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OHIO
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Ohio:

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

Rankings
The following shows Ohio'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: 19 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 34 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 19 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 18 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 Ohio in 2011, 29.5 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 41.3 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Ohio in 2011, 8.4 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; 35.2 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 15.1 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 41.3 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 6.3 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 32.7 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 22.5 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 38.4 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 $45,858 compared to $32,697 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Ohio in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $32,697 for women and $45,858 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $28,991 and those of noncitizen men were $37,635. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $35,762 and naturalized-citizen men $52,093. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $35,813 for women and $46,188 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 Ohio living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 84.6 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 45,634 to 84,238, representing a change of 84.6 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 31,109 to 45,634 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 46.7 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, 18.9 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 18.9 percent of Ohio's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 13.5 percent in 2000 and 12.6 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 16.3 percent of the native-born population in Ohio 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 Ohio, 27.7 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 10.2 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Ohio in 2011, 27.7 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 10.2 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 Ohio, 15.4 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 15.4 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 21.6 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 families consisting of a female and children under 18 with no husband present (14.7 versus 47.1 percent).

In comparison, 11.9 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 20.5 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 (7.4 versus 45.6 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 Ohio, 26.7 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 13.1 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 15.8 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Ohio in 2011, 15.1 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 26.7 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 15.8 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 13.1 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 37.2 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 Ohio, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Ohio for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 10,571,637 100.0 11,087,776 100.0 11,234,071 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,312,119 12.4 1,188,333 10.7 1,845,800 16.4
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 818,924 7.7 833,461 7.5 1,042,904 9.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 8,440,594 79.8 9,065,982 81.8 8,345,367 74.3
Native Born 10,325,076 100.0 10,748,711 100.0 10,788,472 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,281,010 12.4 1,142,699 10.6 1,761,562 16.3
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 799,268 7.7 805,854 7.5 1,000,659 9.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 8,244,798 79.9 8,800,158 81.9 8,026,251 74.4
Foreign Born 246,561 100.0 339,065 100.0 445,599 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 31,109 12.6 45,634 13.5 84,238 18.9
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 19,656 8.0 27,607 8.1 42,245 9.5
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 195,796 79.4 265,824 78.4 319,116 71.6
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Ohio for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 516,139 4.9 662,434 6.3 146,295 1.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level -123,786 -9.4 533,681 40.7 657,467 55.3
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 14,537 1.8 223,980 27.4 209,443 25.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 625,388 7.4 -95,227 -1.1 -720,615 -7.9
Native Born 423,635 4.1 463,396 4.5 39,761 0.4
Below 100 percent of the poverty level -138,311 -10.8 480,552 37.5 618,863 54.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 6,586 0.8 201,391 25.2 194,805 24.2
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 555,360 6.7 -218,547 -2.7 -773,907 -8.8
Foreign Born 92,504 37.5 199,038 80.7 106,534 31.4
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 14,525 46.7 53,129 170.8 38,604 84.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 7,951 40.5 22,589 114.9 14,638 53.0
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 70,028 35.8 123,320 63.0 53,292 20.0
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 Ohio, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Ohio for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 11,234,071
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 16.4
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.6
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 65.0
Native Born 10,788,472
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 16.3
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.6
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 65.1
Foreign Born 445,599
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 18.9
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.7
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 62.4
Noncitizen 222,737
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 27.7
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 20.7
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 51.6
Naturalized Citizen 222,862
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 16.7
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 73.2
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Ohio Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 3,557,547
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.9
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.9
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 22.2
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.2
Earned $75,000 or more 16.4
Native Born 3,383,388
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.2
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 18.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 22.5
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.4
Earned $75,000 or more 16
Foreign Born 174,159
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 6.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 21.1
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 14.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 15.1
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 17.1
Earned $75,000 or more 24.2
Noncitizen 80,188
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 8.6
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 27
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 12.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 13.1
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 16
Earned $75,000 or more 19.9
Naturalized Citizen 93,971
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.4
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 16.1
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 15.5
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 16.9
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 18.1
Earned $75,000 or more 27.8
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Ohio, 2011  
Male $46,176
Female $35,746
Native Born  
Male $46,188
Female $35,813
Foreign Born  
Male $45,858
Female $32,697
Noncitizen  
Male $37,635
Female $28,991
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $52,093
Female $35,762
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 12.0
With related children under age 18 20.6
With related children under age 5 only 24.9
Married-couple families 4.9
With related children under age 18 7.9
With related children under age 5 only 7.1
Families with female householder, no husband present 35.4
With related children under age 18 45.6
With related children under age 5 only 59.7
Native-Born Families 11.9
With related children under age 18 20.5
With related children under age 5 only 25.5
Married-couple families 4.6
With related children under age 18 7.4
With related children under age 5 only 6.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 35.3
With related children under age 18 45.6
With related children under age 5 only 60.1
Foreign-Born Families 15.4
With related children under age 18 21.6
With related children under age 5 only 16.9
Married-couple families 10.7
With related children under age 18 14.7
With related children under age 5 only 9.5
Families with female householder, no husband present 36.9
With related children under age 18 47.1
With related children under age 5 only 51.3
Noncitizen 22.9
With related children under age 18 27.8
With related children under age 5 only 19.8
Married-couple families 15.8
With related children under age 18 18.5
With related children under age 5 only 10.6
Families with female householder, no husband present 49.7
With related children under age 18 57.3
With related children under age 5 only 62.8
Naturalized Citizen 10.0
With related children under age 18 15.2
With related children under age 5 only 13.2
Married-couple families 7.5
With related children under age 18 11.2
With related children under age 5 only 7.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 24.8
With related children under age 18 34.3
With related children under 5 age only 39.4
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Ohio, 2011  
Male $45,858
Female $32,697
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $36,578
Female $28,819
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $45,088
Female $37,538
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $54,960
Female $35,348
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 171,011
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15.4
Born in Europe 112,754
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10.6
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 90,442
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 28.2
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 Ohio by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Ohio for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 10,534,621 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,637,987 15.5
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 8,896,634 84.5
Speaks Only English 9,833,712 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,487,880 15.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 8,345,832 84.9
Speaks Spanish 231,460 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 61,698 26.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 169,762 73.3
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 273,245 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 43,056 15.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 230,189 84.2
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 114,747 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15,088 13.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 99,659 86.9
Speaks Other Languages 81,457 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 30,265 37.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 51,192 62.8
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: