US Poverty Rate Falls 0.5 Point in 2025 as Experts Warn 5 Million Lost SNAP
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 15
US Poverty Rate Falls 0.5 Point in 2025 as Experts Warn 5 Million Lost SNAP
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 15
Summary
Just over 10% of Americans lived below the poverty line in 2025, down 0.5 percentage point from 2024, while median household income rose more than 2% in real terms to $87,460.
Women’s full-time earnings climbed about 3% as men’s stayed mostly flat, narrowing the pay gap to 83 cents on the dollar; child and Hispanic poverty each hit record lows near 13%.
The broader Supplemental Poverty Measure held near 13%, but analysts said that stability reflects 2025 conditions before 2026 safety-net cuts fully took hold.
5 million people lost SNAP benefits between July 2025 and May 2026 after Congress tightened work requirements, with caseloads falling in all but three states and by as much as 20% in Arizona.
Health coverage also looked steady in 2025 at 92%, yet expiring ACA subsidies and rising employer-plan premiums could leave up to 5 million people without marketplace coverage in 2026.