Poverty Rates in Kansas

Working-Class Isolation in Poor Areas of Cities Worsens Problem

Jul 20, 2008

The poorest Americans living in major cities of Kansas do not get the same chances to succeed when they are packed into areas with low-quality education and health care.

With a poverty rate of 11.1%, Kansas finds itself tied with both Indiana and Nevada with the 30th highest poverty rate in the nation.

This is just slightly better than the poverty rate of Pennsylvania, and just slightly worse than the poverty rate of Wisconsin.

Where the Worst Poverty in Kansas Occurs

Interestingly, there are only two counties in Kansas in which the poverty rate rises or falls 50% above or below the state average. One of these counties has a critically high poverty rate, while the other has an unusually low poverty rate.

These two counties are right next to each other on the eastern border of Kansas. The county with a critically high poverty rate of 17.6% is Wyandotte County, and it is colored in red on the map below the article.

The county with an unusually low poverty rate of 5.4% is Johnson County, and it is located directly south of Wyandotte County.

This seemingly strange phenomenon offers a clear example of how poverty can be isolated with major cities. Wyandotte and Johnson County both have population densities near 1,000 people per square mile, which is much higher than the 32.9 people per square mile state average.

This is because both Wyandotte County and Johnson County are parts of the Kansas City metro area. However, Wyandotte has a much higher poverty rate, showing that much more of the poor population of the Kansas City metro area are isolated in the northern sections of the city.

Critical poverty rates (50% above the state average) in Kansas are found in the following major cities:

Why the Worst Poverty in Kansas Exists

Since the poverty in Kansas seems to be located in its major cities, it is evident that certain factors will be big parts of the problem.

One such factor is the much higher cost of living when living in a major city. This is due to the fact that people living in the city are completely reliant on the market for all of their basic needs, such as food, shelter, utilities, and health care.

However, when the poverty rates only reach critical levels in these cities, it shows that the lowest wages in the city are not enough to even afford the most basic cost of living.

Since it has been found that most of the extremely poor do work one or more jobs, it has become evident that just working is not enough to pull a household out of poverty.

Many of these poverty problems could be solved through urban planning techniques and policies, which are the focus of this blog.

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 Kansas

The Kansas Association of Community Action Programs is a great example of an organization working to link people together with a common goal of fighting poverty in their own state.

The KACAP helps several member agencies to be better able to pursue their own individual goals of helping to reduce poverty by organizing and directing efforts in a more focused manner.

Other organizations working to help improve the poverty situation in Kansas include the ACF Office of Community Services, CAPLAW, Kansas Department on Aging, Kansas Head Start Association, Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, and the Center for Community Futures.

References:

The copyright of the article Poverty Rates in Kansas in Poverty is owned by David Boston. Permission to republish Poverty Rates in Kansas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Mar 18, 2009 9:02 PM

Guest :

Raise the minimum wage you idiots.