Poverty Rates in Connecticut
Negative Stigma Hurts the Poor in Urban Areas of the State
Connecticut is one of the best states when it comes to poverty. With a poverty rating of 9.1%, it has the 6th lowest poverty rating in the United States.
This is just slightly better than the poverty rate of Maryland, and just slightly higher than the poverty rate of Hawaii.
Where the Worst Poverty in Connecticut Occurs
Poverty in Connecticut is not geographically isolated. The poverty in Connecticut occurs in poor sections of heavily populated cities.
Connecticut is a rare case in which there isn’t a single county with poverty rates either 50% above or below the state average. Every one of Connecticut’s counties have poverty rates near the state average.
That said, there are six major cities in Connecticut with poverty rates that are at least 50% above the average. This tells us that the poor people living in Connecticut are not geographically separated into entire poor cities, but that most of the poor people live in poor sections of large cities.
The six cities with critical levels of poverty (50% above the state average) in Connecticut are the following:
- Bridgeport (18.4%)
- Hartford (30.6%)
- New Britain (16.4%)
- New Haven (24.4%)
- New London (15.8%)
- Waterbury (16.0%)
Why the Worst Poverty in Connecticut Exists
Since poor people in Connecticut live primarily in poor sections of large cities, it is clear that stigma and low wages will play large roles.
Negative stigma will play a large role, because businesses will be less likely to want to expand into the poorer parts of the city. Also, teachers and health care professionals will be less likely to want to work in these areas of town.
These problems due to negative stigma make transportation a major problem as well. Many families living in these areas may share a single car or even have no car at all, making a job far from home very difficult to hold.
The jobs near home, however, will simply not pay enough to sustain a family. Plus, since the poverty rate in these areas are so high, every entry level job in the area will be in high demand, leaving many more people unemployed.
However, even if people do work in these poorer areas of Connecticut, which most of the poor do, it will not be enough to pull them out of poverty. Wages in these urban areas are simply too low to keep up with the constantly rising standard of living.
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 Connecticut
Poverty in Connecticut is being helped mainly by not-for-profit national and state organizations that are fighting to end poverty and hunger in Connecticut and across the country.
Since almost all of the poor people in Connecticut live in such urban areas, it is easy for these sorts of organizations to reach them. This could also be a key reason that the poverty rate in Connecticut is so low compared to other states.
Organizations like this include Habitat for Humanity, Brake the Cycle, the Shumway Capital Foundation, the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, and a host of other organizations.
National legislators also aided the fight against poverty by working to raise the country’s minimum wage. By raising the minimum wage we come one step closer to making it possible for every American to be able to afford the constantly rising cost of living.
References:
United States Census Bureau
