The 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) data released on Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Indiana families are fairing far worse than they did during the 2001 national recession.
Perhaps most disconcerting is that Hoosiers median household income has drastically decreased. In 2008, the median household income in Indiana was $47,966, below the national average of $52,029. This is a decrease from $49,271 (in 2008 dollars) in 2007. However, what is more concerning, the 2007 and 2008 median household incomes were lower than the Indiana median household income of $51,005 (in 2008 dollars) in 2000.
According to the ACS data, 807,506 Hoosiers were living at or below poverty in 2008 ($21,200 for a family of four). Although Indiana's poverty rate of 13.1% was slightly below the national average of 13.2% in 2008, it is a significant increase from 12.3% in 2007. The number of Hoosiers in poverty has increased significantly in Indiana since 2000, when Indiana's poverty rate was 10.1%. This is reflective of the decrease seen in Hoosiers median household income, as well as, the impact of the recession, as reflected in the increased number of job losses and growing unemployment rate in Indiana.
Sadly, our children are suffering the most. The childhood poverty rate in Indiana is 17.9% in 2008 (276,430 children). That’s a 1.2% increase from 2007. Childhood poverty has also steadily increased in Indiana since 2000, when the child poverty rate was 14.3%.
The newly released Census data displays a rise in total poverty since 2007, but doesn’t reflect the most current economic struggles because the data was collected in August 2008. We can predict with near certainty that there are even more persons living in poverty in Indiana today than there were in 2008 as the current unemployment rate is much higher now.
We must not let this situation get still worse. This data should be a warning sign to state officials and community organizations that more needs to be done to help working Hoosier families through these difficult economic times as the number of Hoosiers living below the poverty guidelines continues to grow.
For more information visit the Indiana Community Action Association’s Web site, www.incap.org.
Source: Indiana Community Action Association (INCAA)
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