For data on these topics, click on the link:

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

VIRGINIA
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Virginia:

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

Rankings
The following shows Virginia'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: 14 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 46 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 15 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 26 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 Virginia in 2011, 24.7 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 42.0 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Virginia in 2011, 5.6 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; 36.2 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 16.1 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 42.0 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 4.9 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 27.3 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 19.1 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 48.6 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 $43,818 compared to $37,391 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Virginia in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $37,391 for women and $43,818 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $28,801 and those of noncitizen men were $33,052. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $46,518 and naturalized-citizen men $61,991. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $41,228 for women and $54,655 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 Virginia living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 71.2 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 63,094 to 108,023, representing a change of 71.2 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 28,704 to 63,094 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 119.8 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, 12.2 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 12.2 percent of Virginia's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 11.2 percent in 2000 and 9.5 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 11.5 percent of the native-born population in Virginia 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 Virginia, 17.2 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 6.6 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Virginia in 2011, 17.2 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 6.6 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 Virginia, 10.8 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 10.8 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 13.4 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 (8.6 versus 35.4 percent).

In comparison, 7.8 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 13.0 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 (4.1 versus 34.8 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 Virginia, 17.2 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 9.2 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 7.9 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Virginia in 2011, 10.8 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 17.2 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 7.9 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 9.2 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 17.1 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 Virginia, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Virginia for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 5,975,784 100.0 6,869,246 100.0 7,854,282 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 618,435 10.3 663,581 9.7 905,914 11.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 443,799 7.4 484,127 7.0 605,977 7.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 4,913,550 82.2 5,721,538 83.3 6,342,391 80.8
Native Born 5,674,977 100.0 6,306,706 100.0 6,967,601 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 589,731 10.4 600,487 9.5 797,891 11.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 419,733 7.4 443,234 7.0 526,284 7.6
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 4,665,513 82.2 5,262,985 83.5 5,643,426 81.0
Foreign Born 300,807 100.0 562,540 100.0 886,681 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 28,704 9.5 63,094 11.2 108,023 12.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 24,066 8.0 40,893 7.3 79,693 9.0
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 248,037 82.5 458,553 81.5 698,965 78.8
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Virginia for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 893,462 15.0 1,878,498 31.4 985,036 14.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 45,146 7.3 287,479 46.5 242,333 36.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 40,328 9.1 162,178 36.5 121,850 25.2
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 807,988 16.4 1,428,841 29.1 620,853 10.9
Native Born 631,729 11.1 1,292,624 22.8 660,895 10.5
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10,756 1.8 208,160 35.3 197,404 32.9
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 23,501 5.6 106,551 25.4 83,050 18.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 597,472 12.8 977,913 21.0 380,441 7.2
Foreign Born 261,733 87.0 585,874 194.8 324,141 57.6
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 34,390 119.8 79,319 276.3 44,929 71.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 16,827 69.9 55,627 231.1 38,800 94.9
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 210,516 84.9 450,928 181.8 240,412 52.4
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 Virginia, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Virginia for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 7,854,282
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 15.4
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 73.1
Native Born 6,967,601
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 15.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 73.5
Foreign Born 886,681
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.3
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 69.6
Noncitizen 468,494
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 22.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 60.0
Naturalized Citizen 418,187
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6.6
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 13.1
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 80.3
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Virginia Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 2,901,672
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.8
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 13.5
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 15.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 18.6
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 20.6
Earned $75,000 or more 27.0
Native Born 2,477,192
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.8
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 12.5
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 14.8
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 19.1
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 21.3
Earned $75,000 or more 27.3
Foreign Born 424,480
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 19.1
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 17.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 16.1
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 16.4
Earned $75,000 or more 25.6
Noncitizen 203,529
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 25.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 21.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 15.4
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 12.3
Earned $75,000 or more 17.2
Naturalized Citizen 220,951
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 2.4
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 13.1
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 13
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 16.7
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 20.1
Earned $75,000 or more 33.4
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Virginia, 2011  
Male $52,805
Female $40,969
Native Born  
Male $54,655
Female $41,228
Foreign Born  
Male $43,818
Female $37,391
Noncitizen  
Male $33,052
Female $28,801
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $61,991
Female $46,518
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 8.2
With related children under age 18 13.0
With related children under age 5 only 13.0
Married-couple families 3.6
With related children under age 18 5.0
With related children under age 5 only 2.7
Families with female householder, no husband present 26.0
With related children under age 18 34.9
With related children under age 5 only 44.6
Native-Born Families 7.8
With related children under age 18 13.0
With related children under age 5 only 13.8
Married-couple families 3.0
With related children under age 18 4.1
With related children under age 5 only 2.1
Families with female householder, no husband present 25.8
With related children under age 18 34.8
With related children under age 5 only 46.4
Foreign-Born Families 10.8
With related children under age 18 13.4
With related children under age 5 only 9.4
Married-couple families 7.3
With related children under age 18 8.6
With related children under age 5 only 5.3
Families with female householder, no husband present 27.3
With related children under age 18 35.4
With related children under age 5 only 31.1
Noncitizen 16.8
With related children under age 18 19.9
With related children under age 5 only 13.2
Married-couple families 10.7
With related children under age 18 12.3
With related children under age 5 only 7.2
Families with female householder, no husband present 42.7
With related children under age 18 47.1
With related children under age 5 only 37.7
Naturalized Citizen 6.3
With related children under age 18 7.2
With related children under age 5 only 4.4
Married-couple families 5.0
With related children under age 18 5.5
With related children under age 5 only 3.1
Families with female householder, no husband present 12.2
With related children under age 18 18.2
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 Virginia, 2011  
Male $43,818
Female $37,391
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $37,495
Female $28,147
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $37,248
Female $33,486
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $47,729
Female $39,026
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 361,471
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 9.8
Born in Europe 100,409
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 5.6
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 323,609
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17.3
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 Virginia by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Virginia for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 7,353,200 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 817,823 11.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 6,535,377 88.9
Speaks Only English 6,243,945 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 671,764 10.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 5,572,181 89.2
Speaks Spanish 500,991 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 86,366 17.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 414,625 82.8
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 261,646 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 20,651 7.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 240,995 92.1
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 255,299 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 23,420 9.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 231,879 90.8
Speaks Other Languages 91,319 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15,622 17.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 75,697 82.9
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: