State of Working Colorado: Overall poverty – Need on the rise

The poverty rate is the percentage of households with income below Federal Poverty Level (FPL), annual income below which a family is considered poor by the federal government. The threshold varies with family size and is updated annually by the federal government. For an individual younger than 65 the FPL was $11,369 in 2010. For a family of two adults and two children the FPL was $22,162.

Colorado’s poverty rate has increased since 2000. In 2009, the Colorado poverty rate stood at 12.9 percent, up 1.5 percentage points since the year before, and up from 8.7 percent at the beginning of the decade. Colorado’s poverty rate ranks 29th highest among other states.

 

 

For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.