2026-09-17 · housing
Census data shows US poverty rate drops to lowest on record, but experts are cautious
The Census Bureau's annual Current Population Survey release put the official 2025 poverty rate at 10.2 percent, down half a percentage point and the lowest on record, while the supplemental poverty measure was essentially unchanged at 13.1 percent. Real median household income rose 2.6 percent to a record $87,460. Researchers quoted by Stateline said the 2025 figures predate cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and other benefits enacted in last year's tax and spending law.
The data cover calendar 2025 and do not reflect safety-net cuts taking effect in 2026.