Poverty in Sacramento

Poverty in California – Where does Sacramento stand?  Poverty in Sacramento statistics are included in a recent Public Policy Institute of California “Just The Facts” blog post on Poverty in California.

I highly regard the work done by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), and I keep an eye on their reports and survey results in order to help me grasp the complexities of California.  Let’s face it – California is nothing if not complex!

A recent “Just The Facts” blog post – Poverty in California , is a case in point.  I like the “Just The Facts” format – as it lays out the specific conclusions of the topic investigated in easy to read and understand bullet points.

You can now “like” a blog post and share it with friends on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (see below).

The main conclusions reached in the Poverty in California blog post are:

• Despite improvements, the official poverty rate remains high
• Poverty in California is even higher when factoring in key family needs and resources
• About four in ten Californians are living in or near poverty
• Without social safety net programs, more Californians would live in poverty (especially in inland and northern areas)
• Poverty rates and the effect of safety net programs vary regionally (across California’s counties)
• Latinos and less-educated Californians continue to have dramatically higher poverty rates
• Most poor families in California are working

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released updated income and poverty statistics for the years 2015-2017 combined, including information on the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) for states.  According to the SPM, California continues to have one of the nation’s highest poverty rates – 19%.  Florida’s poverty rate was 18.1% and Louisiana’s was 17.6%.  For comparison, the national poverty rate was 14.1%.

The official poverty statistics are one thing, but the California Poverty Measure (CPM), a joint research effort by PPIC and the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, is a more comprehensive approach to gauging poverty in California.  I always pay attention in particular to the CPM as it accounts for the cost of living and a range of family needs and resources – including social safety net benefits.

Poverty in California – Where Does Sacramento Stand?

As reported by PPIC, according to estimates from the 2014-2016 CPM combined, Sacramento has a 17.3% poverty rate.  Ouch!

Sacramento is not at the top of the list by any means, however, as our cost of housing is still lower than other parts of the state.  The two highest rates of poverty in the state are found in Los Angeles County, with a poverty rate of 24.3% and Santa Cruz County, with a poverty rate of 23.8%.

What Can Policymakers Do to Improve the Situation in California?

The PPIC suggests that there are diverse opportunities to address poverty such as:

• Moderating housing costs
• Supporting proven employment and training programs
• Supporting social safety net programs

As always, the devil is in the details!  See the PPIC blog post  (link above) for additional details.

Comments on Poverty in Sacramento?  Poverty in California?

What are your thoughts on this important topic, in particular poverty in Sacramento?

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