According to the freshly released 2013 ACS by the United States Census Bureau, there have been modest, but insignificant, gains toward alleviating poverty within many urban areas.
The U.S. Census Bureau accounts for cities based on specific Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which is the agglomeration throughout a given metropolitan area, capturing not only the main big-city or mid-sized city, but also its surrounding suburbs. As Alexis Stephens reports from Next City's Equity Factor blog, "the MSAs that showed reasonable gains in median income were Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, New York-Newark-Jersey City, and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward. (The median income for the country in 2013 was $51,939, up from $51,759 in 2012.) The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia MSA had the largest decrease in median household income, down 3.8 percent."
These changes may be a rise in overall income of residents of the area, but it may also reflect how many lower-income households are priced out of living within the city, and displaced by higher income individuals. Indeed, looking at the national poverty rate, in 2013 it barely budged and remained at 15.8 percent nationwide. As Stephens writes, "any gains made overall during the recovery haven’t been able to markedly lift the households of low-wage workers or the unemployed."
FULL STORY: How Cities Stacked Up by Median Income and Poverty Rates for 2013
New Poverty and Income Data Reveals a Tale of Two Types of Cities
While the country overall made progress, larger cities are making stronger gains against poverty.
Sunbelt Blues: Overlapping Poverty and Inequality
Poverty and inequality are bad things, but what happens when they coincide? A new study points to a startling increase in the number of U.S. counties suffering from both problems.
Advocates to Harvard: We Don't Need Another Study
After receiving a large grant to study poverty and income inequality, the Hutchins Center of African and African-American Studies finds itself having to justify the need to study the problems, rather than spending that money on programs or services.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research