Census shows slow household income growth
Maine’s household income growth rose a negligible amount from 2008 to 2012 as the proportion of the state’s 1.3 million people living in poverty continued to rise.
The Portland Press Herald reported that the median household income in the state rose around $200 from 2008 to 2012, from $46,581 to $46,709.
That slow growth was accompanied by a more than 2% boost in the percentage of Mainers living in poverty. In 2008, that number was 12.3% and increased to 14.7% in 2012. The poverty level for a family of four in 2012 was $23,492.
The number of children under age 18 living in poverty also increased during that time period, rising from 15.8% in 2008 to 20.9% in 2012. The increase also was noted for children under age 5, with the poverty rate among that group rising from 19.9% to 26.9%.
While Maine’s overall poverty rate increased during the time period, the latest figures from the American Community Survey show that Maine’s poverty level remains lower than the national figure of 15.9%.
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