Definitions

• Child poverty rate
• Dividends, interest and rent
• Division
• Elderly living alone
• Elderly poverty rate
• Family household
• Hispanic origin
• Labor force participation rate
• Median household income
• Net earnings
• Parents with young children
• Per capita income
• Personal income by source
• Poverty rate
• Real
• Region
• Single-parent household
• Transfer payments
• Wage per job

Child poverty rate

The child poverty rate is the percentage of children under age 18 living below the poverty level or "threshold." Each year, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget establishes a series of poverty thresholds for different family sizes and ages of household heads.

Dividends, interest and rent

Individuals and households get their income from three main sources: net earnings; dividends, interest, and rent; and transfer payments. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, dividends, interest and rent income includes personal dividends income, personal interest income, and rental income. These are sometimes also known as investment income or property income. See http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/definitions/nextpage.cfm?key=plus:%20Dividends,%20interest,%20and%20rent for more information.

Division

The U.S. Census Bureau divides the nation into four Regions and nine Divisions:

• Northeast Region
  1. New England Division
  2. Middle Atlantic Division
• Midwest Region
  3. East North Central Division
  4. West North Central Division
• South Region
  5. South Atlantic Division
  6. East South Central Division
  7. West South Central Division
• West Region
  8. Mountain Division
  9. Pacific Division

Elderly living alone

Elderly living alone includes all people age 65 or older living alone.

Elderly poverty rate

The elderly poverty rate is the percentage of people age 65 or older living below the poverty level or “threshold.” Each year, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget establishes a series of poverty thresholds for different family sizes and ages of household heads.

Family household

A family household consists of the householder and one or more people related to the householder. It may also include people unrelated to the householder.

Hispanic origin

Hispanic origin is not the same thing as race - people of Hispanic origin can be of any race. The Census Bureau defines Hispanic origin as "the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino may be of any race."

Labor force participation rate

The labor force participation rate is the proportion of people age 16 years and older who are employed or available for work. It is one indication of whether more people might be drawn into the labor force if wages were higher.

Median household income

Median household income is the level of income at which half the population has lower incomes and half has higher incomes. Here, we provide information on real median household income, which means the data have been adjusted for inflation.

Net earnings

Individuals and households get their income from three main sources: net earnings; dividends, interest, and rent; and transfer payments. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, net earnings include wages and salary, supplements to wages and salary, and proprietors’ income. Net earnings are reported by place of residence. See http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/definitions/nextpage.cfm?key=equals:%20Net%20earnings%20by%20place%20of%20residence for more information.

Parents with young children

Parents with young children include those with their own children under age six.

Par capita income

Per capita income is the “mean” or average income received by individuals, that is, total income divided by total number of people. Here, we provide information on real per capita income, which means the data have been adjusted for inflation.

Personal income by source

Individuals and households get their income from three main sources: net earnings; dividends, interest, and rent; and transfer payments.

Poverty rate

The poverty rate is the percentage of people living below the poverty level or “threshold.” Each year, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget establishes a series of poverty thresholds for different family sizes and ages of household heads.

Real

“Real” dollars means that a dollar value has been adjusted for inflation. This allows direct comparison of dollar values from the past to the present.

Region

The U.S. Census Bureau divides the nation into four Regions and nine Divisions:

• Northeast Region
  1. New England Division
  2. Middle Atlantic Division
• Midwest Region
  3. East North Central Division
  4. West North Central Division
• South Region
  5. South Atlantic Division
  6. East South Central Division
  7. West South Central Division
• West Region
  8. Mountain Division
  9. Pacific Division

Single-parent household

A single-parent household includes a parent living with own children under age 18.

Transfer payments

Individuals and households get their income from three main sources: net earnings; dividends, interest, and rent; and transfer payments. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, transfer payments include payments to individuals by Federal, state and local governments and by businesses. See http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/definitions/nextpage.cfm?key=plus:%20Personal%20current%20transfer%20receipts for more information.

Wage per job

Wage per job refers to the average annual wage or salary per job, in other words, all wage and salary payments divided by the number of jobs. Here, we provide information on the real wage per job, which means the data have been adjusted for inflation.