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IOWA
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Iowa:

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

Rankings
The following shows Iowa'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: 38 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 24 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 36 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 25 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 Iowa in 2011, 33.5 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 22.5 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Iowa in 2011, 7.6 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; 49.9 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 20 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 22.5 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 5.5 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 34.8 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 24.9 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 34.8 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 $35,241 compared to $26,468 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Iowa in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $26,468 for women and $35,241 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $25,234 and those of noncitizen men were $31,563. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $28,478 and naturalized-citizen men $41,839. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $34,303 for women and $44,483 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 Iowa living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 73.7 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 15,700 to 27,269, representing a change of 73.7 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 9,600 to 15,700 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 63.5 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, 21.3 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 21.3 percent of Iowa's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 18.0 percent in 2000 and 23.0 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 12.4 percent of the native-born population in Iowa 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 Iowa, 26.8 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 12.5 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Iowa in 2011, 26.8 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 12.5 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 Iowa, 18.9 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 18.9 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 24.3 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 (17.0 versus 45.8 percent).

In comparison, 7.6 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 13.5 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 (5.1 versus 37.8 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 Iowa, 28.9 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 20.3 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 13.6 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Iowa in 2011, 11.3 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 28.9 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 13.6 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 20.3 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 41.9 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 Iowa, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Iowa for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 2,666,634 100.0 2,831,676 100.0 2,963,602 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 308,370 11.6 256,181 9.0 378,864 12.8
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 238,530 8.9 223,925 7.9 269,590 9.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 2,119,734 79.5 2,351,570 83.0 2,315,148 78.1
Native Born 2,624,962 100.0 2,744,258 100.0 2,835,831 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 298,770 11.4 240,481 8.8 351,595 12.4
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 234,305 8.9 214,413 7.8 251,190 8.9
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 2,091,887 79.7 2,289,364 83.4 2,233,046 78.7
Foreign Born 41,672 100.0 87,418 100.0 127,771 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 9,600 23.0 15,700 18.0 27,269 21.3
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 4,225 10.1 9,512 10.9 18,400 14.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 27,847 66.8 62,206 71.2 82,102 64.3
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Iowa for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 165,042 6.2 296,968 11.1 131,926 4.7
Below 100 percent of the poverty level -52,189 -16.9 70,494 22.9 122,683 47.9
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level -14,605 -6.1 31,060 13.0 45,665 20.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 231,836 10.9 195,414 9.2 -36,422 -1.5
Native Born 119,296 4.5 210,869 8.0 91,573 3.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level -58,289 -19.5 52,825 17.7 111,114 46.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level -19,892 -8.5 16,885 7.2 36,777 17.2
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 197,477 9.4 141,159 6.7 -56,318 -2.5
Foreign Born 45,746 109.8 86,099 206.6 40,353 46.2
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6,100 63.5 17,669 184.1 11,569 73.7
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 5,287 125.1 14,175 335.5 8,888 93.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 34,359 123.4 54,255 194.8 19,896 32.0
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 Iowa, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Iowa for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 2,963,602
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.3
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 68.9
Native Born 2,835,831
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.4
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 69.6
Foreign Born 127,771
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 21.3
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 25.4
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 53.2
Noncitizen 78,989
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 26.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 30.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 43.2
Naturalized Citizen 48,782
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.1
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 69.4
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Iowa Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 1,060,476
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.9
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.7
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.8
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.8
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 24.6
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 20.6
Earned $75,000 or more 13.6
Native Born 1,004,770
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.9
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.6
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.2
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.6
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 24.9
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 21
Earned $75,000 or more 13.8
Foreign Born 55,706
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.5
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 25.9
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 24
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 20
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 13
Earned $75,000 or more 9.5
Noncitizen 31,860
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.5
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 7.6
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 28.4
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 24.2
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 16.7
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 13
Earned $75,000 or more 6.6
Naturalized Citizen 23,846
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 1.7
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 22.5
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 23.8
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 24.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 13
Earned $75,000 or more 13.3
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Iowa, 2011  
Male $43,624
Female $33,745
Native Born  
Male $44,483
Female $34,303
Foreign Born  
Male $35,241
Female $26,468
Noncitizen  
Male $31,563
Female $25,234
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $41,839
Female $28,478
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 8.1
With related children under age 18 14.3
With related children under age 5 only 16.6
Married-couple families 3.7
With related children under age 18 5.9
With related children under age 5 only 4.3
Families with female householder, no husband present 30.7
With related children under age 18 38.4
With related children under age 5 only 50.3
Native-Born Families 7.6
With related children under age 18 13.5
With related children under age 5 only 16.5
Married-couple families 3.3
With related children under age 18 5.1
With related children under age 5 only 3.7
Families with female householder, no husband present 30.2
With related children under age 18 37.8
With related children under age 5 only 52.1
Foreign-Born Families 18.9
With related children under age 18 24.3
With related children under age 5 only 17.5
Married-couple families 12.4
With related children under age 18 17.0
With related children under age 5 only 10.8
Families with female householder, no husband present 38.4
With related children under age 18 45.8
With related children under age 5 only N
Noncitizen 26.1
With related children under age 18 30.6
With related children under age 5 only 17.7
Married-couple families 18.5
With related children under age 18 21.2
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 46.6
With related children under age 18 52.2
With related children under age 5 only N
Naturalized Citizen 11.3
With related children under age 18 14.5
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 6.7
With related children under age 18 10.5
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 24.5
With related children under age 18 33.0
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 Iowa, 2011  
Male $35,241
Female $26,468
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $29,963
Female $27,432
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $34,591
Female $25,843
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $41,079
Female $26,447
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 40,935
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 14.4
Born in Europe 19,458
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.1
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 54,446
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 24.9
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 Iowa by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Iowa for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 2,768,091 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 339,772 12.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 2,428,319 87.7
Speaks Only English 2,567,895 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 290,069 11.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 2,277,826 88.7
Speaks Spanish 110,901 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 32,055 28.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 78,846 71.1
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 46,892 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6,363 13.6
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 40,529 86.4
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 30,096 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6,123 20.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 23,973 79.7
Speaks Other Languages 12,307 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 5,162 41.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 7,145 58.1
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: