2022 Census Poverty Data Resource Library

September 21, 2022

Every year the Coalition on Human Needs examines the data released by the Census Bureau to learn about the state of poverty in our nation. We look for large indicators such as how much poverty has increased or decreased and for important indicators of social programs effectiveness in lifting people out of poverty.

The Current Population Survey (CPS), sponsored jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is the primary source of labor force statistics for the population of the United States.

Beginning in 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau began publishing the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which extends the official poverty measure by taking account of many of the government programs designed to assist low-income families and individuals that are not included in the official poverty measure.

Below you can find the reports, analysis, and infographics that the U.S. Census Bureau, CHN and other organizations have produced for 2022:

CHN: “Federal Investments Pay Off and Lift Millions Out of Poverty,” September 13, 2022
CHN: “First Look at Poverty, Hardship, and Health Insurance 2022: Federal Investments Pay Off and Lift Millions Out of Poverty,” September 12, 2022
CHN Webinar: “PANDEMIC AND RESPONSE: Using Census and Other Data to Track Poverty, Hardship and the Impact of Aid During a Tumultuous Time,” September 8, 2022. A copy of the slides is available here.
CHN: Some Tips for Using the American Community Survey Data
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “In Pandemic’s Second Year, Government Policies Helped Drive Child Poverty Rate to a Record Low, Cut Uninsured Rate, New Census Poverty Data Show,” September 13, 2022
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “Census: Uninsured Rate Matches a Record Low in 2021, Driven by Relief Provisions,” September 15, 2022
National Employment Law Project: “Expanded Unemployment Insurance Substantially Reduced Poverty in 2021,” September 13, 2022.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: What to Know About Next Week’s Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance Figures for 2021,” September 8, 2022.
Kairos Center: ‘I Didn’t Have to Worry’: How the Child Tax Credit Helped Families Catch up on Rent and Improved Health, August 9, 2022.
Kairos Video: “Lessons from the Pandemic: Impact of the Child Tax Credit,” August 9, 2022
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy: National and State-by-State Estimates of Two Approaches to Expanding the Child Tax Credit,” September 7, 2022.
Various groups, including Center on Law and Social Policy, Children’s Defense Fund, National Women’s Law Center and UnidosUS: “Child Tax Credit: Key Findings from July 2022 National Survey,” September 12, 2022.
U.S. Child Poverty Action Group: September 22, 2022 Twitterstorm

Other Resources:

U.S. Census Bureau:
Income in the United States: 2021
Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2021
Poverty in the United States: 2021
Press event main page: Includes slides from September 13, 2022 press event
Government Assistance Lifts 45.4 Million Out of Poverty in 2021
Uninsured Rate of U.S. Children Fell to 5.0% in 2021
2021 Income Inequality Increased for First Time Since 2011

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data, released Thursday, September 15:
Find the 2021 ACS data here.
List of subjects included in the Survey
ACS Summary Profile
Reference Materials
Data Profiles
Detailed Tables
Comparison Profiles
Subject Tables
Selected Population Profiles
Health Insurance Coverage Status and Type by Geography: 2019 and 2021

Columbia University Center on Poverty and Social Policy:
Monthly Poverty Data
Census Bureau’s Household Pulse surveys – Started April 2020, ongoing through August 2022:
Household Pulse Data Tools
Household Pulse Survey Data Tables

From the Coalition on Human Needs: Week 48 (July 27-August 8, 2022) Modified Household Pulse Tables (click on the tabs at the bottom to see state and metro area results):
Household Spending Table 1. Difficulty Paying Usual Household Expenses in the Last 7 Days
Housing Table 4. Household Energy Use and Spending in the last 12 Months
Housing Table 1b. Last Month’s Payment Status for Renter-Occupied Housing Units
Food Table 1. Food Sufficiency for Households, in the Last 7 Days, by Select Characteristics: United States
Employment Table 2. Employment Status and Sector of Employment

Week 49 (September 14-September 26, 2022) Modified Household Pulse Tables (click on the tabs at the bottom to see state and metro area results):

Household Spending Table 1. Difficulty Paying Usual Household Expenses in the Last 7 Days
Housing Table 4. Household Energy Use and Spending in the last 12 Months
Housing Table 1b. Last Month’s Payment Status for Renter-Occupied Housing Units
Food Table 1. Food Sufficiency for Households, in the Last 7 Days, by Select Characteristics: United States
Employment Table 2. Employment Status and Sector of Employment