Families Living in Poverty
In Pierce County, the percentage of families living in poverty has increased by over 2,000 households since the 2000 census. According to the 2005-09 American Community Survey, 5-year estimate15,894 of the estimated 195,000 families in Pierce County lived below the federal poverty line compared to 13,574 in 2000—that’s over 8% of estimated families, or put another way, 1 in 12 families. Pierce County has a higher poverty rate than the rest of the state of Washington as a whole (7.9%). Other Washington state urban counties like ours (Spokane County and Snohomish County) are also shown for comparison. Pierce County ranks between Spokane County (1st, 9%) and Snohomish County (3rd, 5.6%) when it comes to the percentage of families in Poverty. Over half of the families living below the federal poverty line are single-female heads of household. GIS Data - Percent of Family Households Living Below Poverty Level |
