U.S. Poverty Rate at Highest Level in Years

Some bad news today from the U.S. Census Bureau.  The most recent poverty numbers show that the national rate grew to 15.1 percent in 2010.

“Another 2.6 million people slipped below the poverty line in 2010, meaning 46.2 million people now live in poverty in the United States, the highest number in the 52 years the Census Bureau has been tracking it.” –  The New York Times

In Idaho, the poverty rate rose to 14 percent, up from 13.7 percent in 2009.  That tracks with the state’s Medicaid enrollment numbers, which continue to rise.  According to a report from the state Department of Health and Welfare, average monthly enrollment grew by 9 percent from 2009 to 2010.  Enrollment grew further from 2010 to 2011.