The poverty rate in Boulder County does not capture the entirety of people who are struggling here.
Lisa, a divorced mother of two, never expected to lose her job as a mental health counselor. When she did, she thought it would be easy to find another. That was nearly three years ago. Since that time, Lisa has managed to cobble together part-time positions to provide the basics for her children. However, even with help from non-profit organizations like Sister Carmen Community Center in Lafayette, she’s worried about losing her home. Lisa may not be unemployed—she may not even fall below the poverty line—but she is struggling.
We reported in our last blog post on American Community Survey (ACS) data that our 2011 median household income in Boulder County was $68,637, topping the Colorado median income of $55,387 and the national median income of $50,054. We also reported that 14.1% of Boulder County residents lived in poverty in 2011 (the Colorado poverty rate was 13.5%). Finally, we mentioned that the 2011 Self-Sufficiency Standard for a family of four in Boulder County was $67,924.
What do these three statistics tell us when considered together? For one, they tell us that the poverty rate in Boulder County does not capture the entirety of people who are struggling here.
Here are some quick facts:
- The self-sufficiency standard, which varies by household size, tells us that a single adult in Boulder County needs about $25K each year to meet basic needs without public or private assistance.
- About 20% of households here—of varying sizes—earned less than $25K last year.
- Nearly 40% of Boulder County households (not individuals, but households) earned less than $50K in 2011, the amount a family of one adult and one preschooler need to live self-sufficiently.
- * On an income of $50K, a working family with children in Boulder County will struggle to afford suitable housing, pay for daycare, cover their medical and dental bills, and eat healthfully. There are thousands of such working families in our community.
In isolation, one or two statistics may not tell us much about our community. In concert with each other, however, they can help to paint a clearer picture of the place we proudly call home. Thanks for joining us in our efforts to improve life in Boulder County. Stay tuned for next week, when we share some information gathered through conversations with local basic needs organizations this past week.
