The
poverty rate is the percentage of people living below the poverty level or “threshold.” Each year, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget establishes a series of poverty thresholds for different family sizes and ages of household heads.
Among Maine's residents, the poverty rate for people under 18 . . .
- was 18.2 percent in 2010,
17.5 percent in 2009, and
13.7 percent in 1999;
- ranked 19th
– from lowest to highest – out of
the 50 states
in 2010.
The rate for people 65 and over. . .
- was 10.2 percent in 1999 and
14.0 percent in 1989.
- ranked 33rd
– from lowest to highest – out of
the 50 states
in 1999.
