Where Are the Poor in America? States Ranked by Poverty

Visual Capitalist ^ | 09/29/25 | Pallavi Rao

[FreedomPoster]

Someone was doing something like that in a recent thread, comparing median income with cost of living. California has a very high median income, but when you adjust for COL, it doesn’t look so great.

[Bobbyvotes]

Real intelligent point.
Versus AI 😂

[ansel12]

“”””A good look at San Francisco and LA belies that. Oh we spend a lot, but the poor don’t see much of it and would blow the dough if they did. A lot of “middle class” people here are in vehicles.”””””

No it doesn’t, it is a good state to be welfare poor in because of all the programs and allowances for various living expenses, and the aggressive nature of the program workers to give them to the poor, even the homeless flock to California because it is easier to be homeless there.

[Carry_Okie]

even the homeless flock to California because it is easier to be homeless there.

You've obviously never been homeless. It's easier to be homeless here because of the weather.

[ansel12]

You lived on the streets in California?
Homeless flock to California for more than weather, for one thing it is an extremely friendly to homeless state and with tons of help groups and state aid, and to get back to the poor, the state is good for them not because it will make them not poor, no state does that, California helps the poor with lots of programs and with generous payouts in those programs, even utilities, and the state doesn’t resist people applying, it is very helpful to them and welcoming them to those programs, unlike some states.

[Carry_Okie]

You lived on the streets in California?

Oakland 1973.