A Profile of
Older Americans: 2007
Poverty
About 3.4 million elderly persons (9.4%) were below the poverty
level in 2006. This poverty rate is a statistically significant decrease from
the poverty rate in 2005 (10.1%). This 2006 poverty rate is lower than the
previous historic lowest level of 9.7% which was reached in 1999 but this
difference is not statistically significant. Another 2.2 million or 6.2% of the
elderly were classified as "near-poor" (income between the poverty level and
125% of this level).
One of every fourteen (7.0%) elderly Whites** was poor in 2006,
compared to 22.7% of elderly African-Americans, 12.0% of Asians, and 19.4% of
elderly Hispanics. Higher than average poverty rates were found in 2006 for
older persons were found among those who lived in principal cities (12.7%),
outside metropolitan areas (i.e. rural areas and small towns) (11.0%), and in
the South (11.7%).
Older women had a higher poverty rate (11.5%) than older men
(6.6%) in 2006. Older persons living alone were much more likely to be poor
(16.9%) than were older persons living with families (5.6%). The highest
poverty rates were experienced among Hispanic women (40.5%) who lived alone and also by older
Black women (37.5%) who lived alone.
(Based on data from Current Population Survey, Annual
Social and Economic Supplement, "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage
in the United States: 2006," P60‑233, issued August, 2007, by the U.S. Bureau
of the Census and related Census detailed tables on the Census Bureau web
site)
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2007 - Housing
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