania
Latino Rates in Pennsylvania’s Uninsured
Trends in the Uninsured are Flat by Race and Gender for Pennsylvania