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
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
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
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
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