Hunger
in Oregon
Statistics
on Poverty and Hunger in Clatsop County/Oregon
Percentage of households with income less than 185
percent of the poverty level:
Clatsop County =
29.8%
State of Oregon = 26.9%
Source: EM 8842-E * Poverty and Food Assistance in Clatsop
County, November 2003
The poverty rate for Clatsop County is
higher than
state poverty rate.
Clatsop County =
13.2%
State of Oregon = 11.6%
Source:
EM 8842-E * Poverty and Food Assistance in Clatsop County, November 2003
Unemployment rates are
lower than state rates
Clatsop County =
7.0%
State of Oregon =
7.5%
National Average
= 5.8%
What is the extent of poverty/hunger in
Oregon?
Oregon
is in the top 5 hungriest states in America
Oregon
for the past 5 years has been either the #1 or #2 hungriest state
in America with the hunger rate remaining nearly twice that of the national
average rate for hunger. (Oregon 5.8%, United States 3.3%)
Oregon’s poverty rate is
11.6%;
the Federal Poverty Line for a family of four is $20,650 per year.
19.7%
of children in Oregon live in poverty.
5.4%
of elderly in Oregon live in poverty.
Reasons:
according to Oregon
Center for Public Policy
housing
costs have soared while wages have stagnated. In the last decade housing values
in Oregon have risen 129%.
The gap between rich and poor grew
four times faster in Oregon than nationally--the richest 20% in Oregon had a 34%
increased earnings while the poorest 20% in Oregon had a 6% decline in
income.
The changing nature of employment in
Oregon has resulted in fewer family-wage industrial jobs and more low-wage
service jobs.
Rural Oregon fares poorly due to more
seasonal employment which equals low annual incomes.
Statistics
for Clatsop County (based on CCA’s year-end report)
Last year
in Clatsop
County over 11,702 emergency food boxes were given out and 70,000 emergency
hot meals were served .
At our agency, which mainly serves Astoria residents,
our free store, which provides emergency personal care items, served 640
households.
Children make up 40% of the people receiving
emergency food in the last year.
17% of children in Clatsop County live in poverty.
Source-Oregon
Center for Public Policy
LINKS
TO MORE INFO:
A
Portrait of Poverty in Oregon
Clatsop Community Action
