Poverty rates higher for blacks and Hispanics than whites and Asians

By Carol Morello,February 20, 2013

Blacks and Hispanics in Maryland and Virginia are much more likely to be poor than whites or Asians there, but their poverty rates are still lower than the national average, the Census Bureau said Wednesday.

A census report on poverty rates for various racial and ethnic groups found poverty widespread among American Indians, blacks and Hispanics.

Nationwide, during 2007 and 2011, which encompasses the recession and the immediate aftermath, 43 million Americans — or slightly more than 14 percent — lived in poverty. But not every group was impacted equally. The poverty rate was 27 percent for American Indians, 26 percent for African Americans and 23 percent for Hispanics. Among whites and Asians, less than 12 percent were poor. The federal threshold for poverty is about $11,500 in annual income for an individual and about $23,000 for a family of four.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-20/local/37193481_1_poverty-rates-blacks-hispanics