12.5% POVERTY RATE MARKS SEVEN POINT IMPROVEMENT OVER TEN YEARS
Research documents that poverty has many negative effects, so much so that if poverty were considered a disease, it would be the fourth highest cause of death in the United States. Less poverty – and greater longevity – would allow people to reach their full potential and maximize their contributions to the community.[1] In addition to documenting the extent of poverty, the poverty rate is an important tool to determine eligibility for health and human services and programs, including health insurance and supplemental food programs, which can lessen the negative impacts of poverty. This indicator tracks the percentage of the population in San Bernardino County living in poverty by select demographics including age, gender, and employment status.
TREND
Poverty rates in San Bernardino County have been relatively unchanged over the past five years where data are available, however, since 2015 the rate of poverty fell nearly seven percentage points, from 19.0% in 2015 to 12.5% in 2024.
Over the past 10 years, poverty rates declined for all age groups, except for those ages 65 years and older. In 2024, 16.4% of children in San Bernardino County under the age of 18 were living in poverty, down from 27.4% in 2015. The percentage of working-age adults (ages 18 to 64 years) living in poverty also decreased during this same period, from 16.9% in 2015 to 10.9% in 2024. Meanwhile, seniors ages 65 and older saw a modest increase in poverty, from 10.2% in 2015 to 12.5% in 2024.
IN PAST DECADE, POVERTY RATES DECLINED FOR ALL AGE GROUPS EXCEPT SENIORS
Percentage of Population Living in Poverty, by Age in San Bernardino County, 2015-2024
RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL
The American Community Survey provides six options for a respondent to identify their race. Residents who identify as some other race than one of the six options represent nearly a third of the San Bernardino County population living in poverty, followed by those identifying as White. Compared to the racial distribution of the overall population, residents identifying as some other race, Black, and Pacific Islander are slightly overrepresented among the population living in poverty. The population in poverty identifying as Latino is similar to the proportion of the overall population identifying as Latino.
RESIDENTS IDENTIFYING AS OTHER, BLACK, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER OVERREPRESENTED AMONG THE POPULATION IN POVERTY
Distribution of Population Living in Poverty and Population, by Race in San Bernardino County, 2024
LATINO RESIDENTS LIVING IN POVERTY IS PROPORTIONATE TO THE PERCENTAGE OF LATINO RESIDENTS IN THE COUNTY
Distribution of Population Living in Poverty and Population, by Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2024
SOCIOECONOMIC DETAIL
In 2024, 5.0% of San Bernardino County residents over the age of 16 who were in the labor force and employed, were living in poverty. This population is often referred to as the “working poor” due to having a job yet still living in poverty. Since 2015, the percentage of working poor has declined by four percentage points. Recent years have shown a flattening of this trend, with mild annual fluctuation around a four-year average of 5.3% between 2021 and 2024. The poverty rate for the unemployed population in the labor force fell sharply in 2024, from 28.0% in 2023 to 21.3% in 2024. Since 2015, the poverty rate among the unemployed fell 13 percentage points.
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT, WORKING POOR POVERTY RATE RECENTLY HOVERING AROUND 5%
Percentage of Civilian Labor Force Ages 16 and Older Living in Poverty in San Bernardino County, 2015-2024
GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISON
At 12.5%, San Bernardino County’s rate of poverty is slightly higher than the state and national averages (11.8% and 12.1%, respectively), and is higher than all counties compared except Los Angeles and Miami-Dade.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY POVERTY RATE LOWER THAN L.A. AND MIAMI; HIGHER THAN OTHER PEER COUNTIES
County Comparison of Percentage of Population Living in Poverty, 2024
WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE IN POVERTY THAN MEN
In 2024, 14.0% of females in San Bernardino County were living in poverty. This is three percentage points higher than the proportion of the male population living in poverty (11.0%).
2024 Income Thresholds for Poverty Determination
For an individual, the average annual income to be considered in poverty is less than $15,940. For two people with no children, the poverty threshold is an average annual income of $20,220.
[1] Brady, David; Kohler, Ulrich; Zheng, Hui (2023). “Novel Estimates of Mortality Associated With Poverty in the US”. The Journal of the American Medical Association. 183 (6): 504–628