The South has the highest rates of poverty for both tipped and non-tipped workers: Poverty rates for tipped and non-tipped workers in the U.S. and Census Regions, 2017–2019 and 2021–2022
| Tipped workers | Non-tipped workers | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | 11.3% | 4.9% |
| South | 12.7% | 5.6% |
| Midwest | 12.7% | 4.8% |
| Northeast | 9.8% | 4.0% |
| West | 9.0% | 4.8% |
Note: The South is tied with the Midwest for the tipped worker poverty rate. Analysis includes only employed workers.
Source: Economic Policy Institute analysis of U.S. Census American Community Survey data for the years 2017 through 2019 and 2021–2022. The year 2020 was excluded due to concerns about data quality in the 2020 American Community Survey amid the COVID-19 pandemic.