Community Indicator

Poverty Rate

- All residents are safe, supported and able to care for themselves
About this measure

The poverty rate identifies the percent of people living below the poverty line. The poverty line is set by the Federal Government and the threshold is adjusted based on family size and makeup (breakout of children versus adults in family). If total family income is less than the poverty line based on the makeup and size of the family, then that family and each individual in that family are said to be living in poverty.

Data are reported by the Cuyahoga County Office of Innovation and Performance on an annual basis.
Why is this important?

This measure identifies the overall economic health of the local community and identifies inequalities in economic growth. It also provides an understanding of the size of the population that is in need of services to meet basic needs.
Related Key Government Measures

This is a community indicator measure. It is provided to show an understanding of overall community health. The County government does not directly control the outcome of this measure; however, a number of programs and initiatives the County is undertaking can have an impact. Related government measures include: 
Data Source

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (S1701) (1-Year Estimates) 

  • Updated in September, with a 1-year lag.
  • Details on the United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey race and ethnicity standards can be found here.  
  • Data table abbreviated due to number of measures.  See Attachments for full data table. 

Please note: 2020 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates data is unavailable due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on data collection.
Poverty Rate - Annual Performance
Poverty Rate (by Year)
Bar chart with 7 data series.
Bar chart shows the percent of people living below the poverty line in Cuyahoga County by race and ethnicity by calendar year. See data table for details.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying categories.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying Poverty Rate. Range: 0 to 50.
End of interactive chart.
Community Indicator
Poverty Rate - Comparative Analysis
Comparative Analysis: Poverty Rate
Poverty Rate (Comparative Analysis)
Bar chart with 9 data series.
Bar chart shows the 2019 poverty rate for comparative counties. Cuyahoga: 16.1% Allegheny: 10.8% Franklin: 13.4% Montgomery: 15.5% Hamilton: 14.5% Hillsborough: 13.5% Lucas: 18.2% Marion: 15.0% Summit: 14.3%
The chart has 1 X axis displaying categories.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 0 to 20.
End of interactive chart.
Attachments
  • Cuyahoga County Poverty Rate Data Table (Excel)
Measure Data
Last Calculated 2 months ago
Period Status Poverty Rate Black White American Indian and Alaska Native Asian Hispanic or Latino Two or more races
2015 Community Indicator 18.20% 33.70% 10.20% 47.00% 16.70% 30.50% 21.50%
2016 Community Indicator 18.10% 31.80% 11.10% 11.50% 27.40% 29.80%
2017 Community Indicator 18.00% 32.30% 10.40% 17.70% 29.60% 27.30%
2018 Community Indicator 17.70% 31.80% 10.80% 11.10% 27.80% 23.90%
2019 Community Indicator 16.10% 27.30% 9.60% 41.10% 14.20% 31.60% 26.30%
2020 Community Indicator
2021 Community Indicator
2022 Not Defined