by Ryan Kempffer, Trends Student Employee, and Dr. Patrick Jones
No one deserves to live in poverty. Living in hardship is proven to be difficult, and it is only made tougher for those with children. Children can become physically and mentally affected by poverty. Since 2013, the United States, the State of Washington, as well as the Walla Walla MSA, consisting of both Walla Walla and Columbia county, have all seen a substantial reduction in poverty for children aged 0 to 17.
In essence, poverty is a condition in which a person makes less income than what is necessary to properly support themselves. Often, no income leads to extreme poverty, and these conditions adversely affect the likes of the families with young children. To respond, every year the United States continue to devote resources into programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). To keep track of those being affected, Walla Walla Trends Indicator 1.6.2 keeps tabs on youth poverty.
The United States Census Bureau updates the Federal Poverty Guidelines annually. Often referred to as the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), this measure aids in determining the income thresholds at which families suffer hardships due to insufficient funds. FPL is broken down by the family unit size and how many children under 18 years old are in the family.
In 2018, the poverty threshold for a family consisting of 2 adults and 2 children (under 18 years of age) was $25,465. The poverty level for 2 adults (under age 65) was $16,815. The addition of 2 children adds $8,650 per year. This equates to roughly $4,300 per year to raise a child. Click here to view all Poverty Thresholds.
For non-poverty families in the United States, raising a child from birth to age 17 cost an estimated $233,610 in 2015. This equates to roughly $13,700 per year, covering the additional housing, education, food, and health care needed to raise a child. For poverty-stricken families, this is a difference of roughly $9,400 between what is needed to raise a child vs what is available. With a price that substantial, one can visualize how strikingly detrimental poverty is for youth.
In 2013, the Walla Walla MSA saw an estimated 1 in 4 children, or 3,286, living in poverty. In 2018, 1 in 11 children, or 1,548, lived in poverty. In just a five-year timeframe, the Walla Walla MSA saw 1,738 fewer youths living in poverty. While this achievement is commendable, many families and their children are still struggling to get by.
Just as the United States continues to fight poverty, the residents of the Walla Walla MSA continue to combat it, too. The Walla Walla MSA has gone from having one of the highest poverty rates in Eastern Washington in 2013, to having one of the lowest in 2018. The Walla Walla MSA has seen a 5.9 percentage point decrease in the poverty rate over the 2013 to 2018 period, dropping from 18.4% to 12.%. In the same timeframe, the United States poverty rate decreased by 2.7 percentage points and Washington fell by 3.8 percentage points. This decrease parallels the decline in Walla Walla’s unemployment rate, where between 2013 and 2018 there had been a 2.4% decrease in unemployment.
The Walla Walla MSA also continues to utilize SNAP and TANF benefits every year. As long as United States citizens continue to live in poverty, SNAP and TANF benefits continue to evolve and aid people in many ways. As of April 2020, SNAP has temporarily offered a 40% increase of benefits to help poverty-stricken families impacted by the Coronavirus. Eliminating poverty has its challenges, and by using SNAP and TANF benefits effectively, every year families are making ends meet.
Another reason for a decline in poverty rates could be a raise in minimum wage. For Washington State, minimum wages have been raised every year for several years. In 2013 the minimum wage was $9.19. Compare that with the 2018 wage of $11.5. That difference of $2.31 per hour can significantly aid poverty-stricken families. A full-time employee working 40 hours makes an extra $92.40 before tax. Sometimes $92.40 might even be enough to fill a grocery cart. For that very reason, a large connection exists between Median Household Income and Poverty levels.
While the Walla Walla MSA has seen a decreased poverty rate, in 2013 the Median Household Income for the Walla Walla MSA was $43,870 with 18.4% of people living in poverty. According to Benton Franklin Trends Indicator 3.1.2 and Indicator 3.5.1, Benton and Franklin counties measured $58,542 with 15.3% living in poverty. According to Spokane Trends Indicator 2.1.1 and Indicator 2.5.1, median household income measured $47,576 with 17.1% living in poverty. When the Walla Walla MSA is compared against these other Eastern Washington counties, the median income levels indicated that a higher share of residents lived closer to the poverty threshold.
2018 saw a median household income of $59,704 for the Walla Walla MSA. This statistic shows a massive improvement of $15,834 over the course of five years. From 2013 to 2018, the United States saw a $9,687 increase in median household income.
Coupled with the fact that the Walla Walla MSA had one of the highest Eastern Washington poverty rates in 2013 and one of the lowest rates in 2018, it makes sense how low median household income can affect entire families, especially children. As children are considered an expense for families, the correlation between median household income and youth poverty rates remains strong.
The Walla Walla MSA has proven to be successful in fighting youth poverty. Poverty is not just a set of numbers, they make up our friends, and our neighbors. By utilizing benefits and continuing to make ends meet, both Walla Walla and Columbia counties have enabled more families and their children to be able to combat hardship.