Record number of people in poverty in 2010, US Census Bureau says

WASHINGTON — A record number of Americans were in poverty last year as households saw their income decrease, according to data released by the Census Bureau Tuesday demonstrating the weakness of the economy even after the recession ended.

The 46.2 million people in poverty in 2010 was the largest group for the 52 years that estimates have been published, and the number of people in poverty rose for the fourth consecutive year as the poverty rate climbed to 15.1 percent — the highest since 1993 — up from 14.3 percent in 2009.

Meanwhile, real median household income in 2010 was $49,445, down 2.3 percent from the prior year. Those with health insurance ticked higher to 256.2 million from 255.3 million in 2009.

For 2010 the poverty threshold for a four-person family, including two kids, was about $22,000. The official definition of poverty excludes certain benefits, such as food stamps and housing assistance.

Private health insurance covered about 64 percent of people in 2010, down from about 64.5 percent in the prior year, with such coverage trending down since 2001. Those covered by government health insurance rose to 31 percent from 30.6 percent. In 2010 about 9.8 percent of children under 18 were not insured.

The data on poverty comes as Congress debates a jobs package President Barack Obama introduced last week that includes payroll-tax reductions, and as Republican presidential candidates debate the best path forward for the economy.

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