POVERTY AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY Economic mobility describes how someone’s economic well-being changes over time. It can refer to changes in economic outcomes for groups of people or generations over time. “Poverty is measured in the United States by comparing a person’s or family’s income to a set poverty threshold or minimum income needed to cover basic needs. People whose income falls under their threshold are considered poor.” - (IRP-Univ. Wisconsin) The U.S. Census Bureau determines poverty status using an official poverty measure (OPM) that compares pre-tax cash income against a threshold three times the cost of a minimum food diet in 1963 and adjusted for family size. The OPM uses calculations of these three elements — income, threshold and family — to estimate what percentage of the population is poor. This measure has been adjusted slightly using the consumer price index to account for inflation, but remains relatively unchanged. The official poverty estimates are drawn from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), conducted in February, March and April with a sample of approximately 100,000 addresses per year. More information on poverty measures used can be found here. Most often, economic mobility looks at how someone’s income changes over their lifetime. When someone’s income improves over his or her life, that person is considered upwardly mobile. This means the person’s economic situation improves during his or her life. By contrast, when someone’s income stays flat or decreases over his or her life, that person is considered downwardly mobile. Economic mobility is often more useful when scaled to summarize the overall opportunity in a neighborhood, city or state. As a county, we strive to increase the economic mobility of our citizens. United Way Partners are organizations that help individuals overcome barriers to upward economic mobility. We can measure the economic mobility of our county by monitoring the statistics in this report over time. Signs of a community with increased economic mobility are demonstrated through a combination of metrics including educational attainment, reduced poverty levels, lower unemployment and higher quality jobs, affordable housing and childcare, etc. Median Household Income
According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2022, 20.2% of the population in Payne County live in poverty. It is estimated that 18.2% of children under the age of 18 are living in poverty.
Payne County
Oklahoma
poverty
poverty
20.2
15.7
Median Household Income
Median Household Income
$45,684
$59,673
03
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