The declared war on poverty is now more than 50 years old. A broad misunderstanding over the nature and prevalence of poverty hampers success in reducing poverty by addressing its root causes.
America's traditional poverty yardstick, the Official Poverty Measure, is more than 50 years old. It doesn't tell us much about the true nature of poverty as it doesn't account for differences in the cost of living from state-to-state or include a wide array of non-cash benefits that the poor receive or account for the common expenses they incur.
Analyzing all 50 states and D.C. with the U.S. Census Bureau's Supplemental Measure of Poverty, which accounts for cost of living, shows a very different picture of poverty, particularly when accounting for demographics.
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