Families in Poverty, 1969 - 1999
More than one in four African American families (28%) were in poverty in 1999. This rate is nearly five times that of all Wisconsin families (6%). Chart 8.1 and Table 8.1 show the poverty trends among families, 1969 to 1999. Poverty rates for African American families have remained much higher than for families in the total population. Poverty levels among both the total population and African Americans rose between 1979 and 1989 and declined by 1999; this poverty peak in 1989 appears repeatedly throughout this chapter.
Chart 8.1
Total and African American Families in Poverty,
Wisconsin: 1969-1999
Source: See Table 8.1
*
See DEFINITIONS for “poverty.”
7.4 6.3 7.6 5.6 24.3 27.6 38.0 28.4 0 10 20 30 40 50 1969 1979 1989 1999
Total Families African American Families
Perce
n
66
Table 8.1
Total and African American Families in Poverty,
Wisconsin: 1969-1999
Total Families African American Families
Below Poverty Below Poverty
Year
All Income
Levels
Above
Poverty Number Percent All Income Levels
Above
Poverty Number Percent 1969 1,077,475 997,279 79,683 7.4 26,725 20,234 6,491 24.3 1979 1,215,023 1,137,883 77,140 6.3 41,743 30,211 11,532 27.6 1989 1,284,297 1,186,831 97,466 7.6 56,194 34,848 21,346 38.0 1999 1,395,037 1,316,849 78,188 5.6 67,521 48,345 19,176 28.4
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1970 Census. PC70-1-B51, Table 58; U.S. Census Bureau, 1980 Census, PC80-1-C51, Tables 72 and 82; U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census, 1990 CP-2-51, Table 54; U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 4, Table PCT157.
67
Persons in Poverty by County
Census data that classify individuals according to their family income show that one-third (32%) of Wisconsin’s African Americans were poor in 1999, compared to one-tenth (9%) of the total Wisconsin population (Chart 8.2 and Table 8.2).
Chart 8.2 and Table 8.2 show the proportions of African Americans in poverty for each of the five counties with 1,000 or more African Americans. The African American poverty rate in 1999 was particularly high in Racine and Milwaukee Counties.
Chart 8.2
Total Population and African Americans in Poverty,
Wisconsin and Counties with 1,000 or more African Americans: 1999
Source: See Table 8.2 8.7 9.4 7.5 15.3 8.4 7.3 31.8 27.7 26.8 32.8 33.6 23.9 0 10 20 30 40
State Total Dane Kenosha Milwaukee Racine Rock
Perce
n
t
African Americans Total
68
Table 8.2
Total Population and African Americans in Poverty,
Wisconsin and Counties with 1,000 or more African Americans: 1999
Total African Americans Total Persons Persons in Poverty Total Persons Persons in Poverty Number Number Percent Number Number Percent State Total 5,211,603 451,538 8.7 280,928 89,375 31.8 Dane 411,392 38,815 9.4 15,152 4,201 27.7 Kenosha 145,608 10,915 7.5 6,532 1,752 26.8 Milwaukee 915,688 139,747 15.3 222,068 72,794 32.8 Racine 184,348 15,491 8.4 17,465 5,873 33.6 Rock 148,541 10,880 7.3 6,392 1,529 23.9Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 4, Tables PCT142 and PCT150.
69 5.6 8.8 10.5 28.4 35.0 38.3 0 10 20 30 40 50
Total Families Related Children <18 yrs Related Children < 5 yrs
Total Families African American Families
Perce
n
t
Families in Poverty by Presence of Children
Poverty rates are higher among families that include children, especially young children. For African American families in Wisconsin, the poverty rate in 1999 jumped from 28 percent for all families to 38 percent for families with related children under five years old (Chart 8.3 and Table 8.3).
Chart 8.3
Total and African American Families in Poverty in Wisconsin,
by Presence of Related Children
*: 1999
Source: See Table 8.3.
Table 8.3
Poverty Status of Total and African American Families,
by Presence of Related Children, Wisconsin: 1999
Total Families African American Families Above
Poverty Below Poverty
Above
Poverty Below Poverty
Number Number Percent Number Number Percent
Total Families 1,316,849 78,188 5.6 48,345 19,176 28.4 With Related Children
under 18 Years 640,596 61,837 8.8 32,516 17,487 35.0 With Related Children
under 5 Years 119,251 13,938 10.5 5,319 3,300 38.3
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 4, Table PCT157.
*
70 5.6 27.5 5.3 3.0 28.4 56.7 26.5 14.1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
All Families With Householder Under 25 Years
With Householder 25- 64 Years
With Householder 65 or Older
Total Families African American Families
Perce
n
t
Families in Poverty by Age of Householder
*The chances of living in poverty decline as the age of the householder increases. Poverty levels for both African American families and all families in the state were highest when the householder was under 25 years of age and lowest when the householder was old. In 1999, over half (57 %) of African American families with householders under 25 years were poor, compared to 14 percent for African American families with householders age 65 and over (Chart 8.4 and Table 8.4).
Chart 8.4
Total and African American Families in Poverty,
by Age of Householder, Wisconsin: 1999
Source: See Table 8.4
Table 8.4
Total and African American Families in Poverty, by Age of Householder,
Wisconsin: 1999
Total Families African American Families Above Poverty Below Poverty Above Poverty Below Poverty Number Number Percent Number Number Percent
All Families 1,316,849 78,188 5.6 48,345 19,176 28.4
With Householder
under 25 Years 33,028 12,532 27.5 2,875 3,769 56.7 25-64 Years 1,055,665 58,671 5.3 40,602 14,610 26.5 65 and Older 228,156 6,985 3.0 4,868 797 14.1 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 4, Table PCT163.
*
71
Poverty among Unrelated Individuals
Unrelated individuals (persons living alone or with non-relatives) were more likely to experience poverty than related individuals. The proportion of African American unrelated individuals in poverty increased significantly from 1979 to 1989 and then declined by 1999 (Chart 8.5 and Table 8.5). The poverty rate among unrelated individuals in the total Wisconsin population was high during the same period, although always lower than the rate for African Americans.
Chart 8.5
Total and African American Unrelated Individuals in Poverty,
Wisconsin: 1979-1999
Source: See Table 8.5
Table 8.5
Total and African American Unrelated Individuals in Poverty,
Wisconsin: 1979-1999
Total Unrelated Individuals African American Unrelated Individuals Above Poverty Below Poverty Above Poverty Below Poverty Year Number Number Percent Number Number Percent
1979 573,383 125,655 21.9 21,251 5,824 27.4
1989 732,478 166,339 22.7 30,895 11,956 38.7 1999 775,407 181,580 19.0 31,433 17,067 35.2
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1980 Census, PC80-1-C51, Tables 71 and 81; U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census, 1990 CP-2-51, Table 54; U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 4, Table PCT151.
21.9 22.7 19.0 27.4 38.7 35.2 0 10 20 30 40 50 1979 1989 1999
Total African Americans
Perce
n
72
Poverty among Families with Female Householders
Families headed by women are more likely to be poor than other family types. For both African Americans and the total Wisconsin population, the proportions of female-headed households in poverty increased substantially between 1979 and 1989, but declined to less than the 1979 levels by 1999 (Chart 8.6 and Table 8.6). In each year the African American female householder poverty rate was nearly twice that for total Wisconsin female householders.
Chart 8.6
Total and African American Families with Female Householder in Poverty,
Wisconsin: 1979-1999
Source: See Table 8.6
Table 8.6
Total and African American Families with Female Householder in Poverty,
Wisconsin: 1979-1999
Total Families w/ Female Householder
African Americans Families w/ Female Householder
All Income Levels
Above
Poverty Below Poverty
All Income Levels
Above
Poverty Below Poverty
Year Number Number Number Percent Number Number Number Percent
1979 133,313 99,890 33,423 25.1 19,992 10,490 9,502 47.5 1989 170,445 117,306 53,139 31.2 31,546 13,524 18,022 57.1 1999 191,830 150,222 41,608 21.7 36,673 20,992 15,681 42.8 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1980 Census, PC80-1-C51, Tables 72 and 82; U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census, Table 54; U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 4, Table PCT157.
25.1 31.2 21.7 47.5 57.1 42.8 0 20 40 60 80 1979 1989 1999
Total African Americans
Perce
n
73