The poverty line in the US is the minimum income needed for a satisfactory standard of living, including basic necessities like food, shelter, and medical care. It varies by state, household size, and other factors. In 2010, over 46 million people lived below the poverty line. While many lack access to medical care, most have access to food and some own their own homes. Critics argue that the poverty line does not account for regional cost of living, which could result in a higher percentage of Americans living in poverty.
The poverty line, or poverty line, is used to mark the minimum income necessary to achieve a satisfactory standard of living. While this can mean different things in different parts of the world, in the United States, being above this threshold means having access to water, food, shelter, education, medical care, and adequate clothing. The poverty line varies widely depending on the state, the number of people living in the household, the number of children in the household, and factors such as disability and access to health care.
In the United States, the poverty line rises or falls each year based on the consumer price index and other factors. In 2010, a single person had to earn a minimum of $11,139 US dollars (USD) (more in Alaska and Hawaii) per year to stay over the threshold. A family of four needed a combined income of at least $22,113 USD. According to these guidelines, more than 46.2 million people in the United States lived in poverty that year.
Individuals who fall below the poverty line often lack basic things like microwave ovens, clothes dryers, and computers. Research has found that 91% of these households own a color TV and 52% own a stereo, however. Nearly 90 percent of Americans in poverty have regular access to food, either through food stamps or food assistance programs such as soup kitchens. A much higher percentage do not have access to medical care, and while some may be eligible for Medicaid or other government programs, most are not. This is especially true for adults, as children and the elderly are more likely to get free medical care.
An interesting note is that 46% of people falling within the poverty line own their own homes. This is a similar percentage to that obtained by people who have an acceptable income and do not receive state assistance. Of that 46%, some own a mobile home and some own a three-bedroom home, although overall housing conditions can vary widely. Many people living in poverty are in urgent need of basic home repairs, such as roof replacement or pipe installation, and have to go without them.
Critics of the current system used to determine the poverty line argue that the percentage of people living in poverty is actually much higher than it appears. This is because the line does not take into account some factors such as rent or the average price of a house. In other words, the threshold in the United States is the same regardless of the cost of living in the area (with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii). If the calculation took these factors into account, they argue, the percentage of Americans living in poverty would likely be much higher.
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