America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
📰 Read more about the findings from this week's release of income, poverty, and health insurance statistics on America Counts.
Black Individuals Had Record Low Official Poverty Rate in 2022
The official poverty rate of the U.S. Black population reached a historic low of 17.1% in 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday.
Estimates from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) show the Black population was one of the only major demographic groups to experience a significant change in poverty between 2021 and 2022.
Health Insurance Coverage of U.S. Workers Increased in 2022
The percentage of working-age adults ages 19 to 64 with health insurance coverage increased from 2021 to 2022, primarily driven by an increase in employment-based coverage. This resulted in uninsured rates dropping from 11.6% to 10.8%, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released this week.
The Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2022 report shows that the share of working-age adults with coverage rose across many race and ethnic groups, regions and employment status.
Supplemental Poverty Measure in 2022 Higher Than Pre-Pandemic Level
The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which includes government assistance, increased to 12.4% in 2022 from 7.8% in 2021, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday. The 2022 poverty rate was also 0.6 percentage points higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 11.8% in 2019.
This was the first increase in the overall SPM rate since 2010. The increase was largely the result of the end of stimulus payments and tax credits in effect during the COVID-19 pandemic that had lowered the SPM rate to its lowest level ever in 2021. The changes had a particularly pronounced impact on the poverty rates of children.
Median Household Income After Taxes Fell 8.8% in 2022
Real median household income after taxes fell 8.8% to $64,240 from 2021 to 2022 and the poverty rate after taxes as measured by the Supplemental Poverty Measure increased 59% to 12.4%.
 2022 Income Inequality Decreased for First Time Since 2007
Income inequality declined in 2022 for the first time since 2007, due primarily to declines in real median household income at middle and top income brackets, according to the Income in the United States: 2022 report released this week.
The report shows real median household income dropped 2.3% to $74,580 from 2021 to 2022.
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