This statistic shows the percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the top 25 most populated cities in the U.S. in 2019. In 2019, total 30.6 percent of all residents in Detroit, Michigan lived below the poverty level.
Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the U.S. in 2019
Characteristic
Percentage of people below the poverty line
Detroit city, Michigan
30.6%
Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania
23.3%
Houston city, Texas
19.7%
El Paso city, Texas
18.6%
Dallas city, Texas
17.5%
Boston city, Massachusetts
17.1%
San Antonio city, Texas
16.8%
Los Angeles city, California
16.7%
Chicago city, Illinois
16.4%
Columbus city, Ohio
16.3%
New York city, New York
16%
Oklahoma City city, Oklahoma
15.8%
Indianapolis city (balance), Indiana
15.8%
Phoenix city, Arizona
15.6%
Jacksonville city, Florida
14.1%
Washington city, District of Columbia
13.5%
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), Tennessee
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country. In practice, like the definition of poverty, the official or common understanding of the poverty line is significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries.
Population data for U.S. cities can be found here.
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US Census Bureau. (September 17, 2020). Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the U.S. in 2019 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the U.S. in 2019." Chart. September 17, 2020. Statista. Accessed January 18, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. (2020). Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the U.S. in 2019. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 18, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Percentage of People Who Live below The Poverty Level in The Most Populated Cities in The U.S. in 2019." Statista, Statista Inc., 17 Sep 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau, Percentage of people who live below the poverty level in the most populated cities in the U.S. in 2019 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/205637/percentage-of-poor-people-in-the-top-20-most-populated-cities-in-the-us/ (last visited January 18, 2022)
