How "Poor" are folks in the US?

What's the criteria for "poor"; ie. income range, in relation to these numbers...or is this general population data, which is what this looks like. Also, what year were you looking at? With the rash of foreclosures I wonder if 46% of the general public own their own homes anymore.

Gee, your statistics make me wonder there the 3.5 MILLION HOMELESS people that we had last count in 2009 AND the newly homeless people who have run out of unemployment benefits and lost their homes since then are keeping their "refrigerators", "running water", and "flushing toilets"!

Considering the statistical census information you have given, the poorer segment of population of USA can be placed at much higher level over the most of the people of Asian and African countries in terms of all important social and economic indicators used for standard of living.Despite the recessionary effect on US economy,there exists a huge gap between the economic status of average US population and that of the Asian population. The poorer section of the USA enjoy all luxurious things that are beyond the dream of many affluent people of Asian countries.Hence,they deserve no more entitlements. Thanks.

The term "poor" is very broad. And a person can become poor overnight from losing a job. People are losing their homes and most are not 3 br and 1.5 baths. Some people are indeed mismanaged. They could not save a dime if they had to. Some people do welfare like you wouldn't believe. They really fool the system and live better than those who have a job. It is a broad term, and it is hard to give a cut and dry answer to. I think as a whole our society is mismanaged. Look at the movie stars and sports figures who make a lot of money for what? But people give them their hard earned money.

I don't own the apt. I live in. It is just 2 rooms. There is air conditioning, but I cannot afford to run it because of the cost of electricity. I cannot afford cable TV. I do have Internet, but I use magic jack telephone so that is two for one. I do have a refrigerator, but then I do not have transportation so, when I shop, I shop to last for awhile so, it lasts for awhile. It is the law that a residence have running water, plumbing and garbage pick-up here. I also have a microwave oven because it save electricity. Using a big oven is very inefficient. I do not live on the dole...I do not get food stamps although I do qualify for them and I do not get medicaid although finacially I do qualify....There are poor in the US because it cost so much to live here. You cannot compare apples to oranges.... Shalom~Adoniah

We really are not as poor as we think. we are spoiled brats, actually.

I don't think that Americans are all that poor, but that think that we are struggling a little bit, and that most people don't have a much money as they used to have. Some families are living on next to nothing. I know that compared to other countries, Americans have it pretty good, but some people are still struggling somehow. My family doesn't have it so bad. We don't have it as great as some people, but we do have it pretty good.

yes we definitely have a different view of poverty here. If you were take away the social programs, people would not have these things. I can always tell in line at the supermarket who has food stamps and who has cash. Food stamps they tend to get more processed foods, junk food, soda etc. I pay cash, I buy bulk flour, sugar, rice. I buy veggies and fruits (limited) and meat in bulk. I stretch my food dollar and feed four people very well for a small amount. I dont have air conditioning, dishwasher, cable or satellite, I have a cell phone only. We have 4 people crammed in a small 3 bdr house, but I feel we are fortunate. We do have two vehicles but I have a kid that I have to drive to school and two of us have multiple jobs. I dont consider us in poverty. We have a roof, we have food, we have electricity (barely). I dont feel the need to keep up with the Joneses. You go to third world countries and THAT is poverty. huts, community water, and constantly working each day to feed your family.

I think it's all about perspective and attitude. My father bought a lot of land in a fairly affluent area, built his own house and raised his family. We weren't poor by any means - we never went without food or clothing, heat or shelter. Once we went without a TV for a while, but that was because the one we had started to fall apart and my mother got rid of it, then showed no interest in buying a new one. My older brother and sister got jobs, saved up some money and bought one together. I don't remember being traumatized at all. I knew we didn't have as much money as our neighbors - my friends had better toys, newer clothes, new bicycles when mine was a hand-me-down that had been through several siblings already. I think I grew up appreciating things more and we had the benefit of living in a good neighborhood even if we didn't dress as stylishly as some of the residents. When my kids complain about not having the latest or the best, I tell them that they live indoors and have running water which makes them richer than a majority of the Earth's population. We don't own anything - not a home, not a car. We do have several TVs, old ones that others didn't want anymore. I don't have a dishwasher but I keep my eyes open, I have picked one up from the side of the road before. There are a lot of lower income people in the US and there is a small number of people who truly have to go without. Those of us who live on the edge and scrape by are a million times better off than the truly poor. If even the poorest in the US are not better off than the inhabitants of some other countries, then why do we have so many immigrants clamoring to get in?

Mattic, how many have health insurance? How many have a hot meal? How many go without medicine? Just because people have these things doesn't mean that they use them, or that they can do without them (even the working poor have a place to live and a car). Our poor in this country live much better than the poor in other countries. But, our rich also live much better than those in other countries, and the rich receive more money through entitlements than the poor do.

I don't think they need the entitlements they're now getting.

What I really want to understand about the social-type person isn't what they consider to be "poor," but rather what they consider to be "help." I'd point to a poor African country, or Haiti, or similiar countries whose citizens are basically dependent on welfare: government subsidies and charitable handouts. And out of every single country that the rest of the world pipes countless of billions of dollars into, there's one common theme - they're still poor. Now, I would never speak against charity and giving and trying to help people out. But at some point, people have to realize that quelling their guilt isn't nearly as important as actually alleviating someone's poverty. And this is done by, of course, giving out fishing poles instead of fish. I personally feel as if the social-type person in America who really wants to "spread the wealth" is working with a combination of guilt and eat-the-rich mentality. They seem to believe that money is what they say it is - a never-ending supply that should be given away. So, they'll continue to protest and rally and support any "change" that hands out hundred dollar bills instead of protesting and rallying and supporting "change" that leads to people earning that same bill. Social justice and this other hogwash is just a revenge plot, so it seems.

That's the main reason why the US still remains to be the land of bread and honey as far as the Philippines is concerned. Is way so much better to be poor when you're in the US than here . What the heck, if a poor american comes around, they'll be treated as a VIP. Sorry, i'm a little off topic here.

The poor in America have a higher standard of living than the poor in most other places. Does that mean the poor in America don't need aid? Tell you what: live under the poverty level for a year and report back to the class.

were not poor compared to other countries. well i guess i could say some are poor but most definitely don't live in poverty.