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PENNSYLVANIA
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Pennsylvania:

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

Rankings
The following shows Pennsylvania'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: 12 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 38 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 10 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 24 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 Pennsylvania in 2011, 27.0 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 38.7 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Pennsylvania in 2011, 8.5 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; 34.1 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 18.7 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 38.7 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 5.1 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 31.3 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 22.4 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 41.2 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 $42,491 compared to $35,391 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Pennsylvania in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $35,391 for women and $42,491 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $28,234 and those of noncitizen men were $37,014. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $38,479 and naturalized-citizen men $48,351. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $37,190 for women and $48,442 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 Pennsylvania living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 74.0 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 75,478 to 131,310, representing a change of 74.0 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 48,867 to 75,478 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 54.5 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, 17.9 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 17.9 percent of Pennsylvania's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 15.2 percent in 2000 and 14.1 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 13.5 percent of the native-born population in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, 24.4 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 12.1 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Pennsylvania in 2011, 24.4 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 12.1 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 Pennsylvania, 16.7 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 16.7 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 21.8 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 (13.5 versus 46.3 percent).

In comparison, 9.1 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 15.8 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 (4.6 versus 40.8 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 Pennsylvania, 31.5 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 17.9 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 13.9 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Pennsylvania in 2011, 12.1 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 31.5 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 13.9 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 17.9 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 28.7 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 Pennsylvania, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Pennsylvania for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 11,506,836 100.0 11,910,722 100.0 12,328,566 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,282,311 11.1 1,312,737 11.0 1,695,996 13.8
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 881,062 7.7 921,386 7.7 1,041,313 8.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 9,343,463 81.2 9,676,599 81.2 9,591,257 77.8
Native Born 11,159,114 100.0 11,413,655 100.0 11,593,433 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,233,444 11.1 1,237,259 10.8 1,564,686 13.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 847,294 7.6 876,104 7.7 964,624 8.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 9,078,376 81.4 9,300,292 81.5 9,064,123 78.2
Foreign Born 347,722 100.0 497,067 100.0 735,133 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 48,867 14.1 75,478 15.2 131,310 17.9
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 33,768 9.7 45,282 9.1 76,689 10.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 265,087 76.2 376,307 75.7 527,134 71.7
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Pennsylvania for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 403,886 3.5 821,730 7.1 417,844 3.5
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 30,426 2.4 413,685 32.3 383,259 29.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 40,324 4.6 160,251 18.2 119,927 13.0
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 333,136 3.6 247,794 2.7 -85,342 -0.9
Native Born 254,541 2.3 434,319 3.9 179,778 1.6
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 3,815 0.3 331,242 26.9 327,427 26.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 28,810 3.4 117,330 13.8 88,520 10.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 221,916 2.4 -14,253 -0.2 -236,169 -2.5
Foreign Born 149,345 42.9 387,411 111.4 238,066 47.9
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 26,611 54.5 82,443 168.7 55,832 74.0
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 11,514 34.1 42,921 127.1 31,407 69.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 111,220 42.0 262,047 98.9 150,827 40.1
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 Pennsylvania, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Pennsylvania for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 12,328,566
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 17.4
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 68.8
Native Born 11,593,433
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 17.2
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 69.3
Foreign Born 735,133
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17.9
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 20.7
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 61.5
Noncitizen 344,636
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 24.4
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 24.4
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 51.2
Naturalized Citizen 390,497
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.1
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 17.3
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 70.6
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Pennsylvania Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 4,028,538
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.8
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.5
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 13.9
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.5
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 22.2
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.2
Earned $75,000 or more 18.9
Native Born 3,741,293
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.8
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 13.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 22.4
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.6
Earned $75,000 or more 18.6
Foreign Born 287,245
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 6.2
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 18.5
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 15.6
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 18.7
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 16.3
Earned $75,000 or more 22.4
Noncitizen 123,751
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 8.6
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 24.1
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 15.5
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 15.4
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 14.3
Earned $75,000 or more 19.1
Naturalized Citizen 163,494
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.7
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.4
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.3
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 15.6
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.2
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 17.9
Earned $75,000 or more 24.9
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Pennsylvania, 2011  
Male $47,956
Female $37,089
Native Born  
Male $48,442
Female $37,190
Foreign Born  
Male $42,491
Female $35,391
Noncitizen  
Male $37,014
Female $28,234
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $48,351
Female $38,479
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 9.6
With related children under age 18 16.3
With related children under age 5 only 18.2
Married-couple families 3.9
With related children under age 18 5.5
With related children under age 5 only 4.0
Families with female householder, no husband present 30.2
With related children under age 18 41.2
With related children under age 5 only 49.3
Native-Born Families 9.1
With related children under age 18 15.8
With related children under age 5 only 18.5
Married-couple families 3.4
With related children under age 18 4.6
With related children under age 5 only 3.6
Families with female householder, no husband present 29.7
With related children under age 18 40.8
With related children under age 5 only 50.0
Foreign-Born Families 16.7
With related children under age 18 21.8
With related children under age 5 only 16.0
Married-couple families 11.2
With related children under age 18 13.5
With related children under age 5 only 7.8
Families with female householder, no husband present 37.7
With related children under age 18 46.3
With related children under age 5 only 40.6
Noncitizen 22.1
With related children under age 18 26.3
With related children under age 5 only 13.0
Married-couple families 14.7
With related children under age 18 17.1
With related children under age 5 only 6.5
Families with female householder, no husband present 44.5
With related children under age 18 48.6
With related children under age 5 only 31.1
Naturalized Citizen 13.2
With related children under age 18 18.1
With related children under age 5 only 20.9
Married-couple families 9.3
With related children under age 18 10.8
With related children under age 5 only 9.8
Families with female householder, no husband present 31.9
With related children under age 18 44.0
With related children under 5 age only 66.9
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Pennsylvania, 2011  
Male $42,491
Female $35,391
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $34,794
Female $31,381
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $41,812
Female $36,118
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $52,350
Female $38,493
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 275,974
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17.6
Born in Europe 178,870
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11.4
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 215,610
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 22.7
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 Pennsylvania by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Pennsylvania for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 11,616,980 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,531,281 13.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 10,085,699 86.8
Speaks Only English 10,430,434 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,262,891 12.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 9,167,543 87.9
Speaks Spanish 494,049 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 155,408 31.5
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 338,641 68.5
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 420,887 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 58,408 13.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 362,479 86.1
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 216,859 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 38,868 17.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 177,991 82.1
Speaks Other Languages 54,751 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15,706 28.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 39,045 71.3
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: