Earlier this month, the U.S. Census Bureau released the American Community Survey data for 2010, including Seattle and King County poverty rates. For more information on the breakdown of these rates by race and ethnicity, please click on this link.
Poverty up, household income down: report
Household incomes shrank for a second year in 2009, as the recession eroded the share of American families earning more than $100,000 and swelled the ranks of people who are poor or barely making it. Income estimates out on Sept. 28 from the American Community Survey, a wide array of census statistics reported annually, show the recession’s effect on millions of families.
The median income of $50,221 is down about 4 percent from its peak since the recession began in December 2007. Median household income that year was $52,384. About $1,500 of that loss occurred last year. The story was no different in the Seattle area. In King County, the median household income was down 4.7 percent, to $67,806. Snohomish County households fared slightly better, slipping 3.1 percent to $64,658. The percentage of King County households making $100,000 and more declined from 32.2 percent to 31 percent, and the percentage of those making less than $25,000 increased from 15.8 percent to 16.7 percent.
For more details read this article in the Seattle Times.
New demographic study: Seattle ‘Next Frontier’
In a preview of what the 2010 Census may reveal, a new study by the Brookings Institution, “The State of Metroplitan America,” shows the demographic transformation that is taking place in the U.S, especially in urban areas. Along with several other U.S. cities, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellvue is termed a “Next Frontier” area because it exceeds national averages on population growth, diversity and educational attainment. For the Seattle Times article on this report, click here .
