The South has the highest poverty rate of any region: Poverty rates by region, 1971–2023
| Date | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 9.3% | 10.3% | 17.5% | 11.4% |
| 1972 | 8.7% | 9.3% | 16.9% | 11.1% |
| 1973 | 8.6% | 8.6% | 15.3% | 10.5% |
| 1974 | 9.3% | 8.8% | 16.1% | 10.7% |
| 1975 | 10.2% | 9.7% | 16.2% | 11.7% |
| 1976 | 10.2% | 9.9% | 15.2% | 10.5% |
| 1977 | 10.2% | 9.8% | 14.8% | 10.1% |
| 1978 | 10.4% | 9.1% | 14.7% | 10.0% |
| 1979 | 10.4% | 9.7% | 15.0% | 10.0% |
| 1980 | 11.1% | 11.4% | 16.5% | 11.4% |
| 1981 | 11.9% | 12.3% | 17.4% | 12.7% |
| 1982 | 13.0% | 13.3% | 18.1% | 14.1% |
| 1983 | 13.4% | 14.6% | 17.2% | 14.7% |
| 1984 | 13.2% | 14.1% | 16.2% | 13.1% |
| 1985 | 11.6% | 13.9% | 16.0% | 13.0% |
| 1986 | 10.5% | 13.0% | 16.1% | 13.2% |
| 1987 | 11.0% | 12.7% | 16.1% | 12.6% |
| 1988 | 10.1% | 11.4% | 16.1% | 12.7% |
| 1989 | 10.0% | 11.9% | 15.4% | 12.5% |
| 1990 | 11.4% | 12.4% | 15.8% | 13.0% |
| 1991 | 12.2% | 13.2% | 16.0% | 14.3% |
| 1992 | 12.6% | 13.3% | 17.1% | 14.8% |
| 1993 | 13.3% | 13.4% | 17.1% | 15.6% |
| 1994 | 12.9% | 13.0% | 16.1% | 15.3% |
| 1995 | 12.5% | 11.0% | 15.7% | 14.9% |
| 1996 | 12.7% | 10.7% | 15.1% | 15.4% |
| 1997 | 12.6% | 10.4% | 14.6% | 14.6% |
| 1998 | 12.3% | 10.3% | 13.7% | 14.0% |
| 1999 | 11.0% | 9.8% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 2000 | 10.3% | 9.3% | 12.8% | 11.8% |
| 2001 | 10.7% | 9.4% | 13.5% | 12.1% |
| 2002 | 10.9% | 10.3% | 13.8% | 12.4% |
| 2003 | 11.3% | 10.7% | 14.1% | 12.6% |
| 2004 | 11.6% | 11.7% | 14.1% | 12.5% |
| 2005 | 11.3% | 11.4% | 14.0% | 12.6% |
| 2006 | 11.5% | 11.2% | 13.8% | 11.6% |
| 2007 | 11.4% | 11.1% | 14.2% | 12.0% |
| 2008 | 11.6% | 12.4% | 14.3% | 13.5% |
| 2009 | 12.2% | 13.3% | 15.7% | 14.8% |
| 2010 | 12.9% | 14.0% | 16.8% | 15.3% |
| 2011 | 13.1% | 14.0% | 16.0% | 15.8% |
| 2012 | 13.6% | 13.3% | 16.5% | 15.1% |
| 2013 | 13.0% | 13.9% | 16.3% | 14.6% |
| 2014 | 12.6% | 13.0% | 16.5% | 15.2% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | 11.7% | 15.3% | 13.3% |
| 2016 | 10.8% | 11.7% | 14.1% | 12.8% |
| 2017 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 13.6% | 11.8% |
| 2018 | 10.3% | 10.4% | 13.6% | 11.2% |
| 2019 | 9.4% | 9.7% | 12.0% | 9.5% |
| 2020 | 10.2% | 10.1% | 13.3% | 10.6% |
| 2021 | 10.1% | 10.4% | 13.2% | 11.0% |
| 2022 | 10.8% | 9.8% | 13.2% | 10.7% |
| 2023 | 9.8% | 9.8% | 12.4% | 11.0% |
Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 2024. “Table 9. Poverty of People by Region: 1959 to 2023” [Excel file], Historical Poverty Tables. Updated September 10, 2024.