Poverty Rates in California
The Working Poor in Major Cities are Hurt More
With a poverty rate of 13.2%, California has the 17th highest poverty rate in the country.
This is just slightly better than the poverty rate of Montana, but just slightly higher than the poverty rate of Missouri.
Though California is not as bad as other high population states such as New York or Texas, it still translates into a little more than 4,800,000 people living in poverty.
Where the Worst Poverty in California Occurs
The poverty in California is almost all located in major cities. In fact, there are 36 major cities in California in which the poverty reaches critical levels.
However, there are only two counties in which the poverty levels reach a critical level, and these are Tulare and Fresno in south-central California.
The major cities that have reached a critical poverty level, or 50% higher than the state average, are the following in alphabetical order:
- Bell (24.1%)
- Bell Gardens (27.3%)
- Berkeley (20.0%)
- Calexico (25.7%)
- Chico (26.6%)
- Compton (28.0%)
- Davis (24.5%)
- Delano (28.2%)
- El Centro (22.8%)
- El Monte (26.1%)
- Eureka (23.7%)
- Fresno (26.2%)
- Hawthorne (20.3%)
- Highland (21.5%)
- Huntington Park (25.2%)
- Indio (21.5%)
- Inglewood (22.5%)
- Long Beach (22.8%)
- Los Angeles (22.1%)
- Lynwood (23.5%)
- Madera (32.5%)
- Maywood (24.5%)
- Merced (27.9%)
- National City (22.0%)
- Paramount (21.9%)
- Perris (20.4%)
- Pomona (21.6%)
- Porterville (25.7%)
- Rosemead (22.8%)
- Sacramento (20.0%)
- San Bernardino (27.6%)
- San Luis Obispo (26.6%)
- Santa Ana (19.8%)
- Stockton (23.9%)
- Tulare (20.7%)
- West Sacramento (22.3%)
Why the Worst Poverty in California Exists
Ok, so the poverty in California almost always occurs in heavily populated urban areas, so what?
So, this means that poverty in California is linked to the market, which controls the price of all of life’s essentials. This includes things like food, shelter, utilities, health care, higher education, and insurance.
What isn’t always thought about is that most of America’s poorest people work. The poor people in California’s urban areas simply do not make enough money to pay what the market charges them for basic goods and services essential to life.
Low wages, part-time positions with scattered hours, and high competition for entry level jobs in major cities are all problems that California’s poor are faced with today. With no ability to save up assets due to high costs of living, it is almost impossible to climb out of poverty or to even pave the way to better lives for children.
All of this aside, it is important to keep in mind that the reasons for poverty are as unique as the individuals who live through it. Though finding trends in a specific area is important, no generalization can account for everyone.
What is Being Done about Poverty in California
Because of the extremely high number of people living in poverty in California, there are luckily many different organizations attempting to fight poverty in the state. Many of these organizations are national organizations that simply devote a lot of resources to California.
Also, the fact that the poor in California are located in urban areas makes it easier for relief organizations to reach them. However, the sheer number of people living in poverty in California seems to offset the increased amount of aid directed towards them.
Some of the national and California-based organizations working to help the poor here are the National Center for Children in Poverty, Alpha Project, Just Neighbors, L.A. Family Housing, Save the Children, and a host of other poverty-fighting organizations.
Efforts by legislators to raise the minimum wage were also a tremendous help to poor people living in urban areas, like the people in California.
References:
United States Census Bureau
