For data on these topics, click on the link:

Return to the US map
Print Page Print | Email Page Email | Bookmark page Bookmark

TEXAS
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Texas:

The data below describe the state rankings and selected characteristics of the immigrant and native-born populations in Texas in 2011.

Rankings
The following shows Texas' rankings in several categories. All rankings include the 50 states and the District of Columbia and are ranked highest to lowest.
  Rankings
Number of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 2 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 8 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 1 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 36 out of 51

Data Highlights
For data on these topics, click on the link:

Who are the foreign born?
The term foreign born refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the census who were not US citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent immigrants, refugees and asylees, legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization. By comparison, the term native refers to people residing in the United States who were US citizens in one of three categories: 1) people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; 2) people born in United States Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or 3) people who were born abroad to at least one US citizen parent.

We use the terms immigrants and foreign born interchangeably.

Earnings of Full-Time Workers
(This sheet describes earnings of civilian employed workers)

In Texas in 2011, 42.5 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 24.5 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Texas in 2011, 14.2 percent of full-time, year-round, immigrant workers (those working more than 50 weeks a year and more than 35 hours per week) earned less than $15,000 a year; 46.0 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 15.3 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 24.5 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 7.1 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 31.2 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 20.8 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 40.9 percent earned $50,000 or more.

At the national level, 9.8 percent of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 40.9 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 16.6 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 32.6 percent earned $50,000 or more.

Median Earnings by Nativity and Gender

Male immigrant workers had average annual earnings of $30,459 compared to $24,928 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Texas in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $24,928 for women and $30,459 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $20,655 and those of noncitizen men were $25,655. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $32,055 and naturalized-citizen men $42,267. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $36,815 for women and $48,867 for men.

At the national level, median earnings of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers were $31,749 for women and $35,918 for men. The median earnings for noncitizen workers were $24,347 for women and $28,507 for men. Among naturalized-citizen workers, women had median earnings of $38,419 and men of $47,547. Among native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $38,044 for women and $50,056 for men.

What Was the Poverty Threshold in 2011?
Whether any family is considered below the poverty threshold depends on the family's total income before taxes, not including any capital gains or noncash benefits, such as food stamps or housing subsidies.

The Census Bureau's poverty threshold varies depending on the number of adults and children in a family. The threshold is adjusted each month to account for inflation. Because respondents filled out the American Community Survey in different months, the poverty threshold that is applied to each family depends on the month in which the survey was taken.

To give a general idea of poverty levels, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2011 was $23,021; for a family of three, $17,916; for a family of two, $ 14,657; and for an unrelated individual, $11,484. All members of a family are assigned the same poverty status. Poverty thresholds are the same for the entire United States, despite differences in the cost of living across US communities.
Population in Poverty

The immigrant population in Texas living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 51.5 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 690,642 to 1,046,337, representing a change of 51.5 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 472,991 to 690,642 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 46.0 percent.

At the national level, the immigrant population below the poverty threshold increased from 3,435,394 to 5,473,300 between 1990 and 2000, representing a change of 59.3 percent, and grew from 5,473,300 to 7,797,199 (42.5 percent) between 2000 and 2011.

In 2011, 25.3 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 25.3 percent of Texas' immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 24.0 percent in 2000 and 31.8 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 17.1 percent of the native-born population in Texas lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

At the national level, 19.6 percent of the immigrants population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011, compared to 17.7 percent in 2000 and 17.9 percent in 1990. Nationally, 15.4 percent of the native-born population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

In Texas, 31.2 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 13.5 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Texas in 2011, 31.2 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 13.5 percent of naturalized citizens.

Nationally, 26.3 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 11.5 percent of naturalized citizens.

Families with Children in Poverty

In Texas, 25.6 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 25.6 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 32.1 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than families consisting of a female and children under 18 with no husband present (25.9 versus 53.7 percent).

In comparison, 11.2 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 17.4 percent of native families with children under 18. As with foreign-born families, native families consisting of a married couple with children under 18 were less likely to be living in poverty than families headed by a female and children under 18 with no husband present (6.7 versus 39.1 percent).

At the national level, 18.5 percent of families headed by a foreign-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold in 2011, while 24.6 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than foreign-born families consisting of a female and children under 18 (17.9 versus 45.2 percent).

Language Groupings

Indo-European languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Yiddish, other West Germanic languages, Scandinavian languages, Greek, Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, other Slavic languages, Armenian, Persian, Gujarathi, Hindi, and Urdu.

Asian and Pacific Island languages include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mon-Khmer/Cambodian, Miao/Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

Other languages include Navajo, other Native North American languages, Hungarian, Arabic, Hebrew, and African languages.

Population in Poverty by Language Spoken at Home

In Texas, 27.5 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 12.6 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 13.3 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Texas in 2011, 13.2 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 27.5 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 13.3 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 12.6 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 20.7 percent who spoke other languages.

Nationally, 13.6 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 25.4 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 13.7 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 14.2 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 26.7 percent who spoke other languages.




Table 1. Population by Poverty Status in Texas, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Texas for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 16,558,412 100.0 20,342,114 100.0 25,071,125 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 2,979,841 18.0 3,114,132 15.3 4,628,758 18.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 1,743,286 10.5 2,116,589 10.4 2,768,914 11.0
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 11,835,285 71.5 15,111,393 74.3 17,673,453 70.5
Native Born 15,070,414 100.0 17,460,378 100.0 20,930,555 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 2,506,850 16.6 2,423,490 13.9 3,582,421 17.1
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 1,498,959 9.9 1,655,330 9.5 2,126,818 10.2
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 11,064,605 73.4 13,381,558 76.6 15,221,316 72.7
Foreign Born 1,487,998 100.0 2,881,736 100.0 4,140,570 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 472,991 31.8 690,642 24.0 1,046,337 25.3
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 244,327 16.4 461,259 16.0 642,096 15.5
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 770,680 51.8 1,729,835 60.0 2,452,137 59.2
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Texas for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 3,783,702 22.9 8,512,713 51.4 4,729,011 23.2
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 134,291 4.5 1,648,917 55.3 1,514,626 48.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 373,303 21.4 1,025,628 58.8 652,325 30.8
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 3,276,108 27.7 5,838,168 49.3 2,562,060 17.0
Native Born 2,389,964 15.9 5,860,141 38.9 3,470,177 19.9
Below 100 percent of the poverty level -83,360 -3.3 1,075,571 42.9 1,158,931 47.8
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 156,371 10.4 627,859 41.9 471,488 28.5
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 2,316,953 20.9 4,156,711 37.6 1,839,758 13.7
Foreign Born 1,393,738 93.7 2,652,572 178.3 1,258,834 43.7
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 217,651 46.0 573,346 121.2 355,695 51.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 216,932 88.8 397,769 162.8 180,837 39.2
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 959,155 124.5 1,681,457 218.2 722,302 41.8
Notes: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing. 2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.
Sources: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), various years (see Note 2 above); 2000 Decennial Census; Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew Sobek. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2011.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 2. Income and Poverty Characteristics of the Population in Texas, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Texas for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 25,071,125
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 18.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 21.3
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 60.3
Native Born 20,930,555
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17.1
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 19.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 63.1
Foreign Born 4,140,570
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 25.3
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 28.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 45.9
Noncitizen 2,755,417
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 31.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 32.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 36.8
Naturalized Citizen 1,385,153
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 22.3
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 64.2
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Texas Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 8,423,840
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.7
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.9
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 17.8
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 16.5
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 19.7
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 19.2
Earned $75,000 or more 18.3
Native Born 6,672,622
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.4
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.7
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 15
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 16.2
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 20.8
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 21
Earned $75,000 or more 19.9
Foreign Born 1,751,218
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.8
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 10.4
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 28.3
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 15.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 12.1
Earned $75,000 or more 12.4
Noncitizen 1,069,534
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 4.9
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 13.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 34.3
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.8
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 13
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 8.6
Earned $75,000 or more 8
Naturalized Citizen 681,684
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 18.9
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 18.9
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 17.5
Earned $75,000 or more 19.3
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Texas, 2011  
Male $43,160
Female $35,301
Native Born  
Male $48,867
Female $36,815
Foreign Born  
Male $30,459
Female $24,928
Noncitizen  
Male $25,655
Female $20,655
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $42,267
Female $32,055
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 14.4
With related children under age 18 21.5
With related children under age 5 only 21.1
Married-couple families 8.4
With related children under age 18 12.5
With related children under age 5 only 10.2
Families with female householder, no husband present 33.9
With related children under age 18 42.3
With related children under age 5 only 46.7
Native-Born Families 11.2
With related children under age 18 17.4
With related children under age 5 only 18.9
Married-couple families 4.8
With related children under age 18 6.7
With related children under age 5 only 6.2
Families with female householder, no husband present 31.2
With related children under age 18 39.1
With related children under age 5 only 45.0
Foreign-Born Families 25.6
With related children under age 18 32.1
With related children under age 5 only 28.4
Married-couple families 21.1
With related children under age 18 25.9
With related children under age 5 only 21.8
Families with female householder, no husband present 44.3
With related children under age 18 53.7
With related children under age 5 only 55.7
Noncitizen 34.0
With related children under age 18 40.8
With related children under age 5 only 34.8
Married-couple families 28.8
With related children under age 18 34.0
With related children under age 5 only 27.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 55.8
With related children under age 18 63.6
With related children under age 5 only 63.0
Naturalized Citizen 13.2
With related children under age 18 15.8
With related children under age 5 only 13.1
Married-couple families 10.8
With related children under age 18 12.0
With related children under age 5 only 9.1
Families with female householder, no husband present 24.7
With related children under age 18 31.6
With related children under 5 age only 33.1
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Texas, 2011  
Male $30,459
Female $24,928
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $24,569
Female $22,446
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $30,076
Female $23,175
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $36,522
Female $27,407
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa 124,937
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17.2
Born in Asia 770,739
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.2
Born in Europe 185,411
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 8.5
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 2,986,009
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 30.1
Born in Northern America (Canada, Bermuda, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon) 43,672
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 7.8
Born in Oceania 9,878
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10.1
Note: 1. Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), different years.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 3. Poverty Status of Residents in Texas by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Texas for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 23,140,955 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 4,048,290 17.5
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 19,092,665 82.5
Speaks Only English 15,072,151 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,996,811 13.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 13,075,340 86.8
Speaks Spanish 6,853,430 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,882,565 27.5
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 4,970,865 72.5
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 473,860 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 63,254 13.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 410,606 86.7
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 589,815 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 74,235 12.6
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 515,580 87.4
Speaks Other Languages 151,699 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 31,425 20.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 120,274 79.3
Note: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under the age of 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey.
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

For data on these topics, click on the link: