For data on these topics, click on the link:

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

VERMONT
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Vermont:

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

Rankings
The following shows Vermont'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: 51 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 51 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 51 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 51 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 Vermont in 2011, 19.7 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 33.7 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Vermont in 2011, 5.8 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; 35.9 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 24.5 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 33.7 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 5.9 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 31.8 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 24.3 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 38.1 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 $42,648 compared to $32,311 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Vermont in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $32,311 for women and $42,648 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $31,121 and those of noncitizen men were $38,098. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $35,885 and naturalized-citizen men $45,213. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $37,424 for women and $45,245 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 Vermont living below the federal poverty threshold changed by -16.2 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 2,349 to 1,968, representing a change of -16.2 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 1,726 to 2,349 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 36.1 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, 8.5 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 8.5 percent of Vermont's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 10.7 percent in 2000 and 10.8 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 11.6 percent of the native-born population in Vermont 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 Vermont, 21.9 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 10.7 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Vermont in 2011, 21.9 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 10.7 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 Vermont, 11.3 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 11.3 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 16.2 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 (9.3 versus 44.1 percent).

In comparison, 7.4 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 (5.0 versus 36.1 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 Vermont, 17.5 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 14.4 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 11.3 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Vermont in 2011, 10.7 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 17.5 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 11.3 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 14.4 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 35.3 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 Vermont, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Vermont for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 538,449 100.0 589,701 100.0 601,236 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 52,509 9.8 54,985 9.3 69,075 11.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 45,590 8.5 49,682 8.4 51,548 8.6
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 440,350 81.8 485,034 82.3 480,613 79.9
Native Born 522,461 100.0 567,715 100.0 578,128 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 50,783 9.7 52,636 9.3 67,107 11.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 44,098 8.4 47,455 8.4 49,106 8.5
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 427,580 81.8 467,624 82.4 461,915 79.9
Foreign Born 15,988 100.0 21,986 100.0 23,108 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,726 10.8 2,349 10.7 1,968 8.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 1,492 9.3 2,227 10.1 2,442 10.6
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 12,770 79.9 17,410 79.2 18,698 80.9
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Vermont for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 51,252 9.5 62,787 11.7 11,535 2.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 2,476 4.7 16,566 31.5 14,090 25.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 4,092 9.0 5,958 13.1 1,866 3.8
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 44,684 10.1 40,263 9.1 -4,421 -0.9
Native Born 45,254 8.7 55,667 10.7 10,413 1.8
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,853 3.6 16,324 32.1 14,471 27.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 3,357 7.6 5,008 11.4 1,651 3.5
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 40,044 9.4 34,335 8.0 -5,709 -1.2
Foreign Born 5,998 37.5 7,120 44.5 1,122 5.1
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 623 36.1 242 14.0 -381 -16.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 735 49.3 950 63.7 215 9.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 4,640 36.3 5,928 46.4 1,288 7.4
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 Vermont, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Vermont for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 600,951
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 17.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 71.2
Native Born 577,375
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11.7
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 17.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 71.4
Foreign Born 23,576
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.1
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 66.8
Noncitizen 9,355
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 21.9
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 19.9
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 58.2
Naturalized Citizen 14,221
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10.7
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 16.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 72.4
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Vermont Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 211,416
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.5
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 12.3
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 24.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.4
Earned $75,000 or more 15.5
Native Born 202,819
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 12.2
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.6
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 24.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.5
Earned $75,000 or more 15.6
Foreign Born 8,597
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 13.9
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 22
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 24.5
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 19.5
Earned $75,000 or more 14.2
Noncitizen 3,625
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.4
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 20.4
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 25.5
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 18.4
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 16.5
Earned $75,000 or more 12
Naturalized Citizen 4,972
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 0.8
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 9.1
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 29
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 21.8
Earned $75,000 or more 15.8
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Vermont, 2011  
Male $45,137
Female $37,286
Native Born  
Male $45,245
Female $37,424
Foreign Born  
Male $42,648
Female $32,311
Noncitizen  
Male $38,098
Female $31,121
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $45,213
Female $35,885
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 7.6
With related children under age 18 13.2
With related children under age 5 only 20.0
Married-couple families 3.7
With related children under age 18 5.2
With related children under age 5 only 6.1
Families with female householder, no husband present 27.5
With related children under age 18 36.4
With related children under age 5 only 54.6
Native-Born Families 7.4
With related children under age 18 13.0
With related children under age 5 only 20.8
Married-couple families 3.5
With related children under age 18 5.0
With related children under age 5 only 6.4
Families with female householder, no husband present 27.3
With related children under age 18 36.1
With related children under age 5 only 54.9
Foreign-Born Families 11.3
With related children under age 18 16.2
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 6.8
With related children under age 18 9.3
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 35.1
With related children under age 18 44.1
With related children under age 5 only N
Noncitizen 19.2
With related children under age 18 23.3
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 15.1
With related children under age 18 21.2
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 31.8
With related children under age 18 36.6
With related children under age 5 only N
Naturalized Citizen 6.9
With related children under age 18 11.2
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 2.4
With related children under age 18 N
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 37.1
With related children under age 18 50.1
With related children under 5 age only -
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Vermont, 2009  
Male $42,648
Female $32,311
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $33,699
Female $27,011
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $42,194
Female $39,949
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $65,103
Female $50,227
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Europe 7,989
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 9.1
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
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 Vermont by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Vermont for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 570,998 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 61,983 10.9
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 509,015 89.1
Speaks Only English 543,122 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 58,084 10.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 485,038 89.3
Speaks Spanish 5,787 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,015 17.5
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 4,772 82.5
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 17,340 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,965 11.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 15,375 88.7
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 3,620 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 520 14.4
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 3,100 85.6
Speaks Other Languages 1,129 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 399 35.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 730 64.7
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: