CALIFORNIA HAS THE NATION'S WORST POVERTY RATE

East County News Service

October 21, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – The U.S. Census Bureau’s data is in—and California has the highest level of poverty in the nation.   Nearly one in four Californians – 23.4 percent--are living in poverty.  That’s nearly 9 million people.

The Census calculates poverty differently than the standard federal poverty scale, taking the cost of living into account, not just income.  The outcome has been the same for several years, with California ranking worst in the nation ever since the Census Bureau began comparing poverty rates using the alternative method.

When only income is considered, California has 16% of residents living below the official federal poverty level.

But with the high price of housing, energy and other costs of living, the actual disposable income left after paying necessities is scant to no-existent for all too many people in California.