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THE UNITED STATES
Income & Poverty
Other facts sheets for the United States:
The data below describe selected characteristics of the immigrant and native-born populations in the United States in 2011.
Data Highlights
For data on these topics, click on the link:
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. |
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Earnings of Full-Time Workers
(This sheet describes earnings of civilian employed workers)
In the United States in
2011, 33.0 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 32.6 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In the United States in
2011, 9.8 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; 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.
In comparison, 5.8 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 30.3 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 21.2 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 42.7 percent earned $50,000 or more.
Median Earnings by Nativity and Gender
Male immigrant workers had average annual earnings of $35,918 compared to $31,749 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in the United States in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $31,749 for women and $35,918 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $24,347 and those of noncitizen men were $28,507. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $38,419 and naturalized-citizen men $47,547.
Among full-time, year-round, 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.
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Population in Poverty
The immigrant population in the United States living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 42.5 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 5,473,300 to 7,797,199, representing a change of 42.5 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 3,435,394 to 5,473,300 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 59.3 percent.
In 2011, 19.6 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 19.6 percent of the United States' immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 17.7 percent in 2000 and 17.9 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 15.4 percent of the native-born population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.
In the United States, 26.3 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 11.5 percent of naturalized citizens.
Of the foreign-born population in the United States in 2011, 26.3 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 11.5 percent of naturalized citizens.
Families with Children in Poverty
In the United States, 18.5 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 18.5 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold.
At the same time, 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 families consisting of a female and children under 18 with no husband present (17.9 versus 45.2 percent).
In comparison, 10.4 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold,
as did 17.1 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 (6.2 versus 39.9 percent).
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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. |
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Population in Poverty by Language Spoken at Home
In the United States, 25.4 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 14.2 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 13.7 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in the United States in 2011, 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.
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Table 1. Population by Poverty
Status in the United States, 1990 to 2011
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1990 |
2000 |
2011 |
| |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
| Household Population of the United States for Whom Poverty
Status Is Determined |
241,469,575 |
100.0 |
274,853,833 |
100.0 |
303,778,193 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the poverty level |
31,461,154 |
13.0 |
34,227,642 |
12.5 |
48,452,035 |
15.9 |
| 100 to 149 percent of the poverty level |
20,583,656 |
8.5 |
23,133,592 |
8.4 |
29,836,145 |
9.8 |
| At or above 150 percent of the poverty level |
189,424,765 |
78.4 |
217,492,599 |
79.1 |
225,490,013 |
74.2 |
| Native Born |
222,277,118 |
100.0 |
244,009,397 |
100.0 |
263,979,017 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the poverty level |
28,025,760 |
12.6 |
28,754,342 |
11.8 |
40,654,836 |
15.4 |
| 100 to 149 percent of the poverty level |
18,321,463 |
8.2 |
19,445,600 |
8.0 |
24,583,481 |
9.3 |
| At or above 150 percent of the poverty level |
175,929,895 |
79.1 |
195,809,455 |
80.2 |
198,740,700 |
75.3 |
| Foreign Born |
19,192,457 |
100.0 |
30,844,436 |
100.0 |
39,799,176 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the poverty level |
3,435,394 |
17.9 |
5,473,300 |
17.7 |
7,797,199 |
19.6 |
| 100 to 149 percent of the poverty level |
2,262,193 |
11.8 |
3,687,992 |
12.0 |
5,252,664 |
13.2 |
| At or above 150 percent of the poverty level |
13,494,870 |
70.3 |
21,683,144 |
70.3 |
26,749,313 |
67.2 |
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Change
1990 to 2000 |
Change
1990 to 2011 |
Change
2000 to 2011 |
| |
Numeric |
Percent |
Numeric |
Percent |
Numeric |
Percent |
| Household Population of the United States for Whom Poverty
Status Is Determined |
33,384,258 |
13.8 |
62,308,618 |
25.8 |
28,924,360 |
10.5 |
| Below 100 percent of the poverty level |
2,766,488 |
8.8 |
16,990,881 |
54.0 |
14,224,393 |
41.6 |
| 100 to 149 percent of the poverty level |
2,549,936 |
12.4 |
9,252,489 |
45.0 |
6,702,553 |
29.0 |
| At or above 150 percent of the poverty level |
28,067,834 |
14.8 |
36,065,248 |
19.0 |
7,997,414 |
3.7 |
| Native Born |
21,732,279 |
9.8 |
41,701,899 |
18.8 |
19,969,620 |
8.2 |
| Below 100 percent of the poverty level |
728,582 |
2.6 |
12,629,076 |
45.1 |
11,900,494 |
41.4 |
| 100 to 149 percent of the poverty level |
1,124,137 |
6.1 |
6,262,018 |
34.2 |
5,137,881 |
26.4 |
| At or above 150 percent of the poverty level |
19,879,560 |
11.3 |
22,810,805 |
13.0 |
2,931,245 |
1.5 |
| Foreign Born |
11,651,979 |
60.7 |
20,606,719 |
107.4 |
8,954,740 |
29.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the poverty level |
2,037,906 |
59.3 |
4,361,805 |
127.0 |
2,323,899 |
42.5 |
| 100 to 149 percent of the poverty level |
1,425,799 |
63.0 |
2,990,471 |
132.2 |
1,564,672 |
42.4 |
| At or above 150 percent of the poverty level |
8,188,274 |
60.7 |
13,254,443 |
98.2 |
5,066,169 |
23.4 |
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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 the United States,
2011
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| POVERTY
STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP |
| Household Population
of the United States for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined |
303,778,193 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
15.9 |
| 100 to 199 percent of the poverty level |
19.2 |
| At or above 200 percent of the poverty level |
64.8 |
| Native Born |
263,979,017 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
15.4 |
| 100 to 199 percent of the poverty level |
18.4 |
| At or above 200 percent of the poverty level |
66.2 |
| Foreign Born |
39,799,176 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
19.6 |
| 100 to 199 percent of the poverty level |
24.8 |
| At or above 200 percent of the poverty level |
55.6 |
| Noncitizen |
21,829,990 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
26.3 |
| 100 to 199 percent of the poverty level |
29.3 |
| At or above 200 percent of the poverty level |
44.4 |
| Naturalized Citizen |
17,969,186 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
11.5 |
| 100 to 199 percent of the poverty level |
19.4 |
| At or above 200 percent of the poverty level |
69.1 |
EARNINGS IN LAST 12
MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |
| Full-Time, Year-Round Workers
in the United States Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 |
97,555,540 |
| Earned $1 to $9,999, or
loss |
2.1 |
| Earned $10,000 to $14,999 |
4.4 |
| Earned $15,000 to $24,999 |
15.2 |
| Earned $25,000 to $34,999 |
16.8 |
| Earned $35,000 to $49,999 |
20.4 |
| Earned $50,000 to $74,999 |
20.8 |
| Earned $75,000 or more |
20.2 |
| Native Born |
81,282,169 |
| Earned $1 to $9,999, or
loss |
2 |
| Earned $10,000 to $14,999 |
3.8 |
| Earned $15,000 to $24,999 |
13.7 |
| Earned $25,000 to $34,999 |
16.6 |
| Earned $35,000 to $49,999 |
21.2 |
| Earned $50,000 to $74,999 |
22 |
| Earned $75,000 or more |
20.7 |
| Foreign Born |
16,273,371 |
| Earned $1 to $9,999, or
loss |
2.6 |
| Earned $10,000 to $14,999 |
7.2 |
| Earned $15,000 to $24,999 |
23.2 |
| Earned $25,000 to $34,999 |
17.7 |
| Earned $35,000 to $49,999 |
16.6 |
| Earned $50,000 to $74,999 |
15.2 |
| Earned $75,000 or more |
17.4 |
| Noncitizen |
8,200,918 |
| Earned $1 to $9,999, or
loss |
3.4 |
| Earned $10,000 to $14,999 |
10.4 |
| Earned $15,000 to $24,999 |
31.2 |
| Earned $25,000 to $34,999 |
18.7 |
| Earned $35,000 to $49,999 |
13.9 |
| Earned $50,000 to $74,999 |
10.6 |
| Earned $75,000 or more |
11.8 |
| Naturalized Citizen |
8,072,453 |
| Earned $1 to $9,999, or
loss |
1.8 |
| Earned $10,000 to $14,999 |
3.9 |
| Earned $15,000 to $24,999 |
15.2 |
| Earned $25,000 to $34,999 |
16.7 |
| Earned $35,000 to $49,999 |
19.4 |
| Earned $50,000 to $74,999 |
19.8 |
| Earned $75,000 or more |
23.1 |
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN
LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |
| Full-Time, Year-Round
Workers in the United States, 2011 |
|
| Male |
$46,993 |
| Female |
$37,133 |
| Native Born |
|
| Male |
$50,056 |
| Female |
$38,044 |
| Foreign Born |
|
| Male |
$35,918 |
| Female |
$31,749 |
| Noncitizen |
|
| Male |
$28,507 |
| Female |
$24,347 |
| Naturalized Citizen |
|
| Male |
$47,547 |
| Female |
$38,419 |
| SHARE OF FAMILIES
IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE |
| All Families (Among Those for Whom
Poverty Status Is Determined) |
11.7 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
18.6 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
19.4 |
| Married-couple families |
5.8 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
8.8 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
7.4 |
| Families with female householder,
no husband present |
31.4 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
40.8 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
47.9 |
| Native-Born Families |
10.4 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
17.1 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
19.0 |
| Married-couple families |
4.3 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
6.2 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
5.6 |
| Families with female householder,
no husband present |
30.7 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
39.9 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
48.2 |
| Foreign-Born Families |
18.5 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
24.6 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
21.4 |
| Married-couple families |
13.8 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
17.9 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
14.5 |
| Families with female householder,
no husband present |
34.9 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
45.2 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
45.6 |
| Noncitizen |
27.9 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
34.0 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
28.2 |
| Married-couple families |
21.6 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
26.0 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
19.8 |
| Families with female householder,
no husband present |
49.3 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
57.5 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
55.7 |
| Naturalized Citizen |
10.4 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
13.4 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
11.1 |
| Married-couple families |
7.9 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
9.5 |
| With related children
under age 5 only |
7.4 |
| Families with female householder,
no husband present |
20.5 |
| With related children
under age 18 |
28.0 |
| With related children
under 5 age only |
27.4 |
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN
LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |
| Full-Time, Year-Round,
Foreign-Born Workers in the United States,
2011 |
|
| Male |
$35,918 |
| Female |
$31,749 |
| Entered the United
States in 2000 or Later |
|
| Male |
$28,087 |
| Female |
$26,262 |
| Entered the United
States between 1990 and 1999 |
|
| Male |
$34,501 |
| Female |
$30,801 |
| Entered the United
States before 1990 |
|
| Male |
$43,575 |
| Female |
$36,653 |
| FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH |
| Born in Africa |
1,634,828 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
20.9 |
| Born in Asia |
11,394,565 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
14.4 |
| Born in Europe |
4,809,854 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
10.6 |
| Born in Latin
America (South America, Central America,
Mexico, and the Caribbean) |
20,967,274 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
24.7 |
| Born in Northern
America (Canada, Bermuda, Greenland, and St. Pierre and
Miquelon) |
775,838 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
10 |
| Born in Oceania |
216,774 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
16.2 |
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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.
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 the United States by Language Spoken at Home, 2011 |
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Number |
Percent |
| Household Population of the United States
for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older |
284,005,339 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
43,341,948 |
15.3 |
| At or above 100 percent
of the poverty level |
240,663,391 |
84.7 |
| Speaks Only English |
224,620,301 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
30,496,756 |
13.6 |
| At or above 100 percent
of the poverty level |
194,123,545 |
86.4 |
| Speaks Spanish |
36,859,433 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
9,377,171 |
25.4 |
| At or above 100 percent
of the poverty level |
27,482,262 |
74.6 |
| Speaks Other Indo-European
Languages |
10,644,621 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
1,458,129 |
13.7 |
| At or above 100 percent
of the poverty level |
9,186,492 |
86.3 |
| Speaks Asian or
Pacific Island Languages |
9,281,736 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
1,314,849 |
14.2 |
| At or above 100 percent
of the poverty level |
7,966,887 |
85.8 |
| Speaks Other Languages |
2,599,248 |
100.0 |
| Below 100 percent of the
poverty level |
695,043 |
26.7 |
| At or above 100 percent
of the poverty level |
1,904,205 |
73.3 |
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Note: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated
individuals under the age of 15 (such as foster children) or for persons
lacking conventional housing.
Source: US Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey.
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling
error, click
here. |
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For data on these topics, click on the link: |
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