Statistics Behind the Human Faces of Hunger in Rochester

How does Rochester's poverty population (2000) compare with that of other areas?

	U.S.	N.Y.	Roch.	Monroe
% of Population	12.1	14.1	25.9	11.2
% of Children	16.7	20.0	37.5	15.5

Within Rochester, the overall poverty rate was 10% among married families, 43% among families headed by a single mother.  The rate was 16% among whites, 34% among African-Americans, and 42% among Hispanic/Latinos.  Among all female-headed families with children under 5, the poverty rate was 57% in the city.

Rochester's median household income in 2000 was $27,123, compared to the median household income in Monroe County as a whole of $44,891.

In Rochester at the beginning of the new century, 38.5% of all households earned less than $20,000.  In the suburban areas of the county, 13.2% earned less than $20,000.

New York has the 10^th highest child poverty rate in the country.  The only areas with higher rates are Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia.  Our rate is higher than Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the other "rust belt" states.  And, as bad as that is at the statewide level, Rochester's child poverty rate is almost twice as high as the overall state's rate!

In more than half (52%) of Rochester's poverty families, an adult is employed (40% part-time, 12% full-time, including about 6% of the families where two adults are employed at least part-time).  The proportions are similar in the suburbs.

Of those using food banks in the Rochester area, 31% of the households include at least one employed adult; 43% of the households are from suburban or rural areas; 54% of the clients are white, 38% African-American, and 7% Hispanic/Latino.  Thus the poor and hungry represent a broad cross-section of the community.  There are stark differences in the "haves and have-not's" between the city and suburbs within our region, and between racial/ethnic groups, but the poor and hungry are all around us.  As bad as it is in Rochester, the faces of poverty and of hunger are our neighbors, wherever we live throughout the county, and the onset of conditions leading to poverty and hunger can occur very quickly.

Among those 65+, 15.4% in the city live in poverty, compared to 7.4% in the county as a whole.  Both proportions are higher than 10 years ago.  The number of congregate meals and home-delivered meals to seniors 65+ both tripled between 1998-99 and 2001-02.

A full-time minimum-wage earner would earn only $10,712 per year ($893 per month).  The poverty level for a family of two is $12,490 per year ($1,041 per month). Yet fair market rent in Rochester and Monroe County for a two-bedroom apartment is $626 per month.  Doesn't leave much for food, clothing, transportation, or anything else, does it?

The number of meals provided via FOODLINK in the Rochester region in 2002-03 increased by 7% from the previous year.  Between 2000 and 2001 (most recent available data), the number of Monroe County households not on financial assistance but qualifying for and receiving Food Stamps increased by 38%, representing almost 26,000 individuals in the county.  And this represents only a fraction of those who are in need and who would qualify.  Many who qualify are not encouraged to apply, even by those caseworkers aware of their situations.

Don Pryor/CGR for Third Presbyterian Church

April 18, 2004

Presentation to TPC April 18, 2004:  Statistics Behind the Human Faces of Hunger in Rochester

Clearly we have seen that the faces of hunger are all around us, and that "there but for the grace of God could go I."  At this point I've been asked to quantify these faces, and to indicate that these are not just occasional folks scattered among us, not just occasional anecdotal stories, but examples of significant numbers of people who, wherever we live, could be our neighbors - or, with no fault of our own, ourselves!

One out of every 8 people in the United States lives in poverty (12%).  In NY, the rate is even higher (1 in 7, 14%).  And in Rochester, the rate climbs to 26% (1 in every 4).  The rates are bad enough among whites (16%), but climb to 34% among blacks and 42% among Hispanics.  Among married couples, the rates are 10%, but climb to 43% among single mothers, and an unbelievable and unconscionable 57% of female-headed families with children under the age of 5.

Rochester's median household income in 2000 was $27,123, compared to the median household income in Monroe County as a whole of $44,891.

In Rochester at the beginning of the new century, 38.5% of all households earned less than $20,000.  In the suburban areas of the county, 13.2% earned less than $20,000.

These figures are bad enough in the aggregate, but they become more frightening when we examine the numbers of children in poverty.  Here, the US rates are 1 in 6 children in poverty (3X the average for other "rich nations" in the world), and in NY the rates are 1 in every 5.  New York has the 10^th highest child poverty rate in the country.  The only areas with higher rates are Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia.  Illustrious company!  Our rate is higher than Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the other "rust belt" states.  And, as bad as that is at the statewide level, Rochester's child poverty rate is almost twice as high as the overall state's rate!  In Rochester, the proportion of children under 18 living in poverty is almost 2 of every 5 children (37.5%).  Even in the county as a whole, including the suburbs, the proportion is 15.5% (1 in 6.5).   And among younger children of elementary school age, the proportions actually exceed 40% in the city.

And the number of children in the city who qualify for free/reduced price lunches (slightly above poverty level) is even more staggering.  Ten years ago it was bad enough, at 69% (2/3), but now that proportion has increased to 85%.  Even in the county as a whole, the numbers of eligible students has increased from 29% to 41% (upstate overall, excluding NYC area, is only 29%), so in our supposedly well-off county, 2 of 5 children, much higher than in the rest of the state, qualify for food support to help get thru the day.

The common perception is that most of these poor families bring it on themselves, are lazy, dregs of society, persons simply expecting and counting on handouts.  The facts suggest otherwise.  In more than half (52%) of Rochester's poverty families, an adult is employed (40% part-time, 12% full-time, including about 6% of the families where two adults are employed at least part-time).  The proportions are similar in the suburbs.  As we heard in the vignettes earlier, these are not people who have simply waited for handouts.  They are proud people struggling to make ends meet, who simply in many cases have run into circumstances beyond their control.

Of those using food banks in the Rochester area, 31% of the households include at least one employed adult; 43% of the households are from suburban or rural areas; 54% of the clients are white, 38% African-American, and 7% Hispanic/Latino.  Thus the poor and hungry represent a broad cross-section of the community.  There are stark differences in the "haves and have-nots" between the city and suburbs within our region, and between racial/ethnic groups, but the poor and hungry are all around us.  As bad as it is in Rochester, the faces of poverty and of hunger are our neighbors, wherever we live throughout the county, and the onset of conditions leading to poverty and hunger can occur very quickly.

A word about our older population, those 65+:  Among those 65+, 15.4% in the city live in poverty, compared to 7.4% in the county as a whole.  Both proportions are higher than 10 years ago.  The number of congregate meals and home-delivered meals to seniors 65+ both tripled between 1998-99 and 2001-02.

We heard in our stories about people with low-wage jobs, or who had lost jobs completely, having to pay rents or mortgages of $640 - $850 - $1,140 per month.  Think about that.  If someone works full-time at minimum wages, he/she earns a total of $10,712 a year ($893 per month).  The poverty level for a two-person family is $12,490 per year (($1,041 a month).  Federal affordable housing guidelines state that housing shouldn't cost more than 30% of a person's total income.  Yet these real-life stories far exceed that proportion.  The fair market rent for Monroe County for a 2-bedroom apartment is $626 a month, for a place that is hardly extravagant.  For such a basic apartment, someone working full-time at the minimum wage level would be paying 70% of her income for housing!  And on top of that, how do you put food on the table, provide clothing, transportation, day care, etc.??

How are we responding in this community to all this?  Modestly.  The number of meals provided via FOODLINK in the Rochester region in 2002-03 increased by 7% from the previous year, indicating a growing need, but the number of emergency meals served had been declining in recent years, with declining resources.  Between 2000 and 2001 (most recent available data), the number of Monroe County households not on financial assistance but qualifying for and receiving Food Stamps increased by 38%, representing almost 26,000 individuals in the county.  And this represents only a fraction of those who are in need and who would qualify.  Many who qualify are not encouraged to apply, even by those caseworkers aware of their situations.  The needs are great, the resources to address them insufficient.  More to come in succeeding programs.  Time for questions/comments?