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ARIZONA
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Arizona:

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

Rankings
The following shows Arizona's 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: 6 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 3 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 8 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 41 out of 51

Data Highlights
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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 Arizona in 2011, 40.2 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 23.4 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Arizona in 2011, 12.2 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; 47.6 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 16.8 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 23.4 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 6.6 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 31.4 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 22.6 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 39.3 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 $31,901 compared to $26,201 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Arizona in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $26,201 for women and $31,901 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $21,510 and those of noncitizen men were $26,942. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $31,798 and naturalized-citizen men $40,868. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $37,355 for women and $46,184 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 Arizona living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 45.6 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 160,781 to 234,026, representing a change of 45.6 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 78,521 to 160,781 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 104.8 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, 27.4 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 27.4 percent of Arizona's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 24.5 percent in 2000 and 29.2 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 17.7 percent of the native-born population in Arizona 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 Arizona, 36.0 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 13.2 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Arizona in 2011, 36.0 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 13.2 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 Arizona, 27.2 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 27.2 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 35.3 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 (27.5 versus 55.4 percent).

In comparison, 11.2 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 19.0 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 (8.2 versus 38.6 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 Arizona, 31.2 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 16.9 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 10.5 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Arizona in 2011, 14.2 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 31.2 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 10.5 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 16.9 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 36.7 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 Arizona, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Arizona for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 3,572,732 100.0 5,045,117 100.0 6,336,449 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 561,190 15.7 700,695 13.9 1,203,501 19.0
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 350,719 9.8 482,663 9.6 700,577 11.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 2,660,823 74.5 3,861,759 76.5 4,432,371 70.0
Native Born 3,304,133 100.0 4,388,862 100.0 5,481,761 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 482,669 14.6 539,914 12.3 969,475 17.7
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 308,474 9.3 375,728 8.6 566,053 10.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 2,512,990 76.1 3,473,220 79.1 3,946,233 72.0
Foreign Born 268,599 100.0 656,255 100.0 854,688 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 78,521 29.2 160,781 24.5 234,026 27.4
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 42,245 15.7 106,935 16.3 134,524 15.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 147,833 55.0 388,539 59.2 486,138 56.9
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Arizona for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 1,472,385 41.2 2,763,717 77.4 1,291,332 25.6
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 139,505 24.9 642,311 114.5 502,806 71.8
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 131,944 37.6 349,858 99.8 217,914 45.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 1,200,936 45.1 1,771,548 66.6 570,612 14.8
Native Born 1,084,729 32.8 2,177,628 65.9 1,092,899 24.9
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 57,245 11.9 486,806 100.9 429,561 79.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 67,254 21.8 257,579 83.5 190,325 50.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 960,230 38.2 1,433,243 57.0 473,013 13.6
Foreign Born 387,656 144.3 586,089 218.2 198,433 30.2
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 82,260 104.8 155,505 198.0 73,245 45.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 64,690 153.1 92,279 218.4 27,589 25.8
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 240,706 162.8 338,305 228.8 97,599 25.1
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 Arizona, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Arizona for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 6,336,449
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 19.0
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 20.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 60.2
Native Born 5,481,761
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17.7
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 19.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 62.5
Foreign Born 854,688
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 27.4
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 27.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 44.8
Noncitizen 529,985
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 36.0
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 29.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 34.2
Naturalized Citizen 324,703
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 24.5
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 62.3
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Arizona Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 1,876,911
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.4
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 16.5
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.6
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 19.1
Earned $75,000 or more 17.5
Native Born 1,554,522
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.4
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.1
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.3
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 22.6
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 20.5
Earned $75,000 or more 18.8
Foreign Born 322,389
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.4
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 8.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 28
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.6
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 16.8
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 12.2
Earned $75,000 or more 11.2
Noncitizen 179,405
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 4.1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 12.2
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 34
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 13.2
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 9.1
Earned $75,000 or more 8.3
Naturalized Citizen 142,984
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.4
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.5
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 20.5
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.3
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 16.1
Earned $75,000 or more 15
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Arizona, 2011  
Male $42,544
Female $36,048
Native Born  
Male $46,184
Female $37,355
Foreign Born  
Male $31,901
Female $26,201
Noncitizen  
Male $26,942
Female $21,510
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $40,868
Female $31,798
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 14.1
With related children under age 18 22.9
With related children under age 5 only 22.0
Married-couple families 7.8
With related children under age 18 13.0
With related children under age 5 only 10.7
Families with female householder, no husband present 33.3
With related children under age 18 42.1
With related children under age 5 only 49.7
Native-Born Families 11.2
With related children under age 18 19.0
With related children under age 5 only 20.4
Married-couple families 5.0
With related children under age 18 8.2
With related children under age 5 only 9.2
Families with female householder, no husband present 30.2
With related children under age 18 38.6
With related children under age 5 only 48.3
Foreign-Born Families 27.2
With related children under age 18 35.3
With related children under age 5 only 29.7
Married-couple families 21.0
With related children under age 18 27.5
With related children under age 5 only 17.7
Families with female householder, no husband present 46.5
With related children under age 18 55.4
With related children under age 5 only 55.4
Noncitizen 37.7
With related children under age 18 44.9
With related children under age 5 only 38.4
Married-couple families 28.6
With related children under age 18 34.5
With related children under age 5 only 23.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 63.3
With related children under age 18 69.4
With related children under age 5 only 68.4
Naturalized Citizen 13.5
With related children under age 18 18.4
With related children under age 5 only 8.9
Married-couple families 12.5
With related children under age 18 17.2
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 19.6
With related children under age 18 25.2
With related children under 5 age only N
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Arizona, 2011  
Male $31,901
Female $26,201
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $27,048
Female $25,797
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $29,828
Female $23,806
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $35,073
Female $27,615
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 153,161
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17
Born in Europe 87,218
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10.5
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 555,100
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 33.6
Born in Northern America (Canada, Bermuda, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Oceania N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
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 Arizona by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Arizona for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 5,893,925 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,072,440 18.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 4,821,485 81.8
Speaks Only English 4,306,196 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 609,692 14.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 3,696,504 85.8
Speaks Spanish 1,208,345 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 377,538 31.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 830,807 68.8
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 119,698 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12,529 10.5
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 107,169 89.5
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 114,253 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 19,292 16.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 94,961 83.1
Speaks Other Languages 145,433 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 53,389 36.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 92,044 63.3
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: