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NEW HAMPSHIRE
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for New Hampshire:

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

Rankings
The following shows New Hampshire'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: 42 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 45 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 41 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 14 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 New Hampshire in 2011, 11.9 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 51.8 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In New Hampshire in 2011, 3.2 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; 25.3 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 19.8 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 51.8 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 3.3 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 27.5 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 21.9 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 47.3 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 $61,313 compared to $41,590 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in New Hampshire in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $41,590 for women and $61,313 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $39,252 and those of noncitizen men were $60,131. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $41,894 and naturalized-citizen men $62,010. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $40,975 for women and $52,494 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 New Hampshire living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 93.2 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 4,714 to 9,109, representing a change of 93.2 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 3,436 to 4,714 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 37.2 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, 12.6 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 12.6 percent of New Hampshire's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 9.4 percent in 2000 and 8.9 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 8.6 percent of the native-born population in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire, 19.4 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 6.4 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in New Hampshire in 2011, 19.4 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 6.4 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 New Hampshire, 8.4 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 8.4 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 12.8 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 (6.4 versus 39.8 percent).

In comparison, 5.4 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 10.0 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 (3.2 versus 30.8 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 New Hampshire, 22.4 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 7.7 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 8.3 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in New Hampshire in 2011, 8.0 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 22.4 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 8.3 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 7.7 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 34.9 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 New Hampshire, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of New Hampshire for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 1,072,762 100.0 1,202,973 100.0 1,279,118 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 68,889 6.4 77,748 6.5 112,715 8.8
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 59,701 5.6 66,146 5.5 82,245 6.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 944,172 88.0 1,059,079 88.0 1,084,158 84.8
Native Born 1,034,313 100.0 1,152,880 100.0 1,206,975 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 65,453 6.3 73,034 6.3 103,606 8.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 56,324 5.4 63,139 5.5 77,413 6.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 912,536 88.2 1,016,707 88.2 1,025,956 85.0
Foreign Born 38,449 100.0 50,093 100.0 72,143 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 3,436 8.9 4,714 9.4 9,109 12.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 3,377 8.8 3,007 6.0 4,832 6.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 31,636 82.3 42,372 84.6 58,202 80.7
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of New Hampshire for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 130,211 12.1 206,356 19.2 76,145 6.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 8,859 12.9 43,826 63.6 34,967 45.0
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 6,445 10.8 22,544 37.8 16,099 24.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 114,907 12.2 139,986 14.8 25,079 2.4
Native Born 118,567 11.5 172,662 16.7 54,095 4.7
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 7,581 11.6 38,153 58.3 30,572 41.9
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 6,815 12.1 21,089 37.4 14,274 22.6
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 104,171 11.4 113,420 12.4 9,249 0.9
Foreign Born 11,644 30.3 33,694 87.6 22,050 44.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,278 37.2 5,673 165.1 4,395 93.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level -370 -11.0 1,455 43.1 1,825 60.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 10,736 33.9 26,566 84.0 15,830 37.4
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 New Hampshire, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of New Hampshire for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 1,279,118
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 8.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 14.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 77.1
Native Born 1,206,975
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 8.6
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 14.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 77.5
Foreign Born 72,143
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.6
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 15.6
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 71.8
Noncitizen 34,367
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 19.4
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 20.6
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 60.0
Naturalized Citizen 37,776
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6.4
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 11.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 82.6
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in New Hampshire Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 467,912
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 2.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 10.4
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 16.9
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.8
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 23.4
Earned $75,000 or more 24.2
Native Born 435,647
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 2.2
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 10.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 16.9
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.9
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 23.8
Earned $75,000 or more 23.5
Foreign Born 32,265
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 1.2
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 8.7
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 16.6
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 19.8
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 17.7
Earned $75,000 or more 34.1
Noncitizen 13,558
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 1.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 13.2
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 16.9
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 16.9
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 16.1
Earned $75,000 or more 33
Naturalized Citizen 18,707
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.5
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 1.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 5.4
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 16.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.8
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 19
Earned $75,000 or more 34.9
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in New Hampshire, 2011  
Male $53,033
Female $41,021
Native Born  
Male $52,494
Female $40,975
Foreign Born  
Male $61,313
Female $41,590
Noncitizen  
Male $60,131
Female $39,252
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $62,010
Female $41,894
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 5.6
With related children under age 18 10.2
With related children under age 5 only 11.6
Married-couple families 2.4
With related children under age 18 3.5
With related children under age 5 only 4.1
Families with female householder, no husband present 22.1
With related children under age 18 31.6
With related children under age 5 only 40.1
Native-Born Families 5.4
With related children under age 18 10.0
With related children under age 5 only 11.3
Married-couple families 2.2
With related children under age 18 3.2
With related children under age 5 only 3.7
Families with female householder, no husband present 21.6
With related children under age 18 30.8
With related children under age 5 only 39.3
Foreign-Born Families 8.4
With related children under age 18 12.8
With related children under age 5 only 14.0
Married-couple families 4.4
With related children under age 18 6.4
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 28.3
With related children under age 18 39.8
With related children under age 5 only 48.3
Noncitizen 13.6
With related children under age 18 17.7
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 6.6
With related children under age 18 7.8
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 47.4
With related children under age 18 55.9
With related children under age 5 only N
Naturalized Citizen 4.9
With related children under age 18 8.3
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 3.0
With related children under age 18 5.2
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 15.7
With related children under age 18 24.5
With related children under 5 age only 73.2
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in New Hampshire, 2011  
Male $61,313
Female $41,590
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $37,027
Female $32,306
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $60,503
Female $48,699
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $72,714
Female $41,864
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 22,788
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.2
Born in Europe 17,669
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 9
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 14,116
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.7
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 New Hampshire by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of New Hampshire for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 1,212,211 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 102,653 8.5
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 1,109,558 91.5
Speaks Only English 1,117,835 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 89,218 8.0
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 1,028,617 92.0
Speaks Spanish 25,983 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 5,818 22.4
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 20,165 77.6
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 46,130 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 3,849 8.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 42,281 91.7
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 14,698 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,126 7.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 13,572 92.3
Speaks Other Languages 7,565 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 2,642 34.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 4,923 65.1
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: