Skip directly to searchSkip directly to the site navigationSkip directly to the page's main content

Complete Health Indicator Report of Utah Population Characteristics: Poverty, All Persons

Definition

The percentage of persons living in households whose income is at or below the federal poverty threshold.

Numerator

Estimated number of persons living in households whose income is at or below the federal poverty threshold as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Denominator

Estimated number of persons in the population.

Data Interpretation Issues

Poverty status is determined by comparing annual income to a set of dollar values called thresholds that vary by family size, number of children, and age of householder. If a family's before tax money income is less than the dollar value of their threshold, then that family and every individual in it are considered to be in poverty. For people not living in families, poverty status is determined by comparing the individual's income to his or her threshold. The poverty threshold for a family of four including two children was $29,678 in 2022. Poverty thresholds are updated annually to allow for changes in the cost of living using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). They do not vary geographically.

Why Is This Important?

Poverty takes into account both income and family size, and has both immediate and long-lasting effects on health. Income provides an assessment of the financial resources available to individual persons or families for basic necessities (e.g., food, clothing, and healthcare) to maintain or improve their well-being. Persons living in poverty are worse off than persons in more affluent households for many of the indicators tracked by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

Other Objectives

CSTE Chronic Disease Indicator - Poverty

How Are We Doing?

According to the American Community Survey (ACS), approximately 8.2% of Utah residents, or 273,052 Utahns, were living in poverty in 2022. This includes 77,607 children aged 17 and under.

What Is Being Done?

Healthcare "safety net" programs, such as Medicaid, CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Plan) provide some relief to those who are eligible. Utah's community health centers also fill a critical niche in providing high-quality health care services to Utahns of any income level. Programs such as Head Start and those that provide assistance linking people with jobs aim to reduce poverty by increasing social functioning and self-sufficiency. Other programs, such as minimum wage requirements, food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and government subsidized health insurance and child care, provide assistance to families needing additional support.

Available Services

Utah Department of Workforce Services[[br]] P.O. Box 45249[[br]] Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0249[[br]] Phone: (801) 526-WORK (9675)[[br]] Fax: (801) 526-9211[[br]] Email: dwscontactus@utah.gov[[br]] [http://jobs.utah.gov/]


Related Indicators

Relevant Population Characteristics

Health status and access to healthcare services are strongly related to income and poverty.

Related Relevant Population Characteristics Indicators:


Health Care System Factors

People living in poverty are less likely to have health insurance coverage and often find it more difficult to pay for needed medical care. Some literature suggests that they are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that should have been controlled in the outpatient setting ("ambulatory care sensitive conditions" or ACSCs).

Related Health Care System Factors Indicators:


Risk Factors

Being in poor mental or physical health can influence an individual's ability to be employed. People with little education are less likely to earn a living wage.

Related Risk Factors Indicators:


Health Status Outcomes

People living in poverty are worse off than those in more affluent households for many of the Indicator Reports included here.

Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:




Graphical Data Views

Percentage of Persons Living in Poverty, Utah and U.S., 1980-2022

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

The data for this graph come from the Current Population Survey (CPS) for years 1980-2007, from the American Community Survey (ACS) for years 2008-2016 and from Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for years 2017-2022.
Utah vs. U.S.YearPercentage of PersonsLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 86
Utah198010.0%7.8%12.2%
Utah198112.2%9.8%14.6%
Utah198214.5%12.0%17.0%
Utah198313.5%11.8%15.2%
Utah198411.1%8.9%13.3%
Utah198510.9%9.3%12.5%
Utah198612.6%10.9%14.3%
Utah198710.2%8.7%11.7%
Utah19889.8%8.3%11.3%
Utah19898.2%6.8%9.6%
Utah19908.2%6.8%9.6%
Utah199112.9%11.2%14.6%
Utah19929.4%8.0%10.8%
Utah199310.7%9.2%12.2%
Utah19948.0%6.7%9.3%
Utah19958.4%7.1%9.7%
Utah19967.7%6.4%9.0%
Utah19978.9%7.6%10.0%
Utah19989.0%7.7%10.3%
Utah19995.7%4.6%6.8%
Utah20007.6%6.8%8.4%
Utah200110.5%9.5%11.5%
Utah20029.9%8.9%10.9%
Utah20039.1%8.2%10.0%
Utah200410.1%9.1%11.1%
Utah20059.2%8.2%10.2%
Utah20069.3%8.3%10.3%
Utah20079.6%8.6%10.6%
Utah20089.7%9.4%10.0%
Utah200911.5%11.0%12.0%
Utah201013.2%12.7%13.7%
Utah201113.5%12.8%14.2%
Utah201212.8%12.1%13.5%
Utah201312.7%12.1%13.3%
Utah201411.7%11.1%12.3%
Utah201511.3%10.8%11.8%
Utah201610.2%9.7%10.7%
Utah20179.7%9.3%10.1%
Utah20189.1%8.7%9.5%
Utah20198.8%8.5%9.1%
Utah20207.3%6.9%7.7%
Utah20218.7%8.3%9.1%
Utah20228.3%8.0%8.6%
U.S.198013.0%
U.S.198114.0%
U.S.198215.0%
U.S.198315.2%
U.S.198414.4%
U.S.198514.0%
U.S.198613.6%
U.S.198713.4%
U.S.198813.0%
U.S.198912.8%
U.S.199013.5%
U.S.199114.2%
U.S.199214.8%
U.S.199315.1%
U.S.199414.5%
U.S.199513.8%
U.S.199613.7%
U.S.199713.3%
U.S.199812.7%
U.S.199911.9%
U.S.200011.3%
U.S.200111.7%
U.S.200212.1%
U.S.200312.5%12.4%12.6%
U.S.200412.7%12.6%12.8%
U.S.200512.6%12.5%12.7%
U.S.200612.3%12.2%12.4%
U.S.200712.5%12.4%12.6%
U.S.200813.2%13.1%13.3%
U.S.200914.3%14.2%14.4%
U.S.201015.3%15.2%15.4%
U.S.201115.9%15.8%16.0%
U.S.201215.9%15.8%16.0%
U.S.201315.8%15.7%15.9%
U.S.201415.5%15.4%15.6%
U.S.201514.7%14.6%14.8%
U.S.201614.0%13.9%14.1%
U.S.201713.4%13.3%13.4%
U.S.201813.1%13.0%13.2%
U.S.201912.3%12.2%12.4%
U.S.202011.9%11.9%11.9%
U.S.202112.8%12.7%12.9%
U.S.202212.6%12.5%12.7%

Data Notes

Both the ACS and CPS data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value.

Data Sources

  • U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates, Model-based Estimates for States, Counties, & School Districts
  • U.S. Current Population Survey
  • American Community Survey


Percentage of Persons Living in Poverty by Age and Sex, Utah, 2022

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Data from the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates, table B17001
Males vs. FemalesAge GroupPercentage of PersonsLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 39
Male0-4 years10.9%8.5%13.3%
Male5 years11.6%6.1%17.2%
Male6-11 years8.8%7.2%10.4%
Male12-14 years6.6%4.1%9.1%
Male15 years9.8%5.8%13.8%
Male16-17 years7.2%4.6%9.8%
Male18-24 years12.9%10.9%14.8%
Male25-34 years5.7%4.8%6.6%
Male35-44 years5.2%4.2%6.2%
Male45-54 years4.5%3.5%5.5%
Male55-64 years6.1%4.8%7.3%
Male65-74 years6.3%5.0%7.6%
Male75+ years6.0%4.5%7.4%
Female0-4 years9.8%7.6%12.0%
Female5 years8.8%3.6%14.0%
Female6-11 years7.9%6.3%9.4%
Female12-14 years6.6%4.7%8.4%
Female15 years6.4%3.8%9.0%
Female16-17 years6.7%4.7%8.7%
Female18-24 years20.5%18.0%23.0%
Female25-34 years9.9%8.7%11.1%
Female35-44 years6.3%5.2%7.4%
Female45-54 years5.2%4.0%6.4%
Female55-64 years6.9%5.5%8.2%
Female65-74 years8.0%6.6%9.4%
Female75+ years9.4%7.8%11.0%
Total0-4 years10.4%8.8%12.0%
Total5 years10.3%6.5%14.1%
Total6-11 years8.3%7.2%9.4%
Total12-14 years6.6%5.0%8.1%
Total15 years8.2%5.7%10.7%
Total16-17 years7.0%5.3%8.6%
Total18-24 years16.5%15.0%18.1%
Total25-34 years7.8%7.0%8.5%
Total35-44 years5.8%5.0%6.5%
Total45-54 years4.9%4.1%5.7%
Total55-64 years6.5%5.6%7.4%
Total65-74 years7.2%6.2%8.1%
Total75+ years7.9%6.8%9.0%

Data Notes

The ACS data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year Table B17001 estimates.

Data Sources

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • American Community Survey


Percentage of Persons Living in Poverty by County, Utah, 2022

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Data for this graph are based on the 2022 Model-based Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for School Districts, Counties, and States.
CountyPercentage of PersonsLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 31
Beaver9.9%7.4%12.4%
Box Elder8.1%6.5%9.7%
Cache12.2%10.7%13.7%
Carbon13.5%10.4%16.6%
Daggett7.3%5.6%9.0%
Davis6.4%5.4%7.4%
Duchesne13.8%10.9%16.7%
Emery11.6%8.8%14.4%
Garfield9.3%7.0%11.6%
Grand10.9%8.3%13.5%
Iron12.7%10.2%15.2%
Juab7.6%5.5%9.7%
Kane9.2%7.1%11.3%
Millard10.5%7.6%13.4%
Morgan4.0%2.9%5.1%
Piute14.5%10.7%18.3%
Rich8.8%6.5%11.1%
Salt Lake7.7%7.0%8.4%
San Juan22.8%18.4%27.2%
Sanpete15.2%12.2%18.2%
Sevier10.1%7.7%12.5%
Summit5.4%4.1%6.7%
Tooele6.5%5.2%7.8%
Uintah11.9%9.2%14.6%
Utah8.1%7.2%9.0%
Wasatch5.0%3.8%6.2%
Washington9.7%8.1%11.3%
Wayne11.5%8.4%14.6%
Weber8.5%6.9%10.1%
State8.3%8.0%8.6%
U.S.12.6%12.5%12.7%

Data Notes

For information on how SAIPE estimates are created, please see: [https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/technical-documentation/methodology.html].

Data Source

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates, Model-based Estimates for States, Counties, & School Districts


Persons Living in Poverty by Local Health District, Utah, 2022

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Local Health DistrictPercentage of PersonsLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 15
Bear River10.9%9.8%12.0%
Central11.6%10.2%13.0%
Davis County6.4%5.4%7.4%
Salt Lake County7.7%7.0%8.4%
San Juan22.8%18.4%27.2%
Southeast12.4%10.6%14.2%
Southwest10.3%9.0%11.6%
Summit5.4%4.1%6.7%
Tooele6.5%5.2%7.8%
TriCounty12.5%10.5%14.5%
Utah County8.1%7.2%9.0%
Wasatch5.0%3.8%6.2%
Weber-Morgan8.3%6.8%9.8%
State of Utah8.3%8.0%8.6%
U.S.12.6%12.5%12.7%

Data Notes

Data for this graph are based on the 2022 Model-based Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for School Districts, Counties, and States. The poverty threshold for a family of four including two children was $29,678 in 2022. ([https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html])

Data Source

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates, Model-based Estimates for States, Counties, & School Districts


Percentage of Persons Living in Poverty by Utah Small Area, 2018-2022 ACS 5-year estimate

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Utah Small AreasPercentage of PersonsLower LimitUpper LimitNote
Record Count: 104
Brigham City7.7%5.9%9.5%
Box Elder Co (Other) V27.2%4.5%9.9%
Tremonton9.4%6.8%12.0%
Logan V216.0%14.0%18.0%
North Logan23.7%18.9%28.5%
Cache (Other)/Rich (All) V24.7%3.0%6.4%
Hyrum6.9%2.6%11.2%
Smithfield6.8%3.6%10.0%
Ben Lomond7.6%6.1%9.1%
Weber County (East)4.3%2.6%6.0%
Morgan County1.7%0.8%2.6%*
Ogden (Downtown)11.1%9.6%12.6%
South Ogden8.6%7.2%10.0%
Roy/Hooper5.9%4.2%7.6%
Riverdale6.9%4.8%9.0%
Clearfield Area/Hooper8.2%6.5%9.9%
Layton/South Weber7.4%5.6%9.2%
Kaysville/Fruit Heights2.9%1.7%4.1%
Syracuse5.4%2.0%8.8%
Centerville2.6%1.2%4.0%
Farmington4.7%2.0%7.4%
North Salt Lake3.7%2.2%5.2%
Woods Cross/West Bountiful6.4%2.9%9.9%
Bountiful6.8%4.9%8.7%
SLC (Rose Park)15.9%12.1%19.7%
SLC (Avenues)9.6%7.7%11.5%
SLC (Foothill/East Bench)9.5%7.1%11.9%
Magna7.1%4.7%9.5%
SLC (Glendale) V212.6%9.3%15.9%
West Valley (Center)11.0%8.2%13.8%
West Valley (West) V25.8%4.1%7.5%
West Valley (East) V214.3%11.6%17.0%
SLC (Downtown) V223.7%21.6%25.8%
SLC (Southeast Liberty)8.6%6.6%10.6%
South Salt Lake17.2%13.5%20.9%
SLC (Sugar House)9.5%7.7%11.3%
Millcreek (South)4.6%3.1%6.1%
Millcreek (East)4.6%3.3%5.9%
Holladay V26.7%5.0%8.4%
Cottonwood7.2%5.5%8.9%
Kearns V28.4%6.1%10.7%
Taylorsville (E)/Murray (W)7.9%5.6%10.2%
Taylorsville (West)8.2%5.4%11.0%
Murray9.5%7.8%11.2%
Midvale10.0%7.8%12.2%
West Jordan (Northeast) V27.4%5.5%9.3%
West Jordan (Southeast)6.5%5.2%7.8%
West Jordan (W)/Copperton4.3%2.9%5.7%
South Jordan V23.0%2.1%3.9%
Daybreak2.2%1.3%3.1%
Sandy (West)6.4%4.3%8.5%
Sandy (Center) V25.5%3.9%7.1%
Sandy (Northeast)5.0%3.2%6.8%
Sandy (Southeast)3.5%2.5%4.5%
Draper4.1%2.3%5.9%
Riverton/Bluffdale3.2%2.1%4.3%
Herriman5.6%3.5%7.7%
Tooele County (Other)7.1%4.6%9.6%
Tooele Valley3.8%2.9%4.7%
Eagle Mountain/Cedar Valley3.4%2.0%4.8%
Lehi4.7%3.2%6.2%
Saratoga Springs4.4%2.7%6.1%
American Fork5.0%3.5%6.5%
Alpine6.5%2.8%10.2%
Pleasant Grove/Lindon5.2%3.8%6.6%
Orem (North)10.3%7.9%12.7%
Orem (West)11.3%9.0%13.6%
Orem (East)5.0%3.7%6.3%
Provo/BYU21.9%19.5%24.3%
Provo (West City Center)16.1%13.5%18.7%
Provo (East City Center)36.6%33.6%39.6%
Salem City4.6%2.5%6.7%
Spanish Fork5.7%4.5%6.9%
Springville6.9%4.9%8.9%
Mapleton2.8%1.0%4.6%
Utah County (South) V25.6%3.4%7.8%
Payson5.2%3.9%6.5%
Park City5.6%4.3%6.9%
Summit County (East)6.1%3.6%8.6%
Wasatch County5.4%4.1%6.7%*
Daggett and Uintah County11.1%8.8%13.4%
Duchesne County13.5%11.0%16.0%*
Nephi/Mona7.1%4.8%9.4%
Delta/Fillmore13.2%8.8%17.6%
Sanpete Valley16.5%12.8%20.2%
Central (Other)9.8%8.1%11.5%
Richfield/Monroe/Salina13.6%10.4%16.8%
Carbon County16.6%13.4%19.8%*
Emery County11.8%8.9%14.7%*
Grand County15.7%11.5%19.9%*
Blanding/Monticello10.5%6.9%14.1%
San Juan County (Other)30.1%22.1%38.1%
St. George9.8%8.4%11.2%
Washington Co (Other) V210.4%3.1%17.7%
Washington City4.0%2.3%5.7%
Hurricane/La Verkin10.5%7.0%14.0%
Ivins/Santa Clara7.6%5.2%10.0%
Cedar City14.3%12.2%16.4%
Southwest LHD (Other)11.6%7.6%15.6%
State of Utah8.5%8.3%8.7%
U.S.12.5%12.4%12.6%

Data Notes

Confidence intervals are 90%. *Small areas that are also counties use the ACS county estimate. A description of the Utah Small Areas may be found on IBIS at the following URL: [https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/resource/Guidelines.html].

Data Sources

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • American Community Survey


Percentage of Persons Living in Poverty by Race, Utah, 2022

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Data from the 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701
Race/Ethnicity GroupPercentage of PersonsLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 11
American Indian/Alaska Native18.2%12.0%24.4%
Asian10.0%7.6%12.4%
Black/African American14.3%8.5%20.1%
Hispanic/Latino12.0%10.5%13.5%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander11.6%4.1%19.1%
White7.4%6.9%7.9%
Two or more races10.3%8.3%12.3%
Other11.9%9.4%14.4%
White, non-Hispanic/Latino7.1%6.6%7.6%
All races/ethnicities8.2%7.8%8.6%
U.S.12.6%12.5%12.7%

Data Notes

Persons in race categories are only those who selected a single race. The ACS data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value.

Data Sources

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • American Community Survey

More Resources and Links

Additional indicator data by state and county may be found on these websites:

Medical literature can be queried at PubMed library.

Page Content Updated On 01/05/2024, Published on 07/25/2024
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services IBIS-PH website (https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Tue, 05 November 2024 0:52:05 from Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health website: https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/ ".

Content updated: Fri, 26 Jul 2024 17:57:40 MDT