State-level data shows poverty rate dropped in 34 states; more than 46 million are still in poverty

The poverty rate dropped in 34 states and Washington, D.C., last year, according to state-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey, Tim Henderson reports for Stateline. Despite those positive results, 46.7 million people—or 14.8 percent of the population—live in poverty, and 21.1 percent of children live in poverty. Overall, 13.4 percent of men and 16.1 percent of women live in poverty. Mississippi has the highest poverty rate at 21.5 percent. (Stateline map: To view an interactive version, click here)