Poverty

Alternative Poverty Estimates in the United States: 2003 - Tables

These estimates are different from the official poverty estimates. There are two kinds of alternative poverty estimates in this report.

Tables for 2002 and 2003

Poverty Estimates based on Alternative Measures of Income

• Table 1. Poverty Estimates Based on Alternative Measures of Income: 2002 and 2003 [PDF – 651k]
• Table 2. Poverty Rate Estimates by Selected Demographic Characteristics and by Region, Based on Alternative Measures of Income: 2003 [PDF – 651k]
• Detailed Tables: Alternative Measures of Income and Poverty: 2003

Poverty Estimates based on National Academy of Sciences Recommendations

• Table 3. Alternative Poverty Estimates Based on National Academy of Sciences Recommendations, by Geographic and Inflationary Adjustments: 2002 and 2003 [PDF – 651k]
• Table 4. Alternative Poverty Estimates Based on National Academy of Sciences Recommendations, by Selected Demographic Characteristics and by Region: 2003 [PDF – 651k]

Tables Showing Many Years of Data

Poverty Estimates based on Alternative Measures of Income

• Table B-1. Percentage of People in Poverty, by Definition of Income: 1980 to 2003 [PDF – 651k]
• Table B-2. Percentage of People in Poverty, by Definition of Income: 1987 to 2003 (Poverty Thresholds Based on CPI-U-RS)* [PDF – 651k]

Poverty Estimates based on National Academy of Sciences Recommendations

• Table B-3. Official and National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Based Poverty Rates: 1999 to 2003 [PDF – 651k]

Tables Showing Effects of Revised Tax Model

The CPS ASEC, the survey that collects these data, does not ask respondents about their taxes. Thus, in order to analyze poverty using after-tax income, taxes had to be estimated using a tax model. The Census Bureau improved the model that estimated taxes. These tables show how revisions to the tax model affected the alternative poverty estimates. (Read technical paper about tax model "New Methods for Simulating CPS Taxes" [PDF – 121k] by Amy O'Hara.)

Poverty Estimates based on Alternative Measures of Income

• Table C-1. Poverty Rate Estimates Based on Alternative Measures of Income and Original and New Tax Models, by Selected Demographic Characteristics and by Region: 2003 [PDF – 651k]

Poverty Estimates based on National Academy of Sciences Recommendations

• Table C-2. Alternative Poverty Estimates Based on National Academy of Sciences Recommendations and Original and New Tax Models, by Selected Demographic Characteristics and by Region: 2003 [PDF – 651k]

* Learn more about CPI-U-RS »