Among similarly developed economies, the United States stands out for its particularly high income inequality. The United States ranks among the wealthiest nations in the world, but the problem is only getting worse, with more than one in ten Americans living below the poverty line.

Between 2020 and 2021, the most recent year for available data, the number of Americans living below the poverty line increased from 38.4 million to 41.4 million. The 7.9% year-on-year increase marks a break from nearly a decade of poverty reduction trends.

Currently, the US poverty line is $14,580 for an individual and $30,000 for a family of four, with slightly higher thresholds in Alaska and Hawaii. The effects of living on such low incomes are far-reaching and potentially devastating. People living in poverty often struggle to meet basic needs such as food, shelter and medical care. In addition, stress caused by persistent poverty can negatively affect mental health and lead to increased incidence of depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

Five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey show that Apache County has the highest poverty rate of any Arizona county or comparable county. An estimated 33.9% of the local population lives below the poverty line, while the statewide poverty rate is her 13.5%.

Additionally, a typical household in the county has an annual income of $34,788, about $31,100 less than a typical Arizona household.

If poverty rates are not available in the 2021 ACS, if the population for which poverty status is determined is less than 1,000, or if sampling errors associated with county data are also considered, counties or county equivalents was not considered in the analysis. expensive.