For data on these topics, click on the link:

Return to the US map
Print Page Print | Email Page Email | Bookmark page Bookmark

UTAH
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Utah:

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

Rankings
The following shows Utah'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: 25 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 14 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 24 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 17 out of 51

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.

Earnings of Full-Time Workers
(This sheet describes earnings of civilian employed workers)

In Utah in 2011, 42.5 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 19.1 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Utah in 2011, 13.9 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; 47.9 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 19.1 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 19.1 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 5.7 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 29.7 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 22.5 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 42.1 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 $31,515 compared to $23,115 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Utah in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $23,115 for women and $31,515 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $19,886 and those of noncitizen men were $28,954. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $31,152 and naturalized-citizen men $40,825. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $34,598 for women and $50,347 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 Utah living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 87.6 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 30,307 to 56,854, representing a change of 87.6 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 11,551 to 30,307 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 162.4 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, 24.2 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 24.2 percent of Utah's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 19.4 percent in 2000 and 20.9 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 12.5 percent of the native-born population in Utah 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 Utah, 30.5 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 13.2 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Utah in 2011, 30.5 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 13.2 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 Utah, 24.5 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 24.5 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 30.3 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 (21.8 versus 58.2 percent).

In comparison, 8.6 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 12.0 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 (6.4 versus 35.7 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 Utah, 27.8 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 19.7 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 15.2 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Utah in 2011, 10.9 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 27.8 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 15.2 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 19.7 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 43.1 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 Utah, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Utah for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 1,693,064 100.0 2,198,615 100.0 2,771,344 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 195,319 11.5 211,755 9.6 374,859 13.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 170,463 10.1 174,968 8.0 249,291 9.0
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 1,327,282 78.4 1,811,892 82.4 2,147,194 77.5
Native Born 1,637,787 100.0 2,042,103 100.0 2,536,222 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 183,768 11.2 181,448 8.9 318,005 12.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 163,336 10.0 154,670 7.6 222,569 8.8
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 1,290,683 78.8 1,705,985 83.5 1,995,648 78.7
Foreign Born 55,277 100.0 156,512 100.0 235,122 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11,551 20.9 30,307 19.4 56,854 24.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 7,127 12.9 20,298 13.0 26,722 11.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 36,599 66.2 105,907 67.7 151,546 64.5
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Utah for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 505,551 29.9 1,078,280 63.7 572,729 26.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 16,436 8.4 179,540 91.9 163,104 77.0
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 4,505 2.6 78,828 46.2 74,323 42.5
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 484,610 36.5 819,912 61.8 335,302 18.5
Native Born 404,316 24.7 898,435 54.9 494,119 24.2
Below 100 percent of the poverty level -2,320 -1.3 134,237 73.0 136,557 75.3
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level -8,666 -5.3 59,233 36.3 67,899 43.9
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 415,302 32.2 704,965 54.6 289,663 17.0
Foreign Born 101,235 183.1 179,845 325.4 78,610 50.2
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 18,756 162.4 45,303 392.2 26,547 87.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 13,171 184.8 19,595 274.9 6,424 31.6
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 69,308 189.4 114,947 314.1 45,639 43.1
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 Utah, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Utah for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 2,771,344
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 19.9
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 66.6
Native Born 2,536,222
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 19.1
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 68.3
Foreign Born 235,122
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 24.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 28.1
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 47.7
Noncitizen 149,527
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 30.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 32.5
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 37.0
Naturalized Citizen 85,595
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 20.5
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 66.3
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Utah Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 813,086
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.7
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.8
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 22.1
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 21.4
Earned $75,000 or more 17.9
Native Born 714,336
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.8
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.9
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 12.9
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 16.8
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 22.5
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.8
Earned $75,000 or more 19.3
Foreign Born 98,750
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 10.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 28.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.3
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 19.1
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 11.1
Earned $75,000 or more 8
Noncitizen 57,642
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 4.5
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 12.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 33.8
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 15.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 7.2
Earned $75,000 or more 5.7
Naturalized Citizen 41,108
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.4
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 6.9
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 21.2
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.3
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 24.5
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 16.5
Earned $75,000 or more 11.1
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Utah, 2011  
Male $47,573
Female $32,843
Native Born  
Male $50,347
Female $34,598
Foreign Born  
Male $31,515
Female $23,115
Noncitizen  
Male $28,954
Female $19,886
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $40,825
Female $31,152
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 10.4
With related children under age 18 14.8
With related children under age 5 only 17.5
Married-couple families 6.1
With related children under age 18 8.6
With related children under age 5 only 10.4
Families with female householder, no husband present 31.7
With related children under age 18 40.1
With related children under age 5 only 49.1
Native-Born Families 8.6
With related children under age 18 12.0
With related children under age 5 only 16.5
Married-couple families 4.9
With related children under age 18 6.4
With related children under age 5 only 9.5
Families with female householder, no husband present 28.2
With related children under age 18 35.7
With related children under age 5 only 47.4
Foreign-Born Families 24.5
With related children under age 18 30.3
With related children under age 5 only 26.1
Married-couple families 17.4
With related children under age 18 21.8
With related children under age 5 only 18.5
Families with female householder, no husband present 49.7
With related children under age 18 58.2
With related children under age 5 only 60.4
Noncitizen 30.8
With related children under age 18 35.4
With related children under age 5 only 32.6
Married-couple families 22.5
With related children under age 18 26.1
With related children under age 5 only 20.3
Families with female householder, no husband present 56.3
With related children under age 18 64.2
With related children under age 5 only 69.7
Naturalized Citizen 16.7
With related children under age 18 22.6
With related children under age 5 only 14.2
Married-couple families 11.5
With related children under age 18 15.4
With related children under age 5 only 15.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 39.5
With related children under age 18 48.0
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 Utah, 2011  
Male $31,515
Female $23,115
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $25,799
Female $20,001
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $29,972
Female $21,805
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $42,733
Female $29,656
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 39,266
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 23.6
Born in Europe 24,822
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.4
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 136,305
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 25
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 Utah by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Utah for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 2,511,482 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 328,759 13.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 2,182,723 86.9
Speaks Only English 2,137,453 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 232,252 10.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 1,905,201 89.1
Speaks Spanish 254,461 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 70,793 27.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 183,668 72.2
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 49,521 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 7,513 15.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 42,008 84.8
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 51,249 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10,104 19.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 41,145 80.3
Speaks Other Languages 18,798 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 8,097 43.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 10,701 56.9
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: