[US Census Data] Poverty figures continue to grow

From The Derrick

By JUDITH O. ETZEL

The latest Census data shows one of eight tri-county residents was living below the poverty line in 2003.

U.S. Census data released Tuesday shows the number of people living below the poverty level continues to grow in most rural Pennsylvania counties.

Most notably, the poverty figures for Venango and Clarion counties have gone up while Forest County registered a slight drop.

The information, however, is not current. The U.S. Census Bureau chose 2003 as the year to compute the statistics.

Nevertheless, the figures point to a stubborn economic problem for this region: nearly one in every eight residents in the tri-county area was living below the poverty line two years ago.

And there have been few economic jolts to the good to suggest that statistic has shifted down.

The persistent poverty level is there despite modest increases in the median household income levels in the tri-county area from 2000 to 2003.

But even with the upward nudge, the median income level didn't crack the $33,000 bar here and that kept it nearly $10,000 below the state average.

All of it reflects the same track as the nation, with the updated U.S. Census report showing the wealthiest counties are in suburban areas and the poorest ones are in rural regions.

In Pennsylvania, not surprisingly, Chester and Montgomery counties, commuter communities both feeding into East Coast cities, list the lowest poverty levels and the highest median household income.

Each of those two counties has a poverty rate lower than 6 percent and a household income level in the $65,000 to $68,000.

The flip side is more contentious as rural as well as metropolitan area compete in the poverty column. The highest percentage of poor people is in Philadelphia County (20.1 percent) but rural Fayette County (15.9 percent) tops the list elsewhere in the state.

The lowest median household incomes in Pennsylvania are listed for two rural areas. The U.S. Census Bureau reports Fayette County at $29,415 and Forest County at $29,407.

All the newest number crunching tells a depressing tale in this area: the tri-county area has a higher percentage of people in poverty than the state level (10.6 percent) and a lower median household income than the Pennsylvania average ($42,952).

Here's a quick look at the newest Census Bureau income and poverty estimates, all pegged to 2003:

PENNSYLVANIA

The commonwealth lists a 10.6 percent poverty rate, a figure that accounts for all ages, in 2003. A breakdown by age shows 14.9 percent of children between the ages of infant and 17 years live in poverty.

The median household income (defined as the middle value, with an equal number of households above and below that median line) in Pennsylvania in 2003 was $42,952. That is about $1,500 higher than in 2000.

Still, Pennsylvania lags behind the national median household figure. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the national figure is $43,318.

VENANGO COUNTY

The percentage of all ages in poverty in 2003 was pegged at 13.1 percent, or 7,260 residents. That is higher than in 2000 when the statistics showed 12.3 percent and 6,899 residents.

When the figures are broken down by age, Venango County lists 19.9 percent of its children from infant to 17 years, or nearly one in five children, are living in poverty. That amounts to 2,451 children.

The median household income in 2003 was pegged at $32,900 for Venango County. That is about $400 higher than in 2000.

CLARION COUNTY

The Census figures show 12.7 percent of Clarion County residents were considered poor, according to the newest survey, in 2003. That amounts to 4,948 residents. In 2000, the figures were slightly lower at 12.5 percent and 4,943 individuals.

When it comes to children living in poverty, Clarion County had a 16.9 percent rate in 2003, a figure that covered 1,374 young people between infancy and 17 years.

The median income in Clarion County households was tagged at $32,683, about $400 more than three years prior.

FOREST COUNTY

The county, the least populated of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, showed a poverty rate of 12.9 percent in 2003. That covered 626 residents. That is actually a slight drop from 2000 when the poverty rate was at 13.8 percent and included 668 residents.

Age-wise, the county statistic jumps dramatically to 22.5 percent with 226 children living in poverty.

Forest County is 66th among the 67 counties in low median household income. In 2003, the county listed its income figure at $29,407, nearly $1,000 more than in 2000 but still more than $12,000 lower than the state median level.

OTHER COUNTIES

Three surrounding counties all topped Venango, Clarion and Forest in the median household income category.

Crawford County listed $33,914, Mercer County had $35,635 and Warren County registered $36,303.