Poverty Measures

This ASPE Issue Brief provides information on the research Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) calculated by the Census Bureau. In 2011, 16.1 percent of the U.S. population was poor using the SPM, representing 49.7 million individuals. This compares to 15.1 percent of the U.S. population, or 46.6 million individuals, under the official measure.

This brief summarizes information on income and poverty in 2010, based on data released by the Census Bureau. Cited statistics include median household income in 2010, the number and rate of all persons in poverty, children in poverty, all persons and children under 50% of the poverty threshold, and African-American and Hispanic children in poverty from 2000 to 2010.

This ASPE Research Brief presents information on trends in the rate of being disconnected from both work and public assistance, and the characteristics of the disconnected group compared to all low-income single mothers. The data are from a project examining the characteristics and experiences of low-income single mothers who are not working or receiving public assistance. [6 PDF pages]

This report is a comprehensive literature review and descriptive synthesis of the state of the research on the influence of religiosity and spirituality in the lives of the US low-income population. Findings are presented in six main areas: marriage and relationships, parenting, youth, mental and physical health, substance use, and crime and violence. [129 PDF pages]

This report reviews the definitions and measures of assets and asset poverty in existing theoretical and empirical studies and suggests ways to make them more relevant for future research and policy development. In doing so, the report establishes a conceptual foundation for an emerging field of inquiry that focuses on the role of assets in social policy. [45 PDF pages]

  Poor Finances:  Assets and Low-Income Households The Effects of Holding Assets on Social and Economic Outcomes of Families: A Review of Theory and Evidence November 2008 By: Robert Lerman and Signe-Mary McKernan The Urban Institute