2020 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium

Poverty

Section 6: Poverty

This section presents statistics on poverty in the United States. The statistics describe the number and percentage of people with and without disabilities who experience poverty as well as the difference between the poverty rates of people with and without disabilities (poverty gap). The principal source of these data is the American Community Survey. For these tables, statistics for people with disabilities (disability status) are based on having responded ‘yes’ to a series of questions within the American Community Survey (see the glossary for details). Poverty is defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and set as a dollar threshold by the U.S. Census Bureau (see the glossary for details).

Tables

Tables 6.1 and 6.2: In 2019, of the 20,323,589 individuals with disabilities ages 18-64 years who were living in the community, 5,261,057 individuals lived in poverty—a poverty rate of 25.9 percent. In contrast, of the 177,316,108 individuals without disabilities ages 18-64 years living in the community, 20,200,427 individuals lived in poverty—a poverty rate of 11.4 percent. The poverty rate for people with disabilities was highest in the District of Columbia (35.5 percent) and lowest in Delaware (18.3 percent).

Table 6.3: In 2019, the poverty rate of individuals with disabilities ages 18-64 years living in the community was 11.4 percent, while the poverty rate of individuals without disabilities ages 18-64 years living in the community was 25.9 percent—a difference of 14.5 percentage points. The poverty gap was smallest in Montana (a difference of 6.3 percentage points) and greatest in the District of Columbia (a difference of 20.6 percentage points).

Table 6.4: In 2017, the poverty gap between individuals with and without disabilities ages 18-64 years living in the community was 14.7 percent. In 2019, the poverty gap between individuals with and without disabilities ages 18-64 years living in the community was 14.5 percent—a change of -0.2 percentage points. The largest percentage point decrease in the poverty gap from 2017 to 2018 was in North Dakota, a change of 12.4 percentage points, while the largest increase in the poverty gap was in Delaware, a change of -9.3 percentage points.

Table 6.1 Poverty — Civilians with Disabilities Ages 18-64 Years Living in the Community for the United States and States: 2019
State Total Poverty   State Total Poverty
Count % Count %
U.S. 20,323,589 5,261,057 25.9 MO    463,213   129,163 27.9
AL    414,279   123,583 29.8 MT     63,386    12,728 20.1
AK     44,762    10,154 22.7 NE    110,657    25,777 23.3
AZ    449,360   116,348 25.9 NV    176,756    44,133 25.0
AR    272,189    83,750 30.8 NH     86,678    19,808 22.9
CA  1,910,288   435,327 22.8 NJ    411,051    87,410 21.3
CO    298,695    63,728 21.3 NM    166,609    48,489 29.1
CT    202,632    49,516 24.4 NY  1,077,425   316,018 29.3
DE     66,055    12,110 18.3 NC    682,617   178,822 26.2
DC     47,171    16,729 35.5 ND     41,314    12,799 31.0
FL  1,264,308   289,892 22.9 OH    821,099   234,023 28.5
GA    688,280   166,114 24.1 OK    324,268    91,968 28.4
HI     62,548    13,364 21.4 OR    303,883    80,489 26.5
ID    122,286    31,733 25.9 PA    900,776   257,001 28.5
IL    696,823   182,010 26.1 RI     71,988    21,508 29.9
IN    464,976   126,132 27.1 SC    362,442    91,573 25.3
IA    181,062    51,045 28.2 SD     51,664    12,318 23.8
KS    208,624    54,385 26.1 TN    533,630   148,304 27.8
KY    433,163   139,883 32.3 TX  1,658,935   377,920 22.8
LA    374,607   121,883 32.5 UT    146,969    27,607 18.8
ME    112,518    32,207 28.6 VT     45,402    14,767 32.5
MD    324,652    77,770 24.0 VA    491,946   109,487 22.3
MA    374,563   104,105 27.8 WA    478,673   105,615 22.1
MI    725,431   210,691 29.0 WV    178,012    53,172 29.9
MN    296,969    73,556 24.8 WI    340,868    87,942 25.8
MS    257,738    76,432 29.7 WY     39,349     9,769 24.8

Citation: Paul, S., Rafal, M., & Houtenville, A. (2020). Annual Disability Statistics Compendium: 2020 (Table 6.1). Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, Institute on Disability. Note: Authors’ calculations using the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample, 2019, which is subject to sampling variation.
Table 6.2 Poverty — Civilians without Disabilities Ages 18-64 Years Living in the Community for the United States and States: 2019
State Total Poverty   State Total Poverty
Count % Count %
U.S. 177,316,108 20,200,427 11.4 MO   3,176,346    370,393 11.7
AL   2,488,882    348,096 14.0 MT     559,261     77,248 13.8
AK     392,728     37,451  9.5 NE   1,019,051    110,757 10.9
AZ   3,787,523    464,741 12.3 NV   1,683,963    187,752 11.1
AR   1,487,327    218,414 14.7 NH     756,201     68,315  9.0
CA  22,491,756  2,409,351 10.7 NJ   5,000,039    412,708  8.3
CO   3,283,041    307,553  9.4 NM   1,045,595    161,856 15.5
CT   1,976,285    207,498 10.5 NY  10,930,067  1,279,678 11.7
DE     501,761     56,459 11.3 NC   5,603,472    720,397 12.9
DC     436,843     65,243 14.9 ND     413,290     51,673 12.5
FL  11,247,884  1,279,718 11.4 OH   6,155,190    749,003 12.2
GA   5,742,924    695,652 12.1 OK   1,989,851    288,527 14.5
HI     731,582     67,936  9.3 OR   2,253,208    247,457 11.0
ID     911,096     94,783 10.4 PA   6,761,926    788,670 11.7
IL   7,000,742    735,788 10.5 RI     589,182     70,500 12.0
IN   3,553,964    430,222 12.1 SC   2,667,272    350,996 13.2
IA   1,680,623    208,172 12.4 SD     454,011     52,076 11.5
KS   1,485,630    162,811 11.0 TN   3,570,272    432,334 12.1
KY   2,221,272    315,175 14.2 TX  15,824,988  1,858,996 11.7
LA   2,361,451    375,994 15.9 UT   1,745,484    171,132  9.8
ME     691,804     72,904 10.5 VT     337,829     47,693 14.1
MD   3,355,722    279,667  8.3 VA   4,630,884    456,638  9.9
MA   3,962,941    416,759 10.5 WA   4,168,654    372,279  8.9
MI   5,290,475    635,991 12.0 WV     870,742    134,841 15.5
MN   3,091,465    258,250  8.4 WI   3,158,103    302,314  9.6
MS   1,477,113    261,566 17.7 WY     298,393     30,000 10.1

Citation: Paul, S., Rafal, M., & Houtenville, A. (2020). Annual Disability Statistics Compendium: 2020 (Table 6.2). Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, Institute on Disability. Note: Authors’ calculations using the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample, 2019, which is subject to sampling variation.
Table 6.3 Poverty Gap — Civilians with and without Disabilities Ages 18-64 Years Living in the Community for the United States and States, by Disability Status: 2019
State Poverty Rate (%) Gap (% pts) [3]   State Poverty Rate (%) Gap (% pts) [3]
No Disability [1] Disability [2] No Disability [1] Disability [2]
U.S. 11.4 25.9 14.5 MO 11.7 27.9 16.2
AL 14.0 29.8 15.8 MT 13.8 20.1  6.3
AK  9.5 22.7 13.2 NE 10.9 23.3 12.4
AZ 12.3 25.9 13.6 NV 11.1 25.0 13.9
AR 14.7 30.8 16.1 NH  9.0 22.9 13.9
CA 10.7 22.8 12.1 NJ  8.3 21.3 13.0
CO  9.4 21.3 11.9 NM 15.5 29.1 13.6
CT 10.5 24.4 13.9 NY 11.7 29.3 17.6
DE 11.3 18.3  7.0 NC 12.9 26.2 13.3
DC 14.9 35.5 20.6 ND 12.5 31.0 18.5
FL 11.4 22.9 11.5 OH 12.2 28.5 16.3
GA 12.1 24.1 12.0 OK 14.5 28.4 13.9
HI  9.3 21.4 12.1 OR 11.0 26.5 15.5
ID 10.4 25.9 15.5 PA 11.7 28.5 16.8
IL 10.5 26.1 15.6 RI 12.0 29.9 17.9
IN 12.1 27.1 15.0 SC 13.2 25.3 12.1
IA 12.4 28.2 15.8 SD 11.5 23.8 12.3
KS 11.0 26.1 15.1 TN 12.1 27.8 15.7
KY 14.2 32.3 18.1 TX 11.7 22.8 11.1
LA 15.9 32.5 16.6 UT  9.8 18.8  9.0
ME 10.5 28.6 18.1 VT 14.1 32.5 18.4
MD  8.3 24.0 15.7 VA  9.9 22.3 12.4
MA 10.5 27.8 17.3 WA  8.9 22.1 13.2
MI 12.0 29.0 17.0 WV 15.5 29.9 14.4
MN  8.4 24.8 16.4 WI  9.6 25.8 16.2
MS 17.7 29.7 12.0 WY 10.1 24.8 14.7

Citation: Paul, S., Rafal, M., & Houtenville, A. (2020). Annual Disability Statistics Compendium: 2020 (Table 6.3). Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, Institute on Disability. Note: Authors’ calculations using the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample, 2019, which is subject to sampling variation.
[1] Civilians without disabilities ages 18-64 living in poverty as a percent of the total.
[2] Civilians with disabilities ages 18-64 living in poverty as a percent of the total.
[3] The difference in the percentage points of poverty rates between disability and no disability.
Table 6.4 Change in Poverty Gap — Civilians with and without Disabilities Ages 18-64 Years Living in the Community for the United States and States: 2017 and 2018
State 2018 2019 Gap Change (% pts) [1]   State 2018 2019 Gap Change (% pts) [1]
U.S. 14.7 14.5 -0.2 MO 16.6 16.2 -0.4
AL 13.1 15.8  2.7 MT 15.0  6.3 -8.7
AK  8.1 13.1  5.0 NE 17.9 12.4 -5.5
AZ 12.1 13.6  1.5 NV 14.6 13.8 -0.8
AR 14.5 16.1  1.6 NH 12.6 13.8  1.2
CA 12.9 12.1 -0.8 NJ 14.6 13.0 -1.6
CO 12.8 12.0 -0.8 NM 17.1 13.6 -3.5
CT 16.1 13.9 -2.2 NY 17.7 17.6 -0.1
DE 16.4  7.1 -9.3 NC 13.3 13.3  0.0
DC 23.9 20.5 -3.4 ND  6.1 18.5 12.4
FL 12.0 11.6 -0.4 OH 17.7 16.3 -1.4
GA 11.7 12.0  0.3 OK 12.7 13.9  1.2
HI  8.6 12.1  3.5 OR 17.8 15.5 -2.3
ID 13.2 15.5  2.3 PA 17.5 16.9 -0.6
IL 16.2 15.6 -0.6 RI 18.6 17.9 -0.7
IN 16.0 15.0 -1.0 SC 12.8 12.1 -0.7
IA 14.9 15.8  0.9 SD 12.4 12.4  0.0
KS 17.0 15.1 -1.9 TN 15.7 15.7  0.0
KY 15.5 18.1  2.6 TX 11.6 11.0 -0.6
LA 13.5 16.6  3.1 UT 10.1  9.0 -1.1
ME 24.2 18.1 -6.1 VT 17.5 18.4  0.9
MD 11.1 15.6  4.5 VA 12.8 12.4 -0.4
MA 15.1 17.3  2.2 WA 14.4 13.1 -1.3
MI 16.5 17.0  0.5 WV 16.0 14.4 -1.6
MN 17.0 16.4 -0.6 WI 14.1 16.2  2.1
MS 15.2 11.9 -3.3 WY 10.2 14.8  4.6

Citation: Paul, S., Rafal, M., & Houtenville, A. (2020). Annual Disability Statistics Compendium: 2020 (Table 6.4). Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, Institute on Disability. Note: Authors’ calculations using the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample, 2019, which is subject to sampling variation.
[1] The difference of the difference in percentage points of poverty rates between disability and no disability between 2019 and 2018.