Poverty Rate · Georgia

## What this measures

The percentage of people of all ages in Georgia whose family income falls below the official poverty threshold, from the Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Annual, from 1995 (the year the state estimates begin).

## Why it matters

Poverty rates show where economic hardship is concentrated, which drives demand for public programs and shapes local labor and consumer markets. SAIPE is the estimate federal programs use to allocate funds to states and school districts.

## How to read it

Percent of people. Lower means fewer people in poverty. Compare with the U.S. rate (us.saipe.poverty_rate) and with other states on the same measure; the child rate is us.state.ga.child_poverty_rate.

## What it does not say

SAIPE estimates are modelled: they combine survey data (the American Community Survey from 2005, the CPS before) with tax, SNAP and population records, so they are more stable than a survey alone, but each comes with a 90% confidence interval (kept with every point). The change of survey in 2005 means comparisons across it should be made with care. Poverty uses the official measure, which counts pre-tax money income only, so tax credits and non-cash benefits such as SNAP do not lift anyone above the line.

## Source

U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), state and county estimates files. Public domain.