U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P-60, No. 181, Poverty in the United States: 1991, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 1992

For sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.

Contents

Page

TEXT

Introduction....

Highlights....

Poverty in the United States: 1991....

Transitions Into and Out of Poverty

Collection and Limitations of Poverty Data..

Changes in the Educational Attainment Item

Related Reports

User Comments..

TEXT TABLES

....

A. Persons Below Poverty Level, by Detailed Race: 1990-91.

B. Percent of Persons in Poverty, by State: 1989, 1990, and 1991......

C. Number of Families Below the Poverty Level and Poverty Rate: 1959 to 1991 .....

D. Workers as a Proportion of All Poor Persons: 1978 to 1991..........

vii

vii

viii

xix

xxiii

XXV

xxvi

xxvii

X

xiv

XV

E. Program Participation Status of Household, by Poverty Status of Persons in 1991... xvii

Selected Characteristics of Persons, by Health Insurance Coverage Status and

Poverty Status: 1991 .......

xviii

xxi

xxii

Distribution of the Population Above and Below the Poverty Level, by Age: 1991 ....

States with Increases in Poverty Rates Based on Difference in 2-Year Moving

Average: 1989 to 1991

ix

XX

xii

DETAILED TABLES

Trends in Poverty Population

1.

Number, Poverty Rate, and Standard Errors of Persons, Families, and Unrelated

Individuals Below the Poverty Level in 1991 and 1990.....

2.

Poverty Status of Persons, by Family Relationship, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1959

to 1991 ......

2

3.

4.

Poverty Status of Persons, by Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1959 to 1991 .....

Poverty Status of Families, by Type of Family, Presence of Related Children, Race,

4

1991

Age, Sex, Household Relationship, Race and Hispanic Origin, by Ratio of Income to

Poverty Level in 1991 ......

5.

Age, Sex, Household Relationship, and Hispanic Origin, by Poverty Status of

Persons in 1991.........

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

...

Program Participation Status of Household, by Poverty Status of Persons in 1991...

Residence and Region, by Household Relationship, Race and Hispanic Origin and

Poverty Status of Persons in 1991 .....

Selected Characteristics of Persons Living in Poverty Areas, by Poverty Status in

1991....

Persons One Year Old and Over, by Current Residence, Residence One Year Ago

and Poverty Status in 1991

.....

Years of School Completed by Persons 25 Years and Over, by Age, Race,

Household Relationship, and Poverty Status in 1991

Enrollment and Educational Attainment of Persons 16 to 24 Years, by Poverty

Status in 1991.......

Number of Own Children, Marital Status and Work Experience in 1991 of Persons

16 Years and Over in Families, by Poverty Status in 1991 ..

Work Experience During Year, by Selected Characteristics and Poverty Status in

1991 of Civilians 16 Years Old and Over....

Reason for Not Working or Reason for Spending Time Out of Labor Force, by

Poverty Status in 1991 of Persons Who Did Not Work or Who Spent Time Out of

Labor Force....

Work Disability Status of Persons 16 to 64 Years Old, by Poverty Status in 1991 ... 91

Ratio of Income to Poverty Level Distribution, by Selected Characteristics in 1991...

Number of Children and Type of Family, by Poverty Status of Families, Subfamilies,

and Persons in Families in 1991.......

16.

17.

97

18.

100

19.

20.

Work Experience of Family Members, by Poverty Status of Families in 1991....

Sources of Income, by Ratio of Income to Poverty Threshold in 1991 for Families

and Unrelated Individuals

21.

Poverty Status in 1991 of Families and Persons, by Region, Division, and Type of

Residence.....

137

22.

Income Deficit or Surplus of Families and Unrelated Individuals, by Poverty Status

in 1991 ......

145

23. Poverty Thresholds, by Size of Family and Number of Related Children in 1991.... 148

24. Health Insurance Coverage Status, by Poverty Status of Persons in 1991

149

APPENDIXES

A. Definitions, Explanations, and Comparability of Data..........

Definitions and Explanations.....

A-1

A-1

Comparability of Estimates from March 1992 CPS with Estimates for Previous

Years......

APPENDIX TABLES

A-1. Income Sources Included in Monthly Cash Income (SIPP)..

A-4

A-2.

The Consumer Price Index and Average Poverty Threshold for a Family of Four:
1959 to 1991 .....

A-6

Under 18 Years Old.......

A-8

A-3. Poverty Thresholds in 1991, by Size of Family and Number of Related Children

B-1. CPS Standard Errors of Estimated Numbers for Poverty and Income: 1991........... B-4
B-2. CPS Standard Errors of Estimated Percentages for Poverty and Income: 1991....... B-5
B-3. CPS Standard Error Parameters for Poverty, Income, and Nonincome
B-7
B-4. CPS Factors to Apply to the a and b Parameters for Estimates Prior to 1991 ........ B-8
B-5. CPS Standard Error Parameters for Poverty, Income, and Nonincome

B-6.

Characteristics: 1991

....

Characteristics of Hispanics: 1972-1983......

1991 CPS Standard Error Parameters for Poverty, Income, and Nonincome
Characteristics....

B-9

B-10

B-7. CPS Year-To-Year Correlation Coefficients for Poverty and Income Estimates....... B-10 B-8. SIPP Standard Errors of Estimated Numbers of Persons for 1987 Panel File..... B-12 B-9. SIPP Standard Errors of Estimated Percentages of Persons for 1987 Panel File..... B-12 B-10 SIPP Generalized Variance Parameters for Estimates Using Panel Weights - 1987 Longitudinal Panel File ......

C-1.

B-12

......

Comparison of CPS Aggregate Money Income Concepts in 1987 with Independent
Estimates of Aggregate Money Income Adjusted to CPS Money Income Concepts,
by Type of Income and Reported and Imputed CPS Amounts: 1987....
C-2. Comparison of Independent Sources of Income for 1987....

C-2
C-4