Salvation Army Report Concludes Americans Don't Have Accurate Picture of Poverty
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Poverty: Salvation Army Report Concludes Americans Don't Have Accurate Picture Of Poverty
Posted: 05/16/2012 1:52 pm Updated: 05/16/2012 2:37 pm
Americans don’t quite have an accurate picture of what poverty in the United States looks like, at least according to a new survey.
Released today, “Perceptions of Poverty: The Salvation Army’s Report to America” surveyed more than 1,000 Americans online in February. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
The perception by Americans of how much annual income makes a family “poor” is roughly 25 percent less than the actual federal poverty level. On average, Americans believe the annual income that makes a family “poor” is approximately $18,472 – almost $4,600 less than the federal poverty level for a family of four, which is $23,050.
Overall, Americans believe that 34 percent of the population is living in poverty. The level varies with income, with the belief that 40 percent of those earning less than $25,000 annually, compared to 37 percent among those earning $25,000 to $50,000 and about 27 percent among those earning more than $50,000. In reality, about 16 percent of Americans are living in poverty, or roughly 49 million people, according to The Salvation Army.
About two of every five Americans reported having received assistance from a charitable group, including food from food banks or financial assistance/housing support. Individuals who currently have lower household incomes are much more likely to have needed assistance, with 63 percent of Americans earning less than $25,000 having received assistance. Among Americans ages 35-54, nearly half said they received assistance at some point in
