Census Tracts in Persistent poverty in Metro Areas and Cities

Abstract

In May 2023, The Census Bureau published a report that identified both counties and census tracts that are in "persistent poverty". Persistent poverty was defined by the authors as a geography having a poverty rate of 20% or higher for a 30-year period. It was found that the use of census tracts identified 9 million more people as living in a persistent poverty area compared to counties. Federal agencies have largely used the county model in determining geographies that are eligible for resources based on poverty rates and therefore were potentially missing large swaths of population in counties not considered to be in persistent poverty. This current work examines the spatial locations of the 9 million people living in persistent poverty census tracts that were not within an identified county. This was done through the lens of the 100 most populous places (cities) and 50 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Metro areas or MSAs). From these spatial perspectives, populations that could benefit from additional resources were identified. Additionally, many census tracts in persistent poverty but not within a persistent poverty county were found clustered in less populous areas and are identified in this study. Case studies of several cities and metro areas are used to show where many of the unaccounted-for people living in a persistent poverty census tract are located within the larger metro area or city context. Economic variables, such as median income and unemployment are used to examine trends among these census tracts.