United States Census Bureau  reported States With Highest Poverty Rates Clustered in the South

The national official poverty rate of 10.2% was 2.9 percentage points lower than the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate of 13.1% in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Poverty in the United States: 2025 report released today.

Estimates from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) show that the SPM, which includes government benefits and deductions, also topped the official rate when using three-year averages.  

All but one (New Mexico) of the 11 states with official+ poverty rates significantly above the national rate of 10.7% were in the South.

From 2023 to 2025, the national SPM rate was 13.0% and the official rate was 10.7%. SPM rates were higher than official poverty rates in 26 states and the District of Columbia, lower in five states and not significantly different in the remaining 19.

The Census Bureau recommends using three-year averages for state-level analyses based on the CPS ASEC due to sample size.

The version of the official poverty rate used in this article (hereafter official+) includes unrelated individuals under age 15 to allow direct comparisons to the SPM. 

Comparing Official⁺ Poverty and the SPM

The official poverty measure defines poverty by comparing pre-tax money income — gross (before taxes) income from things like earnings, Social Security, and pensions — to a threshold based on family size. Families or individuals are considered to be in poverty if their income falls below that threshold.

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