Poverty

The Poverty Line

The U.S. Census Bureau designates the official poverty mGrocery Shoppingeasure (OPM) comparing pre-tax household income to what’s needed to cover basic needs, adjusted by family size. The 2022 U.S. poverty levels are:

Household SizePoverty Guideline
1$13,590
2$18,310
3$23,030
4$27,750
5$32,470
6$37,190
7$41,910
8$46,630

*For families/households with more than 8 persons, add 
$4,720 for each additional person.

San Joaquin Residents in Poverty

This graph shows the percentage of San Joaquin County residents whose household income is lower than the designated U.S. poverty guidelines based on their household size. Those in "Deep Poverty" are defined as having income below 50% of the poverty level. 

The California Poverty Measure

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) devised an updated poverty threshold that takes into account costs and standards of living on a regional level, called the California Poverty Measure (CPM). As of Fall 2021, the poverty rate in San Joaquin County is 7.7% (+/- 1.5). The number of people in poverty is 57,300 (+/- 11,400). The child poverty rate is 4.1% (+/- 2.0). Lastly, the poverty (CPM) threshold for a family of four that is renting is $31,398.

Food Stamps

One safety net for those below the poverty line is SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps). San Joaquin County has continued to experience an increase in the percent of households that receive this benefit, surpassing the U.S. average.

What kinds of households are SNAP recipients? Most households had one or more family member work in the past 12 months, while 12.9% had no workers.

Resources

  1. Poverty in California - Fact Sheet Oct 2022
  2. Public Policy Institute of California
  3. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts - San Joaquin County