Community & Work Disparities
A Program of the ADA Participatory Action Research Consortium (ADA-PARC)

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Percentage of People with and without Disabilities Below the Poverty Level, Age 18 to 64, 2016

We identified and compared the poverty rate of people age 18 to 64 with and without disabilities living in the community. This measure indicates income that is insufficient to meet minimal food and other basic needs. This measure allows us to see that people without disabilities have a lower poverty rate (US Average is 12.6% with a range of 6.9% in New Hampshire to 18.4% in Mississippi) than people with disabilities (US average is 27.7% with a range of 17.7% in Alaska to 38.5% in the District of Columbia).

This disparity in poverty rate suggests that many more people with disabilities and their families live in poverty than people without disabilities and their families, and may struggle to meet basic needs.

Click to skip over US state map to equivalent table

People with Disabilities Below the Poverty Level This is the first of two color coded maps of the United States.  States have been grouped into four quartile ranges. The first quartile ranges from 6.9% to 12.4%. There are no states in this quartile because the quartiles are shared between two maps.  The second quartile ranges from 12.5% to 19.5% and includes the states Alaska & Wyoming.  The third quartile ranges from 19.6% to 27.6% and includes the states California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington & Wisconsin.  The fourth quartile ranges from 27.7% to 38.5% and includes the states Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Washington DC, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, United States & West Virginia. People with Disabilities Below the Poverty Level Albuquerque 32.9Anchorage 16.5Asheville 35.0Austin 26.3Baltimore 37.7Baton Rouge 35.5Birmingham 40.4Boise 27.9Chicago 35.5Columbia 38.5Columbus 35.4Denver 34.0Detroit 48.6Fresno 39.2Gastonia 30.6Greensboro 35.1Houston 31.0Indianapolis 32.2Lansing 39.7Las Vegas 25.9Little Rock 30.2Memphis 37.7Milwaukee 41.0Milwaukee 41.0Minneapolis 41.9Missoula 37.3Montgomery 32.3Nashville 30.6New Orleans 39.6Oakland 35.7Phoenix 30.8Pittsburgh 39.0Portland 35.4Raleigh 27.2Richmond 38.0Riverside 24.1Sacramento 35.5Salt Lake City 30.7San Francisco 33.3Santa Barbara 29.1Seattle 31.2Spokane 38.5St. Petersburg 30.9Tacoma 32.2Tampa 32.8Tucson 36.1Tulsa 34.8Washington 38.5 People without Disabilities Below the Poverty Level This is the second of two color coded maps of the United States.  States have been grouped into four quartile ranges. The first quartile ranges from 6.9% to 12.4% and includes the states Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin & Wyoming.  The second quartile ranges from 12.5% to 19.5% and includes the states Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, United States & West Virginia.  The third quartile ranges from 19.6% to 27.6%. There are no states in this quartile because the quartiles are shared between two maps.  The fourth quartile ranges from 27.7% to 38.5%. There are no states in this quartile because the quartiles are shared between two maps. People without Disabilities Below the Poverty Level Albuquerque 32.9Anchorage 16.5Asheville 35.0Austin 26.3Baltimore 37.7Baton Rouge 35.5Birmingham 40.4Boise 27.9Chicago 35.5Columbia 38.5Columbus 35.4Denver 34.0Detroit 48.6Fresno 39.2Gastonia 30.6Greensboro 35.1Houston 31.0Indianapolis 32.2Lansing 39.7Las Vegas 25.9Little Rock 30.2Memphis 37.7Milwaukee 41.0Milwaukee 41.0Minneapolis 41.9Missoula 37.3Montgomery 32.3Nashville 30.6New Orleans 39.6Oakland 35.7Phoenix 30.8Pittsburgh 39.0Portland 35.4Raleigh 27.2Richmond 38.0Riverside 24.1Sacramento 35.5Salt Lake City 30.7San Francisco 33.3Santa Barbara 29.1Seattle 31.2Spokane 38.5St. Petersburg 30.9Tacoma 32.2Tampa 32.8Tucson 36.1Tulsa 34.8Washington 38.5
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Data source. 2016, ACS, 5 year Estimates, Table C18130, Age by Disability Status by Poverty Status.
Calculation. Number in each group (people with disabilities or people without disabilities) who are below the poverty level divided by the total population of each group.
Note. The poverty level refers to income that is below a minimum threshold based on family size and composition.

Percentage of People with and without Disabilities Below the Poverty Level, Age 18 to 64 by region

Click on a state to view city data.

Percentage of People with and without Disabilities Below the Poverty Level, Age 18 to 64 by Region. Click on a state to view city data, where available.
RegionWith a disabilityWithout a disability
United States27.7%12.6%
Alaska17.7%8.5%
Alabama29.2%15.3%
Arkansas29.4%15.7%
Arizona28.1%15.8%
California26.4%13.7%
Colorado24.2%10.7%
Connecticut24.0%8.6%
District of Columbia38.5%14.2%
Delaware20.9%10.3%
Florida27.3%14.1%
Georgia28.6%14.7%
Hawaii23.0%9.6%
Iowa26.2%10.9%
Idaho27.5%13.5%
Illinois26.7%11.7%
Indiana27.4%12.5%
Percentage of People with and without Disabilities Below the Poverty Level, Age 18 to 64 by Region. Click on a state to view city data, where available.
RegionWith a disabilityWithout a disability
Kansas25.5%11.5%
Kentucky33.8%15.0%
Louisiana30.8%16.1%
Massachusetts27.6%9.1%
Maryland21.7%8.1%
Maine31.9%10.5%
Michigan30.5%13.8%
Minnesota25.9%9.0%
Missouri29.6%12.5%
Mississippi33.5%18.4%
Montana28.3%13.7%
North Carolina29.2%14.3%
North Dakota23.6%9.9%
Nebraska25.3%10.6%
New Hampshire22.2%6.9%
New Jersey21.8%8.8%
New Mexico30.9%18.0%
Percentage of People with and without Disabilities Below the Poverty Level, Age 18 to 64 by Region. Click on a state to view city data, where available.
RegionWith a disabilityWithout a disability
Nevada23.4%12.9%
New York30.0%12.7%
Ohio31.1%12.5%
Oklahoma27.8%13.7%
Oregon30.1%14.1%
Pennsylvania28.5%10.7%
Rhode Island29.9%11.1%
South Carolina28.2%14.5%
South Dakota27.8%11.6%
Tennessee30.7%13.9%
Texas25.3%13.5%
Utah20.8%10.8%
Virginia23.9%9.8%
Vermont26.7%9.6%
Washington26.3%10.8%
Wisconsin26.8%10.6%
West Virginia31.8%15.0%
Wyoming19.5%10.8%