What is the poverty line currently in the US?

[bleedingheart]

I was looking up information about this because I was just thinking about familial economics and in 1979 when my father died he was only making about $14,000 a year and that includes him working overtime. When my parents got married in 1965 he was making approximately $7,000 a year.....but in perspective...my mom stayed at home, they bought a house and managed to squirrel a lot of money away so that when my dad died in 1980 my mom had a home that was paid for and a nest egg.

I was using google and there are some people who claim that $14,000 was the poverty line in 79-80...so if that was the case then what is it now and would someone be able to accomplish what my parents did at those wages?

[bleedingheart]

1. Found it... !

graduated to

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/03poverty.htm

2003 HHS Poverty Guidelines
Size of
Family Unit 48 Contiguous
States and D.C. Alaska Hawaii
1 $ 8,980 $11,210 $10,330
2 12,120 15,140 13,940
3 15,260 19,070 17,550
4 18,400 23,000 21,160
5 21,540 26,930 24,770
6 24,680 30,860 28,380
7 27,820 34,790 31,990
8 30,960 38,720 35,600
For each additional
person, add 3,140 3,930 3,610

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 68, No. 26, February 7, 2003, pp. 6456-6458.

[DrDebug]

2. It depends on the family and the location

Here are some highlights of the Department of Health and Human Services' poverty guidelines for 2001:

One person in the 48 contiguous U.S. states and Washington, D.C. -- $8,590
One person in Alaska -- $9,890
One person in Hawaii -- $10,730
Two people in the 48 contiguous U.S. states and Washington, D.C. -- $11,610
Four people in the 48 contiguous U.S. states and Washington, D.C. -- $17,650

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/01poverty.htm

[Kindigger]

3. Hmmmm

...and to think I live in relative comfort at $7,000 per year, though I've always been a miser :)

[chemp]

4. shit

I make 50K and struggle.
Must be doing something wrong...

[Roland99]

7. Same here...but, I have a nice 3BR apt. a nice new car

After that, utilities, food, clothing, internet/phone, gas, oil changes, car insurance, medical co-pays and there just isn't much left over. :(

[Jamison]

5. It's too low that's for sure.

With the way prices of consumer goods and energy are going up, I think it should at least be $27,000-$30,000 a year for a family of 4, no matter where you live in the US.

[sweetheart]

6. Lets calculate

Medical costs per person to have medical care 300/mo = 3600/yr
Dental 30/mo = 360/yr
Optical 150/yr
Housing 500/mo = 5000/yr
Food (brown rice) 200/mo = 2400/yr
Basic clothing 50/mo = 600/yr

Hmmm... so that's after tax income of 12,110 with NO transportation
or energy bills... or any other expenses such as savings for old
age.

Gosh, when we add in transport and energy, its at least 15,000

[kentuck]

8. One dollar above what I make...

:)

[Nikia]

9. I think that housing is a big factor

Housing costs vary depending upon where one lives. Even if one lives in areas with lower housing costs, housing costs can easily eat up half a low income workers income. If I understand things right, housing costs have gone up faster than the cost of consumer goods including food, which the poverty rate is based off of, in almost every location. When someone has a very low income, having a couple hundreds dollars a month that he or she did not have to spend on housing can make a big difference in being able to afford healthcare, food, and other necessities.