Census: Latest Arizona poverty rates reflect little growth from year prior

PHOENIX — Data released Thursday from the U.S. Census Bureau showed Arizona’s income and poverty rates remain nearly the same as the previous year data was collected.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey showed in 2014 18.2 percent of Arizonans live below the poverty line. That’s slightly down from 18.6 percent in 2013.

Tom Rex with the WP Carey School of Business said although the 2014 numbers slightly improved, the data is still disappointing.

“It’s not a very pretty picture yet, I would characterize the 2014 data as still disappointing,” he said. “We have at least turned the corner in terms of we’re now seeing some real gains in income and the poverty rate has dropped a little, but the emphasis is on ‘little.'”

Poverty is directly related to income, he said. Even though job growth has been good and unemployment is down, though not very much, the poverty rate’s remains unchanged.

“So that is at least suggestive that a lot of the jobs that are being created are either paying low wages, or they’re only part-time jobs,” Rex said.

Rex said the data is just another indication that Arizona’s recovery from the Great Recession has not improved much, despite the number of years the state has had to recover.

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