Census: 1 in 7 Americans live in poverty

The number of people living in poverty has climbed to 14.3 percent of Americans, with the ranks of

working-age poor reaching the highest level since at least 1965. The level of poverty in America is even

worse than first believed. A revised formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations show

that approximately 47.4 million Americans last year lived in poverty, 7 million more than the government's

official figure.

The Census Bureau says that about 43.6 million people, or 1 in 7, were in poverty last year. That's up

from 39.8 million, or 13.2 percent, in 2008………

The number of people lacking HEALTH INSURANCE rose from 46.3 million to 50.7 million, due mostly to

the loss of employer-provided health insurance during the recession. Congress passed a health overhaul

earlier this year to extend coverage to more people…..

The statistics released Thursday cover President Barack Obama's first year in office, when

unemployment climbed to 10 percent in the months after the financial meltdown.

The median or midpoint HOUSE HOL INCOME was $49,777………

The disparity occurs because of differing formulas the Census Bureau and the National Academy of

Science use for calculating the poverty rate. The NAS formula shows the poverty rate to be at 15.8

percent, or nearly 1 in 6 Americans, according to calculations released this week

Beginning next year, the government plans to publish new, supplemental poverty figures that are

expected to show even higher numbers of people in poverty than previously known. The figures will

incorporate rising costs of medical care, transportation and child care, a change analysts believe will add

to the ranks of both seniors and working-age people in poverty..