CFED Assets & Opportunity Scorecard
Percentage of households without sufficient net worth to subsist at the poverty level for three months in the absence of income, 2011.
Asset poverty expands the notion of poverty to include how much of a financial cushion a household has to weather a financial crisis such as a job loss, medical emergency or the need to fix a car. Experts have agreed that three months’ of living expenses at the poverty level is a conservative cushion for a family that loses its income. As the estimation of asset poverty is based on a household’s net worth, it includes durable assets, such as a home or business, that would need to be liquidated in order to help cover day-to-day expenses. Even with this conservative definition, asset poverty exceeds income poverty in all states and the District of Columbia except for South Carolina.
To see the data disaggregated by race and ethnicity, where available, click on the Data by Race tab below.
Asset Poverty Rate, 2011
| State | Asset Poverty Rate (%) |
|---|---|
| United States | 25.4% |
| Alabama | 24.3% |
| Alaska | — |
| Arizona | 32.0% |
| Arkansas | 29.0% |
| California | 29.2% |
| Colorado | 23.9% |
| Connecticut | 30.2% |
| Delaware | 18.9% |
| District of Columbia | — |
| Florida | 27.3% |
| Georgia | 32.3% |
| Hawaii | 16.5% |
| Idaho | 29.6% |
| Illinois | 23.5% |
| Indiana | 23.8% |
| Iowa | 21.8% |
| Kansas | 22.9% * |
| Kentucky | 21.4% |
| Louisiana | 23.6% |
| Maine | 20.3% |
| Maryland | 23.0% |
| Massachusetts | 24.2% |
| Michigan | 25.0% |
| Minnesota | 22.0% |
| Mississippi | 30.4% |
| Missouri | 21.6% |
| Montana | 23.0% * |
| Nebraska | 18.5% * |
| Nevada | 42.8% |
| New Hampshire | — |
| New Jersey | 24.2% |
| New Mexico | 23.4% |
| New York | 32.9% |
| North Carolina | 25.1% |
| North Dakota | — |
| Ohio | 23.7% |
| Oklahoma | 20.3% * |
| Oregon | 27.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 21.0% |
| Rhode Island | 19.2% * |
| South Carolina | 16.9% |
| South Dakota | — |
| Tennessee | 25.2% |
| Texas | 23.8% |
| Utah | 23.0% |
| Vermont | 26.7% * |
| Virginia | 17.4% |
| Washington | 25.3% |
| West Virginia | 18.4% |
| Wisconsin | 22.5% |
| Wyoming | — |
Notes on the Data
"-". "-" indicates that no data is available, or data is suppressed due to a margin of error that is greater than 50% of the estimate.
* Indicates that the margin of error is greater than 25% of the estimate, and as such, this estimate is too imprecise to rank. Caution should be used when using this data.
Asset Poverty Rate by Race and Ethnicity
| Asset Poverty Rate (%) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | White HHs | HHs of Color | Black HHs | Asian HHs | Hispanic HHs | |
| United States | 18.7% | 40.7% | 45.6% | 21.1% | 43.3% | |
| Alabama | 18.2% | 36.1% | 37.5% | — | — | |
| Alaska | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Arizona | 24.0% | 40.0% | — | — | 50.4% | |
| Arkansas | 25.9% | — | — | — | — | |
| California | 20.6% | 34.1% | 44.8% | 23.2% | 42.2% | |
| Colorado | 18.7% | — | — | — | — | |
| Connecticut | 20.8% | — | — | — | — | |
| Delaware | 15.1% | — | — | — | — | |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Florida | 18.5% | 40.0% | 42.1% | — | 47.3% | |
| Georgia | 21.6% | 47.3% | 49.8% | — | — | |
| Hawaii | — | 17.7% | — | — | — | |
| Idaho | 27.0% | — | — | — | — | |
| Illinois | 16.4% | 43.0% | 48.5% | — | 39.2% | |
| Indiana | 20.5% | 43.0% | 49.6% | — | — | |
| Iowa | 20.5% | — | — | — | — | |
| Kansas | 16.7% | — | — | — | — | |
| Kentucky | 19.3% | — | — | — | — | |
| Louisiana | 15.7% | 37.0% | 38.3% | — | — | |
| Maine | 18.2% | — | — | — | — | |
| Maryland | 14.4% | 33.5% | 36.4% | — | — | |
| Massachusetts | 19.6% | 41.7% | — | — | — | |
| Michigan | 20.6% | 44.3% | 50.6% | — | — | |
| Minnesota | 18.5% | — | — | — | — | |
| Mississippi | 18.8% | 43.2% | 43.5% | — | — | |
| Missouri | 17.9% | 40.8% | 43.4% | — | — | |
| Montana | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Nebraska | 16.9% | — | — | — | — | |
| Nevada | 36.6% | — | — | — | — | |
| New Hampshire | 15.4% | — | — | — | — | |
| New Jersey | 13.8% | 39.1% | 43.2% | 22.5% | 49.0% | |
| New Mexico | — | — | — | — | 30.1% | |
| New York | 20.5% | 53.0% | 52.5% | 36.2% | 66.4% | |
| North Carolina | 17.6% | 41.4% | 44.2% | — | — | |
| North Dakota | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Ohio | 17.6% | 51.2% | 54.8% | — | — | |
| Oklahoma | 16.6% | 29.9% | — | — | — | |
| Oregon | 23.5% | — | — | — | — | |
| Pennsylvania | 17.4% | 42.5% | 49.9% | — | — | |
| Rhode Island | 16.1% | — | — | — | — | |
| South Carolina | 7.0% | 38.4% | 37.2% | — | — | |
| South Dakota | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tennessee | 20.0% | 47.5% | 49.8% | — | — | |
| Texas | 16.7% | 36.6% | 42.3% | — | 30.1% | |
| Utah | 21.7% | — | — | — | — | |
| Vermont | 20.2% | — | — | — | — | |
| Virginia | 12.6% | 30.6% | 34.6% | — | — | |
| Washington | 23.0% | 31.0% | — | — | 36.0% | |
| West Virginia | 15.9% | — | — | — | — | |
| Wisconsin | 17.7% | 48.8% | — | — | — | |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — | — | |
Estimates for White households are generated for the White, non-Hispanic population. Likewise, estimates for Hispanic households include all households of Hispanic or Latino origin, regardless of race.
Change in Asset Poverty Rate
| Asset Poverty Rate (%) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| United States | 25.2% | 22.4% | 22.4% | 27.1% | 26.0% | 25.4% |
| Alabama | 24.5% | 26.1% | 20.2% | 24.1% | 21.2% | 24.3% |
| Alaska | 23.4% | — | — | 21.7% * | — | — |
| Arizona | 27.5% | 27.0% | 25.3% | 33.9% | 30.0% | 32.0% |
| Arkansas | 25.8% | 24.1% | 22.4% | 25.6% | 28.4% | 29.0% |
| California | 25.8% | 24.2% | 23.7% | 30.9% | 29.9% | 29.2% |
| Colorado | 28.6% | 24.9% | 21.2% | 28.9% | 26.3% | 23.9% |
| Connecticut | 21.7% | 19.7% | 23.1% | 24.9% | 23.5% | 30.2% |
| Delaware | 16.2% | 11.1% | 17.9% | 19.8% * | 23.8% * | 18.9% |
| District of Columbia | 39.7% | 27.1% | 25.0% | 41.3% | 30.3% | — |
| Florida | 25.0% | 20.8% | 19.0% | 27.2% | 29.6% | 27.3% |
| Georgia | 26.8% | 25.7% | 23.3% | 30.8% | 29.3% | 32.3% |
| Hawaii | 26.9% | 33.6% | 17.0% | 18.7% * | 14.6% * | 16.5% |
| Idaho | 28.1% | 23.1% | 18.9% | 24.8% | 31.9% * | 29.6% |
| Illinois | 22.8% | 19.8% | 20.8% | 26.4% | 26.4% | 23.5% |
| Indiana | 23.9% | 18.6% | 21.9% | 26.2% | 22.9% | 23.8% |
| Iowa | 17.2% | 15.5% | 18.3% | 22.9% | 22.8% | 21.8% |
| Kansas | 21.8% | 21.9% | 22.1% | 22.2% | 22.2% | 22.9% * |
| Kentucky | 23.8% | 26.0% | 23.2% | 27.5% | 23.7% | 21.4% |
| Louisiana | 23.6% | 24.4% | 26.9% | 23.6% | 26.1% | 23.6% |
| Maine | 19.3% 1 | 18.0% 1 | 22.9% | 24.1% | 22.9% | 20.3% |
| Maryland | 23.8% | 18.3% | 18.1% | 20.2% | 22.8% | 23.0% |
| Massachusetts | 20.3% | 21.8% | 24.0% | 26.4% | 27.1% | 24.2% |
| Michigan | 20.8% | 17.3% | 19.9% | 25.9% | 25.8% | 25.0% |
| Minnesota | 15.8% | 15.7% | 16.1% | 22.5% | 19.3% | 22.0% |
| Mississippi | 25.8% | 29.6% | 23.8% | 31.9% | 29.5% | 30.4% |
| Missouri | 22.4% | 21.6% | 22.2% | 24.3% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Montana | 31.3% | 29.4% | 32.5% | 26.1% | 25.5% * | 23.0% * |
| Nebraska | 22.5% | 20.1% | 18.0% | 23.5% * | 21.1% | 18.5% * |
| Nevada | 32.8% | 29.2% | 26.3% | 45.2% | 43.9% | 42.8% |
| New Hampshire | 17.4% | 19.4% | 18.6% | 20.1% * | 21.0% | — |
| New Jersey | 21.9% | 18.8% | 19.5% | 26.1% | 26.0% | 24.2% |
| New Mexico | 29.5% | 38.7% | 25.2% | 29.4% | 26.0% | 23.4% |
| New York | 34.7% | 34.2% | 32.5% | 35.5% | 32.9% | 32.9% |
| North Carolina | 21.1% | 18.0% | 26.0% | 27.6% | 26.8% | 25.1% |
| North Dakota | 31.2% 2 | 23.3% 2 | 24.3% | 20.0% * | 12.7% | — |
| Ohio | 22.0% | 24.2% | 21.9% | 27.3% | 26.3% | 23.7% |
| Oklahoma | 27.6% | 21.1% | 23.1% | 26.9% | 23.4% | 20.3% * |
| Oregon | 26.2% | 24.7% | 26.2% | 28.2% | 24.1% | 27.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 19.4% | 17.4% | 18.7% | 20.6% | 19.6% | 21.0% |
| Rhode Island | 15.9% | 24.6% | 17.4% | 21.8% | 27.2% | 19.2% * |
| South Carolina | 25.6% | 22.7% | 25.6% | 25.1% | 23.9% | 16.9% |
| South Dakota | 31.2% 2 | 23.3% 2 | 16.1% | 21.7% * | 26.6% * | — |
| Tennessee | 25.7% | 24.7% | 21.6% | 25.8% | 23.0% | 25.2% |
| Texas | 28.8% | 26.4% | 23.9% | 27.7% | 25.9% | 23.8% |
| Utah | 25.7% | 29.2% | 26.7% | 22.0% | 23.1% | 23.0% |
| Vermont | 19.3% 1 | 18.0% 1 | — | 15.7% * | 20.6% | 26.7% * |
| Virginia | 24.9% | 20.6% | 13.9% | 20.9% | 17.7% | 17.4% |
| Washington | 21.8% | 20.2% | 20.3% | 23.2% | 23.2% | 25.3% |
| West Virginia | 26.2% | 22.9% | 18.0% | 18.7% | 15.5% | 18.4% |
| Wisconsin | 19.6% | 18.1% | 19.2% | 22.0% | 21.4% | 22.5% |
| Wyoming | 31.2% 2 | 23.3% 2 | 18.1% | 20.9% * | 21.5% * | — |
Definition
Percentage of households without sufficient net worth to subsist at the poverty level for three months in the absence of income, 2011.
The threshold used to determine the asset poverty rate varies by family size. A family of four with net worth less than $6,063 in 2015 is asset poor.
Data are point estimates produced from a national survey with relatively small samples for some states, which can result in imprecise estimates and ranks. States are not ranked on this measure because estimates are too imprecise to say with confidence how the state compares to other states. For more information on how we measured precision and to download margin of error data for each state, see here.
Source
Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2008 Panel, Wave 10. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2013. Data calculated by Haveman Economic Consulting.
"—" indicates that no data is available, or data is suppressed due to a margin of error that is greater than 50% of the estimate.
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