White Poverty Rate by State 2026

The exact numerical definition of poverty can vary from state to state. The poverty line is the minimum income change required to survive in a certain area. Because different states have different costs of living, the poverty line is not the same across the country. For example, living in Chicago, New York City, or Los Angeles is more expensive than living in a rural area in the middle of the United States. Therefore, in addition to having slightly different poverty percentages in certain states, different states have different property lines. Typically, the poverty line is calculated as the total cost of all essential resources to survive in a single year. Therefore, the poverty line is typically expressed as an annual level of income. Keep in mind that there might be multiple people living in the same household, meaning that the household has to bring in more money to survive.

What Is the Average White Poverty Rate Across the United States?

Clearly, different states have different poverty levels, but the average poverty level of white individuals across the United States is approximately eight percent. This means that approximately eight percent of people of white descent live in poverty. This means that they might have a difficult time accessing food, shelter, or clean water. The white poverty level varies across the country, with certain states having higher levels of white poverty than others. Even though West Virginia has the highest white poverty level, Hawaii has the lowest white poverty level. The white poverty level of Hawaii is approximately 2.3 percent.

Different races and ethnicities have different levels of poverty. For example, people of African American descent are more likely to live in poverty when compared to people of white or Asian descent. There are a number of reasons for this, including historical and cultural reasons. For example, African-American people were enslaved for a long time in the United States. As a result, when they finally earned their freedom, they were starting significantly behind people of white descent. Other historical reasons play a role in varying poverty levels as well. Because of this, different races have different levels of poverty. These numbers can change over time as well.