August 2024 Report 1110

A profile of the working poor, 2022

In 2022, 37.9 million people, or 11.5 percent of the nation’s population, lived below the official poverty level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.¹ (See the technical notes for examples of poverty levels.) According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the majority of the poor were (1) adults who had not participated in the labor force during the year and (2) children, of the 37.9 million living under the poverty level, 6.4 million were among the “working poor” in 2022. The working poor are people who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (that is, working or looking for work) but whose incomes still fell below the official poverty level. The number of working poor changed little from 2021. In 2022, the working-poor rate—the ratio of the working poor to all individuals in the labor force for at least 27 weeks—was 4.0 percent, little different from the previous year’s figure (4.1 percent). (See table A, chart 1, and table 1.)

Table A. Poverty status of people and primary families in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2008–22 (Numbers in thousands)
Characteristic	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Total in the labor force^[1]	147,838	147,902	146,859	147,475	148,735	149,483	150,319	152,230	153,364	154,762	156,454	157,769	153,201	156,347	158,965
In poverty	8,883	10,391	10,512	10,382	10,612	10,450	9,487	8,560	7,572	6,946	6,964	6,318	6,306	6,352	6,425
Working-poor rate	6.0	7.0	7.2	7.0	7.1	7.0	6.3	5.6	4.9	4.5	4.5	4.0	4.1	4.1	4.0
Unrelated individuals	32,785	33,798	34,099	33,731	34,810	35,061	35,018	35,953	35,789	36,959	37,082	36,805	37,080	37,856	38,170
In poverty	3,275	3,947	3,947	3,621	3,851	4,141	3,395	3,137	2,792	2,524	2,684	2,445	2,424	2,496	2,435
Working-poor rate	10.0	11.7	11.6	10.7	11.1	11.8	9.7	8.7	7.8	6.8	7.2	6.6	6.5	6.6	6.4
Primary families^[2]	65,907	65,467	64,931	66,225	66,541	66,462	66,732	67,193	67,628	67,588	68,099	68,318	66,781	67,860	67,780
In poverty	4,538	5,193	5,269	5,469	5,478	5,137	5,108	4,607	4,082	3,854	3,628	3,232	3,260	3,257	3,315
Working-poor rate	6.9	7.9	8.1	8.3	8.2	7.7	7.7	6.9	6.0	5.7	5.3	4.7	4.9	4.8	4.9
^[1] Includes individuals in families, not shown separately. ^[2] Primary families with at least one member in the labor force for more than half the year. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Highlights from the 2022 data

The working-poor rate of people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more was 4.0 percent, little different from a year earlier (4.1 percent). (See chart 1.)
Full-time workers remained much less likely to be among the working poor than part-time workers. Among people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2.5 percent of those usually employed full time were classified as working poor, compared with 11.0 percent of part-time workers. (See table 1.)
Women were more likely than men to be among the working poor (4.4 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively). In addition, Hispanics or Latinos (7.2 percent) and Blacks or African Americans (6.0 percent) continued to be much more likely than Whites (3.8 percent) and Asians (2.8 percent) to be among the working poor.² (See table 2.)
The likelihood of being classified as working poor diminishes as workers attain higher levels of education. Among those with less than a high school diploma, 12.6 percent of those who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks were classified as working poor, compared with 1.4 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree and higher. (See table 3.)
Individuals who were employed in service occupations remained more likely to be among the working poor (8.2 percent) than those employed in other major occupational groups. (See table 4.)
Among families with at least one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, those with children under 18 years old (7.9 percent) were about four times as likely as those without children (1.9 percent) to live in poverty. Families maintained by women (13.1 percent) were twice as likely to be living below the poverty level than families maintained by men (6.5 percent). (See table 5.)

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Working-poor rate of people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 1986–2022
Year	Total
1986	6.2
1987	5.5
1988	5.4
1989	5.3
1990	5.5
1991	6.1
1992	6.3
1993	6.7
1994	6.2
1995	5.9
1996	5.8
1997	5.7
1998	5.4
1999	5.1
2000	4.7
2001	4.9
2002	5.3
2003	5.3
2004	5.6
2005	5.4
2006	5.1
2007	5.1
2008	6.0
2009	7.0
2010	7.2
2011	7.0
2012	7.1
2013	7.0
2014	6.3
2015	5.6
2016	4.9
2017	4.5
2018	4.5
2019	4.0
2020	4.1
2021	4.1
2022	4.0
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

This report presents data on the relationship between labor force activity and poverty status in 2022 for workers and their families. These data were collected in the 2023 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey. (For a detailed description of the source of the data and an explanation of the concepts and definitions used in the report, see the technical notes.) The specific income thresholds used to determine people’s poverty status vary depending on whether the individuals are living with family members, living alone, or living with nonrelatives. For people living with family members, the poverty threshold is determined by the family’s total income; for individuals not living in families, personal income is used as the determinant.

Demographic characteristics

Among those who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2022, the number of women classified as working poor (3.3 million) was little different than that of men (3.1 million). However, the working-poor rate continued to be higher for women (4.4 percent) than for men (3.7 percent); both rates were little different from a year earlier. (See table 2.)

Hispanics and Blacks were much more likely than Whites and Asians to be among the working poor. In 2022, the working-poor rates for Hispanics and Blacks were 7.2 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively, compared with 3.8 percent for Whites and 2.8 percent for Asians. (See table 2 and chart 2.)

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Working-poor rates by sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2022
Sex	Total	White	Black or African American	Asian	Hispanic or Latino
Total	4.0	3.8	6.0	2.8	7.2
Men	3.7	3.5	5.0	3.0	6.9
Women	4.4	4.1	6.8	2.6	7.6
Note: People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

In 2022, the working-poor rates among Whites and Blacks were higher for women than for men. The rates for White women and White men who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force were 4.1 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively. The rate for Black women was 6.8 percent, compared with 5.0 percent for Black men. The rate for Hispanic women, at 7.6 percent, was little different from that of Hispanic men, at 6.9 percent. The working-poor rate for Asian women was 2.6 percent, similar to the rate for Asian men (3.0 percent). (See table 2.)

Young workers—those ages 16 to 24—tend to have higher working-poor rates than workers in older age groups, in part because earnings are lower and the unemployment rate is higher for young workers. Among youth who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 8.2 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds and 8.1 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds had incomes that fell below the official poverty level in 2022. Those rates were higher than the rates for workers ages 25 to 34 (4.5 percent) and those ages 35 to 44 (4.3 percent). Workers ages 45 to 54, 55 to 64, and 65 and older had lower working-poor rates—3.0 percent, 2.8 percent, and 1.5 percent, respectively—than did those in younger age groups. (See table 2.)

Educational attainment

People who complete more years of education usually have greater access to higher paying jobs—such as in management, professional, and related occupations—and are less likely to live in poverty than those with fewer years of education. Among people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2022, those with less than a high school diploma had the highest working-poor rate, at 12.6 percent, nine times higher than the rate for those with a bachelor’s degree and higher (1.4 percent).

By sex, women were more likely than men to be among the working poor, both for high school graduates (7.4 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively) and those with some college or associate’s degree (4.9 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively) in 2022. The working-poor rates were little different for men and women with a bachelor’s degree and higher (1.3 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively) and for men and women with less than a high school diploma (11.7 percent and 14.2 percent, respectively). (See table 3 and chart 3.)

View Chart Data

Chart 3. Working-poor rates by sex and educational attainment, 2022
Educational attainment	Total	Men	Women
Less than a high school diploma	12.6	11.7	14.2
High school graduates, no college^[1]	5.8	4.7	7.4
Some college or associate's degree	4.1	3.3	4.9
Bachelor's degree and higher^[2]	1.4	1.3	1.5
Notes: ^[1] Includes people with a high school diploma or equivalent. ^[2] Includes people with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

For those with a bachelor’s degree and higher, all race and ethnicity groups had similar working-poor rates in 2022: 1.3 percent for Whites, 2.0 percent for Blacks, 1.6 percent for Asians, and 2.3 percent for Hispanics. For all race and ethnicity groups, working-poor rates were much higher for those with less than a high school diploma: 12.6 percent for Whites, 15.0 percent for Blacks, 8.7 percent for Asians, and 14.7 percent for Hispanics.

Occupation

The likelihood of being among the working poor varies widely by occupation. Workers in management, professional, and related occupations were least likely to be classified as working poor, at 1.4 percent in 2022. By contrast, individuals employed in occupations that typically do not require high levels of education and that are characterized by relatively low earnings were more likely to be among the working poor. Among workers who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks, those in service occupations held the highest working-poor rate, at 8.2 percent in 2022. The 2.0 million working poor employed in service occupations accounted for about one-third of all those classified as working poor. (See table 4.)

The working-poor rates for men and women were little different in management, professional, and related occupations (1.2 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively) and in sales and office occupations (3.8 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively). For both men and women, working-poor rates were the lowest in management, professional, and related occupations and the highest in service occupations (9.5 percent for women and 6.5 percent for men) and in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations (11.8 percent for women and 5.5 percent for men).

Families

In 2022, 3.3 million families were living below the poverty level despite having at least one member in the labor force for half the year or more. This figure was not much different from the prior year. Among families with only one member in the labor force for at least 27 weeks in 2022, married-couple families (6.0 percent) were less likely to be living below the poverty level than families maintained by women (18.4 percent) and families maintained by men (10.1 percent). (See table 5.)

Among families with at least one member in the labor force for more than half the year, those with children in the household (7.9 percent) were much more likely to live below the poverty level than those without children (1.9 percent) in 2022. Among families with children under 18, the working-poor rate for those maintained by women (19.6 percent) was higher than that for those maintained by men (11.2 percent). Married-couple families with children under 18 had a working-poor rate of 4.2 percent in 2022.

Unrelated individuals

The unrelated individuals category includes individuals who live by themselves or with others not related to them. Of the 38.2 million unrelated individuals who were in the labor force for half the year or longer, 2.4 million lived below the poverty level in 2022. This measure was little changed from a year earlier. The working-poor rate for unrelated individuals who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more (6.4 percent) was also little changed from last year’s figure. (See table 7.)

Within the category of unrelated individuals, teenagers continued to be the most likely to be among the working poor. In 2022, 31.3 percent of teens (ages 16 to 19) who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more and who lived on their own or with others not related to them lived below the poverty level, little changed from the prior year. In 2022, the working-poor rates for men and women living alone or with nonrelatives were 6.0 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively. The working-poor rate for unrelated individuals was higher for Hispanics (8.8 percent) and Blacks (7.8 percent) than for Whites (6.2 percent) and Asians (6.2 percent). (See table 7.)

Of the 2.4 million unrelated individuals considered to be among the working poor in 2022, about 3 out of 5 lived with others. These individuals had a higher working-poor rate (7.8 percent) than individuals who lived alone (5.0 percent). Many unrelated individuals living below the poverty level may live with others out of necessity. By contrast, many of those who live alone do so because they have sufficient income to support themselves. Unrelated individuals’ poverty status, however, is determined by each person’s resources. The pooling of resources and sharing of living expenses may permit some individuals in this category—who are technically classified as poor—to live at a higher standard than they would have if they lived alone.

Labor market problems

People who usually work full time are much less likely to live in poverty than are those who work part time, yet there remains a sizable group of full-time workers who live below the poverty threshold. Among those who participated in the labor force for 27 weeks or more and usually worked in full-time wage and salary jobs, 2.9 million were classified as working poor in 2022—little changed from a year earlier. (See table 8.)

There are three major labor market problems that can hinder a worker’s ability to earn an income that is above the poverty threshold: low earnings, periods of unemployment, and involuntary part-time employment. (See the technical notes for detailed definitions.)

In 2022, 84 percent of the working poor who usually work full time experienced at least one of the major labor market problems. Low earnings continued to be the most common problem, with 68 percent subject to low earnings, either as the only problem or in combination with other labor market problems. In 2022, 27 percent experienced unemployment as the main labor market problem or in conjunction with other problems; this is similar to the prepandemic value in 2019 (27 percent). In 2022, 3.6 percent of the working poor experienced all three labor market problems, compared with 2.4 percent from the prior year. (See table 8.)

Some 474,000, or 16 percent, of the working poor who usually worked full time did not experience any of the three primary labor market problems, little changed from last year. Their classification as working poor may be explained by other factors, including short-term employment, some weeks of voluntary part-time work, or a family structure that increases the risk of poverty.

Notes

¹ “Poverty in the United States: 2022,” Current Population Reports, P60–280 (U.S. Census Bureau, September 2023),

https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.pdf.

²People of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.

Statistical Tables

Table 1. People ages 16 and older in the labor force: poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2022 (Numbers in thousands)
Poverty status and work experience	Total in labor force	27 weeks or more in labor force
Poverty status and work experience	Total in labor force	Total	50 to 52 weeks
Total
Total in the labor force	171,835	158,965	144,740
Did not work during the year	2,068	932	746
Worked during the year	169,767	158,032	143,994
Usual full-time workers	138,992	134,181	125,730
Usual part-time workers	30,776	23,851	18,264
Involuntary part-time workers	4,843	4,163	3,349
Voluntary part-time workers	25,933	19,688	14,915
At or above poverty level
Total in the labor force	163,245	152,540	139,617
Did not work during the year	1,290	538	422
Worked during the year	161,954	152,001	139,195
Usual full-time workers	134,828	130,772	122,876
Usual part-time workers	27,127	21,229	16,319
Involuntary part-time workers	3,953	3,482	2,779
Voluntary part-time workers	23,173	17,747	13,540
Below poverty level
Total in the labor force	8,590	6,425	5,123
Did not work during the year	777	394	324
Worked during the year	7,813	6,031	4,799
Usual full-time workers	4,164	3,409	2,854
Usual part-time workers	3,649	2,622	1,945
Involuntary part-time workers	889	681	570
Voluntary part-time workers	2,760	1,941	1,375
Rate(1)
Total in the labor force	5.0	4.0	3.5
Did not work during the year	37.6	42.3	43.4
Worked during the year	4.6	3.8	3.3
Usual full-time workers	3.0	2.5	2.3
Usual part-time workers	11.9	11.0	10.6
Involuntary part-time workers	18.4	16.4	17.0
Voluntary part-time workers	10.6	9.9	9.2
(1 ) Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 2. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2022 (Numbers in thousands)
Age and sex	Total					Below poverty level					Rate(1)
Age and sex	Total	White	Black or African American	Asian	Hispanic or Latino	Total	White	Black or African American	Asian	Hispanic or Latino	Total	White	Black or African American	Asian	Hispanic or Latino
Total, 16 years and older	158,965	121,462	20,692	10,973	29,744	6,425	4,558	1,237	309	2,133	4.0	3.8	6.0	2.8	7.2
16 to 19 years	3,990	3,081	498	140	972	327	239	55	9	86	8.2	7.8	11.0	6.6	8.9
20 to 24 years	13,517	10,337	1,779	642	3,407	1,099	812	171	55	288	8.1	7.9	9.6	8.6	8.5
25 to 34 years	36,059	26,101	5,555	2,739	7,413	1,621	1,068	391	56	528	4.5	4.1	7.0	2.0	7.1
35 to 44 years	35,342	26,605	4,663	2,782	7,111	1,503	1,077	265	75	597	4.3	4.0	5.7	2.7	8.4
45 to 54 years	31,983	24,564	3,987	2,430	6,003	955	690	177	60	380	3.0	2.8	4.4	2.5	6.3
55 to 64 years	26,757	21,385	3,063	1,696	3,784	753	539	154	45	216	2.8	2.5	5.0	2.6	5.7
65 years and older	11,317	9,388	1,147	545	1,055	166	133	24	8	38	1.5	1.4	2.1	1.5	3.6
Men, 16 years and older	84,831	66,078	9,831	5,895	16,897	3,130	2,312	495	177	1,159	3.7	3.5	5.0	3.0	6.9
16 to 19 years	2,014	1,560	269	59	540	148	106	26	9	33	7.3	6.8	9.6	-	6.2
20 to 24 years	7,069	5,445	871	343	1,889	508	357	89	32	156	7.2	6.6	10.2	9.3	8.3
25 to 34 years	19,373	14,218	2,749	1,524	4,174	740	524	139	33	262	3.8	3.7	5.1	2.2	6.3
35 to 44 years	19,095	14,712	2,215	1,479	4,198	766	595	87	42	347	4.0	4.0	3.9	2.9	8.3
45 to 54 years	16,904	13,351	1,768	1,285	3,375	482	366	65	35	220	2.9	2.7	3.7	2.7	6.5
55 to 64 years	14,291	11,652	1,403	921	2,132	379	281	74	17	111	2.7	2.4	5.3	1.9	5.2
65 years and older	6,084	5,139	556	284	590	108	83	16	8	30	1.8	1.6	2.8	3.0	5.1
Women, 16 years and older	74,134	55,384	10,861	5,078	12,846	3,294	2,246	742	131	974	4.4	4.1	6.8	2.6	7.6
16 to 19 years	1,976	1,521	230	81	431	180	133	29	-	53	9.1	8.8	12.7	-	12.2
20 to 24 years	6,448	4,892	909	299	1,518	591	455	82	23	132	9.2	9.3	9.0	7.8	8.7
25 to 34 years	16,687	11,883	2,806	1,214	3,239	881	544	252	23	265	5.3	4.6	9.0	1.9	8.2
35 to 44 years	16,247	11,893	2,448	1,303	2,913	737	482	178	33	249	4.5	4.1	7.3	2.5	8.6
45 to 54 years	15,079	11,213	2,219	1,145	2,628	473	324	113	26	161	3.1	2.9	5.1	2.2	6.1
55 to 64 years	12,466	9,733	1,659	776	1,652	374	258	80	27	105	3.0	2.6	4.8	3.5	6.4
65 years and older	5,232	4,249	590	261	465	58	50	9	-	8	1.1	1.2	1.4	-	1.8
(1) Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
NOTE: Estimates for the race groups shown (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Table 3. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by educational attainment, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex, 2022 (Numbers in thousands)
Educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	Total	Men	Women	Below poverty level			Rate⁽¹⁾
	Total	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women
Total, 16 years and older	158,965	84,831	74,134	6,425	3,130	3,294	4.0	3.7	4.4
Less than a high school diploma	11,334	7,159	4,174	1,432	840	592	12.6	11.7	14.2
Less than 1 year of high school	3,729	2,549	1,180	539	367	172	14.5	14.4	14.6
1-3 years of high school	5,715	3,455	2,260	688	339	349	12.0	9.8	15.5
4 years of high school, no diploma	1,890	1,156	734	205	135	70	10.9	11.7	9.6
High school graduates, no college⁽²⁾	41,822	25,036	16,785	2,417	1,181	1,236	5.8	4.7	7.4
Some college or associate's degree	40,687	20,778	19,909	1,664	684	980	4.1	3.3	4.9
Some college, no degree	24,156	12,850	11,306	1,095	427	668	4.5	3.3	5.9
Associate's degree	16,531	7,928	8,603	569	257	312	3.4	3.2	3.6
Bachelor's degree and higher^₍₃₎	65,122	31,857	33,266	912	425	487	1.4	1.3	1.5
White, 16 years and older	121,462	66,078	55,384	4,558	2,312	2,246	3.8	3.5	4.1
Less than a high school diploma	8,858	5,737	3,121	1,120	689	431	12.6	12.0	13.8
Less than 1 year of high school	3,115	2,175	941	470	319	151	15.1	14.7	16.0
1-3 years of high school	4,362	2,723	1,640	497	269	228	11.4	9.9	13.9
4 years of high school, no diploma	1,381	840	541	154	102	52	11.1	12.1	9.6
High school graduates, no college⁽²⁾	32,029	19,775	12,254	1,635	842	793	5.1	4.3	6.5
Some college or associate's degree	31,167	16,178	14,989	1,162	486	676	3.7	3.0	4.5
Some college, no degree	18,405	9,940	8,465	730	282	447	4.0	2.8	5.3
Associate's degree	12,762	6,238	6,524	433	204	229	3.4	3.3	3.5
Bachelor's degree and higher⁽³⁾	49,408	24,388	25,020	641	294	347	1.3	1.2	1.4
Black or African American, 16 years and older	20,692	9,831	10,861	1,237	495	742	6.0	5.0	6.8
Less than a high school diploma	1,371	744	627	206	93	113	15.0	12.5	18.0
Less than 1 year of high school	276	162	114	42	32	10	15.1	19.5	8.7
1-3 years of high school	764	384	380	126	41	85	16.5	10.6	22.5
4 years of high school, no diploma	330	199	132	38	21	17	11.6	10.6	13.2
High school graduates, no college⁽²⁾	6,501	3,473	3,028	536	214	322	8.2	6.2	10.6
Some college or associate's degree	6,203	2,882	3,321	361	138	223	5.8	4.8	6.7
Some college, no degree	3,830	1,903	1,927	261	101	159	6.8	5.3	8.3
Associate's degree	2,372	979	1,394	100	37	64	4.2	3.7	4.6
Bachelor's degree and higher⁽³⁾	6,616	2,731	3,885	133	50	83	2.0	1.8	2.1
Asian, 16 years and older	10,973	5,895	5,078	309	177	131	2.8	3.0	2.6
Less than a high school diploma	530	319	211	46	33	13	8.7	10.4	6.1
Less than 1 year of high school	184	103	82	12	9	3	6.5	8.3	4.1
1-3 years of high school	256	159	97	27	17	9	10.4	10.7	9.8
4 years of high school, no diploma	89	57	32	8	8	-	8.5	-	-
High school graduates, no college⁽²⁾	1,524	774	750	76	32	44	5.0	4.2	5.8
Some college or associate's degree	1,525	820	705	70	36	33	4.6	4.4	4.7
Some college, no degree	854	463	391	50	27	23	5.9	5.8	6.0
Associate's degree	671	356	314	19	10	10	2.9	2.7	3.2
Bachelor's degree and higher⁽³⁾	7,394	3,983	3,411	117	75	41	1.6	1.9	1.2
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older	29,744	16,897	12,846	2,133	1,159	974	7.2	6.9	7.6
Less than a high school diploma	5,882	3,943	1,939	865	544	321	14.7	13.8	16.6
Less than 1 year of high school	2,849	1,986	863	454	304	149	15.9	15.3	17.3
1-3 years of high school	2,201	1,431	770	296	153	142	13.4	10.7	18.5
4 years of high school, no diploma	832	525	306	116	87	30	14.0	16.5	9.6
High school graduates, no college⁽²⁾	10,196	6,314	3,882	769	399	369	7.5	6.3	9.5
Some college or associate's degree	6,968	3,461	3,507	345	139	206	5.0	4.0	5.9
Some college, no degree	4,340	2,234	2,106	192	79	113	4.4	3.5	5.4
Associate's degree	2,627	1,227	1,400	153	60	93	5.8	4.9	6.6
Bachelor's degree and higher⁽³⁾	6,698	3,180	3,519	154	77	77	2.3	2.4	2.2
(1) Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more. (2) Includes people with a high school diploma or equivalent. (3) Includes people with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
NOTE: Estimates for the race groups shown (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Table 4. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year: poverty status by occupation of longest job held, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex, 2022 (Numbers in thousands)
Occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	Total	Men	Women	Below poverty level			Rate⁽¹⁾
Occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	Total	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women
Total, 16 years and older⁽²⁾	158,032	84,275	73,757	6,031	2,926	3,105	3.8	3.5	4.2
Management, professional, and related occupations	69,112	33,240	35,872	946	394	552	1.4	1.2	1.5
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	30,037	16,365	13,671	387	197	190	1.3	1.2	1.4
Professional and related occupations	39,075	16,875	22,200	560	197	362	1.4	1.2	1.6
Service occupations	24,932	10,919	14,013	2,038	712	1,326	8.2	6.5	9.5
Sales and office occupations	29,464	11,469	17,995	1,241	433	808	4.2	3.8	4.5
Sales and related occupations	13,774	6,992	6,782	636	233	403	4.6	3.3	5.9
Office and administrative support occupations	15,689	4,477	11,212	604	199	405	3.9	4.5	3.6
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	14,122	13,402	720	827	742	85	5.9	5.5	11.8
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	876	650	226	90	60	30	10.3	9.3	13.3
Construction and extraction occupations	8,471	8,157	314	602	552	50	7.1	6.8	16.0
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,775	4,595	179	134	130	4	2.8	2.8	2.4
Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations	20,285	15,138	5,147	979	645	334	4.8	4.3	6.5
Production occupations	8,338	5,801	2,537	345	182	164	4.1	3.1	6.4
Transportation and material-moving occupations	11,947	9,337	2,610	633	463	170	5.3	5.0	6.5
White, 16 years and older⁽²⁾	120,895	65,732	55,163	4,320	2,184	2,137	3.6	3.3	3.9
Management, professional, and related occupations	53,249	26,043	27,206	666	283	383	1.3	1.1	1.4
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	24,043	13,598	10,445	288	160	128	1.2	1.2	1.2
Professional and related occupations	29,205	12,444	16,761	378	123	255	1.3	1.0	1.5
Service occupations	18,017	8,059	9,958	1,406	497	910	7.8	6.2	9.1
Sales and office occupations	22,755	8,878	13,878	865	320	545	3.8	3.6	3.9
Sales and related occupations	10,866	5,585	5,281	452	186	266	4.2	3.3	5.0
Office and administrative support occupations	11,890	3,293	8,597	413	134	279	3.5	4.1	3.3
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	12,068	11,458	609	718	637	82	6.0	5.6	13.4
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	783	589	194	84	54	30	10.7	9.1	15.5
Construction and extraction occupations	7,205	6,942	263	513	466	47	7.1	6.7	18.0
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,080	3,928	152	121	117	4	3.0	3.0	2.9
Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations	14,720	11,213	3,507	665	448	217	4.5	4.0	6.2
Production occupations	6,390	4,616	1,774	243	135	108	3.8	2.9	6.1
Transportation and material-moving occupations	8,330	6,597	1,733	422	313	109	5.1	4.7	6.3
Black or African American, 16 years and older⁽²⁾	20,406	9,665	10,741	1,109	436	674	5.4	4.5	6.3
Management, professional, and related occupations	7,213	2,731	4,482	164	48	116	2.3	1.7	2.6
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	2,873	1,164	1,709	65	15	49	2.2	1.3	2.9
Professional and related occupations	4,340	1,567	2,773	99	33	67	2.3	2.1	2.4
Service occupations	4,266	1,754	2,512	410	118	292	9.6	6.7	11.6
Sales and office occupations	4,075	1,426	2,649	246	63	183	6.0	4.4	6.9
Sales and related occupations	1,622	722	901	108	15	93	6.7	2.1	10.4
Office and administrative support occupations	2,452	704	1,748	138	48	90	5.6	6.8	5.1
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	1,129	1,067	63	54	52	3	4.8	4.8	-
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	44	34	11	3	3	-	-	-	-
Construction and extraction occupations	706	672	34	50	47	3	7.1	7.0	-
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	379	361	18	1	1	-	0.4	0.4	-
Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations	3,709	2,675	1,034	236	156	80	6.4	5.8	7.7
Production occupations	1,202	756	446	70	35	35	5.9	4.7	7.9
Transportation and material-moving occupations	2,507	1,919	588	165	120	45	6.6	6.3	7.6
Asian, 16 years and older⁽²⁾	10,924	5,867	5,057	285	163	122	2.6	2.8	2.4
Management, professional, and related occupations	6,587	3,587	3,001	69	46	23	1.0	1.3	0.8
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	2,257	1,191	1,066	18	12	6	0.8	1.0	0.5
Professional and related occupations	4,330	2,396	1,934	51	34	17	1.2	1.4	0.9
Service occupations	1,448	578	870	116	54	62	8.0	9.3	7.2
Sales and office occupations	1,607	756	850	61	31	30	3.8	4.1	3.5
Sales and related occupations	827	452	374	38	23	16	4.6	5.0	4.2
Office and administrative support occupations	780	304	476	23	8	14	2.9	2.7	3.0
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	278	275	3	16	16	-	5.7	5.8	-
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	5	5	0	-	-	-	-	-	-
Construction and extraction occupations	140	139	1	13	13	-	9.6	9.7	-
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	133	131	2	3	3	-	1.9	1.9	-
Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations	1,002	669	333	23	17	6	2.3	2.6	1.8
Production occupations	454	256	199	9	3	6	2.0	1.2	3.0
Transportation and material-moving occupations	548	414	134	14	14	-	2.6	3.4	-
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older⁽²⁾	29,524	16,762	12,761	2,030	1,097	932	6.9	6.5	7.3
Management, professional, and related occupations	7,640	3,604	4,036	151	72	80	2.0	2.0	2.0
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	3,462	1,909	1,553	58	40	17	1.7	2.1	1.1
Professional and related occupations	4,178	1,695	2,483	94	32	62	2.2	1.9	2.5
Service occupations	6,815	3,064	3,751	744	268	476	10.9	8.7	12.7
Sales and office occupations	5,193	1,951	3,242	295	82	214	5.7	4.2	6.6
Sales and related occupations	2,362	1,081	1,281	167	51	116	7.1	4.7	9.1
Office and administrative support occupations	2,831	870	1,961	128	31	97	4.5	3.5	5.0
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	4,866	4,556	310	535	487	48	11.0	10.7	15.5
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	456	310	146	72	48	24	15.8	15.6	16.4
Construction and extraction occupations	3,356	3,232	124	382	362	20	11.4	11.2	15.8
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	1,053	1,014	39	81	76	4	7.7	7.5	-
Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations	4,984	3,567	1,418	304	189	115	6.1	5.3	8.1
Production occupations	2,025	1,291	734	116	65	52	5.7	5.0	7.0
Transportation and material-moving occupations	2,959	2,276	684	187	124	63	6.3	5.5	9.2
(1) Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more. (2) Estimates for the occupational groups do not sum to totals because data includes the long-term unemployed with no previous work experience and a small number of people whose last job was in the Armed Forces.
NOTE: Estimates for the race groups shown (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Table 5. Primary families: poverty status, presence of related children, and work experience of family members in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2022 (Numbers in thousands)
Characteristic	Total families	At or above poverty level	Below poverty level	Rate⁽¹⁾
Total primary families
Total	67,780	64,464	3,315	4.9
With related children under 18 years	33,609	30,947	2,662	7.9
Without children	34,170	33,517	653	1.9
With one member in the labor force	27,895	25,092	2,803	10.0
With two or more members in the labor force	39,885	39,373	512	1.3
With two members	33,221	32,753	468	1.4
With three or more members	6,664	6,620	44	0.7
Married-couple families⁽²⁾
Total	49,727	48,377	1,350	2.7
With related children under 18 years	23,902	22,909	993	4.2
Without children	25,825	25,468	357	1.4
With one member in the labor force	16,410	15,426	985	6.0
Husband	11,120	10,374	746	6.7
Wife	4,403	4,214	189	4.3
Relative	887	838	49	5.6
With two or more members in the labor force	33,317	32,951	365	1.1
With two members	28,211	27,876	335	1.2
With three or more members	5,105	5,075	30	0.6
Families maintained by women⁽³⁾
Total	11,945	10,375	1,570	13.1
With related children under 18 years	6,908	5,551	1,357	19.6
Without children	5,036	4,823	213	4.2
With one member in the labor force	7,962	6,501	1,461	18.4
Householder	6,376	5,130	1,246	19.5
Relative	1,585	1,370	215	13.6
With two or more members in the labor force	3,983	3,874	109	2.7
Families maintained by men⁽³⁾
Total	6,108	5,713	395	6.5
With related children under 18 years	2,799	2,487	312	11.2
Without children	3,309	3,226	83	2.5
With one member in the labor force	3,523	3,165	357	10.1
Householder	2,848	2,538	310	10.9
Relative	675	628	48	7.0
With two or more members in the labor force	2,585	2,547	38	1.5
(1) Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more. (2) Beginning with data for 2018, includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married-couple families. Prior to 2018, included opposite-sex married-couple families only. (3) Beginning with data for 2018, includes families with no spouse of either sex present. Prior to 2018, included only families with no opposite-sex spouse present.
NOTE: Data relate to primary families with at least one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 6. People in families and unrelated individuals: poverty status and work experience, 2022 (Numbers in thousands)
Poverty status and work experience	Total	In married-couple families⁽¹⁾				In families maintained by women⁽²⁾			In families maintained by men⁽²⁾			Unrelated individuals
Poverty status and work experience	Total	Husbands	Wives	Related children under 18 years	Other relatives	Householder	Related children under 18 years	Other relatives	Householder	Related children under 18 years	Other relatives	Unrelated individuals
Total, 16 years and older
All people	266,271	61,582	62,116	5,863	23,361	15,022	2,173	15,852	7,093	720	8,467	64,020
With labor force activity	171,835	45,000	38,148	1,717	14,419	10,514	629	9,671	5,504	200	5,412	40,621
1 to 26 weeks	12,870	1,468	2,494	878	2,487	665	365	1,135	357	84	484	2,451
27 weeks or more	158,965	43,532	35,653	839	11,932	9,849	264	8,535	5,147	115	4,928	38,170
With no labor force activity	94,436	16,582	23,968	4,147	8,942	4,508	1,544	6,182	1,588	521	3,055	23,400
At or above poverty level
All people	238,007	58,524	58,990	5,525	22,294	11,562	1,535	13,745	6,274	606	7,828	51,124
With labor force activity	163,245	43,802	37,487	1,675	14,112	8,876	500	9,114	5,070	184	5,252	37,173
1 to 26 weeks	10,705	1,359	2,292	861	2,389	361	282	952	262	69	441	1,438
27 weeks or more	152,540	42,443	35,195	814	11,723	8,515	218	8,162	4,809	115	4,811	35,735
With no labor force activity	74,762	14,721	21,503	3,850	8,182	2,686	1,036	4,632	1,203	422	2,577	13,951
Below poverty level
All people	28,263	3,059	3,125	339	1,067	3,460	638	2,107	819	114	639	12,897
With labor force activity	8,590	1,198	661	42	307	1,639	130	557	434	15	161	3,448
1 to 26 weeks	2,165	109	202	17	98	304	84	184	96	15	43	1,013
27 weeks or more	6,425	1,089	458	24	209	1,334	46	373	338	-	117	2,435
With no labor force activity	19,673	1,861	2,464	297	760	1,822	508	1,550	385	99	478	9,449
Rate⁽³⁾
All people	10.6	5.0	5.0	5.8	4.6	23.0	29.3	13.3	11.5	15.9	7.5	20.1
With labor force activity	5.0	2.7	1.7	2.4	2.1	15.6	20.6	5.8	7.9	7.6	3.0	8.5
1 to 26 weeks	16.8	7.4	8.1	2.0	3.9	45.8	23.0	16.2	26.8	18.0	8.9	41.3
27 weeks or more	4.0	2.5	1.3	2.9	1.8	13.5	17.3	4.4	6.6	-	2.4	6.4
With no labor force activity	20.8	11.2	10.3	7.2	8.5	40.4	32.9	25.1	24.2	19.0	15.7	40.4
(1) Beginning with data for 2018, includes people in both opposite-sex and same-sex married-couple families. Prior to 2018, included opposite-sex married-couple families only. (2) Beginning with data for 2018, includes people in families with no spouse of either sex present. Prior to 2018, included only families with no opposite-sex spouse present. (3) Number below the poverty level as a percentage of the total.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 7. Unrelated individuals in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and living arrangement, 2022 (Numbers in thousands)
Characteristic	Total	At or above poverty level	Below poverty level	Rate⁽¹⁾
Age and sex
Total unrelated individuals	38,170	35,735	2,435	6.4
16 to 19 years	399	274	125	31.3
20 to 24 years	4,394	3,762	633	14.4
25 to 64 years	30,110	28,508	1,602	5.3
65 years and older	3,266	3,191	75	2.3
Men	20,896	19,639	1,257	6.0
Women	17,274	16,096	1,178	6.8
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White	28,885	27,105	1,780	6.2
Men	15,917	14,992	925	5.8
Women	12,968	12,113	855	6.6
Black or African American	5,700	5,257	443	7.8
Men	2,919	2,715	204	7.0
Women	2,782	2,542	239	8.6
Asian	2,096	1,965	131	6.2
Men	1,208	1,134	74	6.1
Women	888	831	57	6.4
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	5,951	5,428	524	8.8
Men	3,626	3,341	285	7.9
Women	2,325	2,086	238	10.3
Living arrangement
Living alone	19,492	18,509	983	5.0
Living with others	18,678	17,226	1,452	7.8
(1) Number below the poverty level as percent of total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.
NOTE: Estimates for the race groups shown (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Table 8. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status and labor market problems of full-time wage and salary workers, 2022 (Numbers in thousands)
Labor market problems	Total	At or above poverty level	Below poverty level	Rate⁽¹⁾
Total, full-time wage and salary workers	128,140	At or above poverty level	125,240	2,899	2.3
No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earnings⁽²⁾	111,643	111,168	474	0.4
Workers experiencing one labor market problem
Unemployment only	5,155	4,814	342	6.6
Involuntary part-time employment only	2,288	2,229	59	2.6
Low earnings only	6,995	5,572	1,424	20.4
Workers experiencing multiple labor market problems
Unemployment and involuntary part-time employment	713	651	61	8.6
Unemployment and low earnings	692	424	269	38.8
Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings	463	298	165	35.6
Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings	190	84	105	55.5
Workers experiencing each labor market problem
Unemployment (alone or with other problems)	6,750	5,973	777	11.5
Involuntary part-time employment (alone or with other problems)	3,654	3,263	391	10.7
Low earnings (alone or with other problems)	8,341	6,378	1,963	23.5
(1) Number below the poverty level as percent of total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more. (2) The low-earnings threshold in 2022 was $430.74 per week.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Technical Notes

The data presented in this report were collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). Conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPS is a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 eligible households. Data from the CPS are used to obtain monthly estimates of the nation’s employment and unemployment levels. The ASEC, conducted in the months of February through April, includes questions about work activity and income during the previous calendar year. For instance, data collected in 2023 are for the 2022 calendar year.

Estimates in this report are based on a sample and, consequently, may differ from estimates that would have been obtained from a complete count using the same questionnaire and procedures. Sampling variability may be relatively large in cases where the numbers are small. Thus, both small estimates and small differences between estimates should be interpreted with caution. For a detailed explanation of the ASEC supplement to the CPS, its sampling variability, more extensive definitions than those provided here, and additional information about poverty measures, see “Poverty in the United States: 2022,” Current Population Reports, P60-280 (U.S. Census Bureau, September 2023), https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.pdf.

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For more information on the data provided in this report, contact the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Labor Force Statistics. Email: cpsinfo@bls.gov; Telephone: (202) 691-6378. This article is in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission.

Comparability of estimates

Estimates for calendar year 2020 and forward reflect Census 2020-based population controls and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years. Additionally, the estimates for calendar year 2020 presented in table A and chart 1 of this report have been revised to reflect Census 2020-based population controls. Previously published estimates of the working poor for 2020 were based on population controls from the 2010 Census. Consequently, some of the estimates for 2020 shown in this report will not match those previously published for the same period.

Beginning in 2018, the definition of married couples in this report includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married couples. Before 2018, married-couple families included opposite-sex married-couple families only; therefore, recent estimates for married-couple families and families maintained by men or women may not be comparable to those from before 2018.

Concepts and definitions

Poverty classification statistics presented in this report are based on definitions developed by the Social Security Administration in 1964 and revised by federal interagency committees in 1969 and 1981. These definitions were originally based on the Department of Agriculture’s Economy Food Plan and reflected the different consumption requirements of families based on factors such as family size and the number of children under 18 years of age.

The actual poverty thresholds vary with the makeup of the family. In 2022, the weighted average poverty threshold for a family of four was $29,950; for a family of nine or more people, the threshold was $60,300; and for one person (unrelated individuals), it was $14,880. Poverty thresholds are updated each year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Thresholds do not vary geographically. For more information, see “Poverty in the United States: 2022.”

The low-earnings level, as first developed in 1987, represented the average of the real value of the minimum wage between 1967 and 1987 for a 40-hour workweek. The year 1967 was chosen as the base year because that was the first year in which minimum-wage legislation covered essentially the same broad group of workers that currently is covered. The low-earnings level has been adjusted each year since then in accordance with the CPI-U, so the measure maintains the same real value that it held in 1987. In 2022, the low-earnings threshold was $430.74 per week. For a complete definition, see Bruce W. Klein and Philip L. Rones, “A profile of the working poor,” Monthly Labor Review, October 1989, pp. 3–11, www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1989/10/art1full.pdf.

Data on income are limited to money income—before personal income taxes and payroll deductions—received in the calendar year preceding the CPS supplement. Data on income do not include the value of noncash benefits, such as food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, public housing, and employer-provided benefits. For a complete definition of income, see “Poverty in the United States: 2022.”

The labor force refers to people who worked or looked for work sometime during the calendar year. The number of weeks in the labor force is accumulated over the entire year. The focus in this report is on people who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.

The working poor are people who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (that is, working or looking for work), but whose incomes still fell below the official poverty level.

The working-poor rate is the number of individuals in the labor force for at least 27 weeks whose incomes still fell below the official poverty level, as a percentage of all people who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks during the calendar year.

Involuntary part-time workers are people who, during at least 1 week of the year, worked fewer than 35 hours because of slack work (a reduction in hours due to unfavorable business conditions), or because they could not find full-time work. The number of weeks of involuntary part-time work is accumulated over the year.

Occupation refers to the job in which a person worked the most weeks during the calendar year.

Unemployed people are those who looked for work while not employed or those who were on layoff from a job and were expecting to be recalled to that job. The number of weeks unemployed is accumulated over the entire year.

The householder is the family reference person. This is the person, or one of the people, in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented. The relationships of the other individuals in the household are defined in terms of their relationships to the householder. The race or Hispanic ethnicity of the family is determined by that of the householder.

A family is a group of two or more people residing together who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption: all such people are considered members of one family. Families include those with or without children under 18 years old. The count of families is for “primary” families only. A primary family consists of a householder and all other people related to and residing with the householder. Sub-families are excluded from the count of families. A sub-family is a family that does not maintain its own household, but lives in the home of someone else. Family status is determined at the time of the survey interview and, thus, may be different from that of the previous year. Families are further categorized as follows:

Married-couple families refer to opposite-sex and same-sex married couples residing together and any of their family members residing in the household.
Families maintained by men or women are made up of householders residing with one or more family members, but with no spouse of either sex present. Unmarried domestic partners of either sex may or may not be present in the household.

Beginning in 2018, there was a change in the definition of marital status. For more information about this change, and how it affected comparability over time, see the comparability of estimates section.

Unrelated individuals are people who are not living with anyone related to them by birth, marriage, or adoption. Such individuals may live alone or live with other individuals to whom they may not be related. Beginning in 2018, estimates for unrelated individuals may not be comparable to those from prior years because of the change in the definition of marital status.

Related children refer to children under age 18 who are living in the household and are related to the householder. This includes children (sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children) of the husband, wife, or person maintaining the family, as well as other children related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Beginning in 2018, estimates for related children may not be comparable to those from prior years because of the change in the definition of marital status.

Race is reported by the household respondent. White, Black or African American, and Asian are categories used to describe the race of people. People in these categories are those who selected that race group only. Data for the two remaining race categories—American Indian and Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander—and for people who selected more than one race category are included in totals but are not shown separately because the number of survey respondents is too small to develop estimates of sufficient quality for publication.

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity refers to people who identified themselves in the survey as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish ethnicity. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.