Overall Poverty

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OVERALL POVERTY RATE DECREASES, BUT INCREASES FOR WORKING POOR 

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 decreased slightly between 2022 and 2023—from 13.4% of the population living in poverty in 2022 to 13.1% in 2023. However, there has been a decrease of more than seven percentage points over the past 10 years, when 20.6% of the population lived in poverty.  

Over the past 10 years, poverty rates declined for all age groups, except for those ages 65 years and older. In 2023, 17.5% of children in San Bernardino County under the age of 18 were living in poverty, down from 28.5% in 2014. The percentage of adults living in poverty also decreased during this same period, from 18.6% in 2014 to 11.6% in 2023. Seniors ages 65 and older saw a modest increase in poverty, from 11.3% in 2014 to 11.9% in 2023. 

POVERTY RATES DECLINED FOR MOST AGE GROUPS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS
Percentage of Population Living in Poverty by Age in San Bernardino County, 2014-2023

Note: 2020 ACS 1-year data not available.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates (Table S1701)

RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL

Residents who identify as “some other race” and White each comprised 31% of the population living in poverty in San Bernardino County. In terms of ethnicity, 56% of the population living in poverty are Latino, lower than their overall proportion in the county (60%). In the accompanying charts, the distribution of San Bernardino County population by race and ethnicity is provided for context.    

RESIDENTS IDENTIFYING AS OTHER COMPRISE PLURALITY OF POPULATION IN POVERTY 
Distribution of Population Living in Poverty and Population, by Race in San Bernardino County, 2023 
LATINO RESIDENTS COMPRISE MAJORITY OF POPULATION IN POVERTY 
Distribution of Population Living in Poverty and Population, by Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2023

Note:The Census asks respondents to report both their race (or races) and their ethnicity (Hispanic or not Hispanic). Because race and ethnicity are collected as separate, overlapping categories, they are presented separately. Race categories include people of any ethnicity, and the Hispanic category includes people of any race. To understand poverty by race or ethnicity, the charts display the number of individuals from each racial or ethnic group that are living in poverty expressed as a percent of all people living in poverty, compared to each group’s percentage of the overall population. For example, if 100 people are in poverty, and 9 of those people identify as Asian, then 9% of people in poverty identify as Asian. This can be compared to the proportion of the population that identifies as Asian. For example, if 9% of people in poverty are Asian and 6% of the overall population is Asian, then it suggests Asian individuals are underrepresented among people in poverty.  

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates (Table S1702) 

SOCIOECONOMIC DETAIL

In 2023, 5.8% of San Bernardino County residents over the age of 16 in the labor force with jobs were living in poverty.  This population is often referred to as the “working poor” due to having a job yet still living in poverty.  Following years of decline, the percentage of the working poor has steadily increased since 2021, when 5.1% of the population was working poor.  The poverty rate for the unemployed population in the labor force is also increasing following years of decline, from 25.3% in 2021 to 28.0% in 2023.  

PERCENTAGE OF WORKING POOR INCREASING
Percentage of Civilian Labor Force Ages 16 and Older Living in Poverty in San Bernardino County, 2014-2023

Note: 2020 ACS 1-year data not available.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates (Table S1701)

GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISON

At 13.1%, San Bernardino County’s rate of poverty is somewhat higher than the state average (12.0%) and the national average (12.5%), and is higher than all counties compared, except Los Angeles and Miami-Dade. 

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY POVERTY RATE HIGHER THAN STATE AND NATION
County Comparison of Percentage of Population Living in Poverty, 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates (Table S1701)

WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE IN POVERTY THAN MEN

In 2023, 14.3% of females in San Bernardino County were living in poverty. This is almost two and a half percentage points higher than the proportion of the male population living in poverty (12.0%).

2023 Income Thresholds for Poverty Determination

For an individual, the annual income to be considered in poverty is less than $14,580. For two people with no children, the poverty threshold is an annual income of $19,720.


[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