Factors associated with poverty are wide in scope and can vary by area. It is no surprise that higher poverty rates in a particular geographic area are frequently associated with lower median incomes (and vice versa), but it is always interesting to see if any outliers exist. This visualization allows you to look for those outliers by seeing how median income and poverty rates have changed across the country over time.

Instructions: Select a state using the drop down menu on the right and select multiple counties to compare by clicking the dots while holding shift. The graphs on the left show median income and poverty rates.

Sources: Data for poverty percentages and median household income were pulled from the U.S. Census Bureau website at http://www.census.gov/did/www/saipe/data/statecounty/data/2009.html. Select the desired year to view on the left side and download the data listed under "Excel Format" (which is what was used for this visualization). CACS is not responsible for the accuracy of data received from outside sources. Please email us at info@cacs.org if you believe you have found an error in the visualization.