Sep. 30--DURHAM -- The proportion of North Carolinians living in poverty has increased this decade as the state's median household income has declined, according to new statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday.
The median income of households in the state was $46,549 in 2008, with about 1.3 million people, or 14.6 percent of the total population, living in poverty. Twenty percent of children under 18 were living below the poverty level, as well as 11 percent of seniors 65 years and older.
The recession has taken a toll on North Carolina's economy in the past year, sending unemployment soaring to 10.8 percent as of August, nearly double the 6.6 percent unemployment rate from August 2008.
As a result, the food stamp participation also soared in the past year, according to the N.C. Justice Center, which showed significant changes in the major counties.
The Triangle fared well by comparison. Durham County's food stamp participation increased from 24,586 households in 2008 to 30,370 households in 2009. Orange County also saw an increase from 6,847 to 8,499 households. Wake County's food stamp participation increased from 48,253 to 60,746 households.
The 2008 poverty rate for the three counties did not reflect the increase in food stamps.
Durham County's poverty rate decreased in 2008 from 2007 by 2.6 percentage points, to 13.6 percent. Orange County and Wake County saw increases in their poverty rates, by 0.4 percentage point to 14.5 percent for Orange County, and by 0.8 percentage point to 8.5 percent for Wake County.
Meg Wiehe, a policy analyst with the N.C. Justice Center's Budget & Tax Center, noted the greater significance of comparing statistics from 2008 to 2000.
The poverty rate numbers only take into account 2008 data, which might not reflect all the repercussions from the recession, which is why 2009 numbers show more impact in the food stamps.
"I hope that 2009 won't be quite as bad as we suspect because of all the federal assistance," Wiehe said, pointing to increases in subsidies for food stamp. The Unemployment Insurance has also been extended multiple times by the federal government, and the U.S. House of Representatives recently approved another extension.
"One thing those numbers really highlight is that both the Census numbers and other indicators was the policy-makers did the right thing by taking a balanced approach to the budget crisis," Wiehe said. "It's nonsensical to cut education and health care at the same time that those families need those services."
Durham County's median household income was $51,028 in 2008. Orange, $54,390; Wake, $65,180.
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