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    Mississippi has highest poverty rate in nation

    Poverty rates in 2010 by state (U.S. Census)

    More than 22 percent of Mississippians lived in poverty last year, making the state the poorest in the nation. New Mexico trailed closely behind with a 20 percent poverty rate, according to updated U.S. Census figures.

    New Hampshire, Maryland and Alaska had fewer than 10 percent of their populations living in poverty.

    Overall, 15 percent of Americans were poor last year, the highest rate since 1993. The poverty line is $22,314 pre-tax income for a family of four, not including non-cash benefits such as food stamps. The Census measure also doesn't take into account big differences in cost of living among states, or expenses such as child care.

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    • Neil  •  6 mths ago
      So guys, that whole "Southern Strategy" that Republicans seduced you with about 40 years ago; how's that workin' out for you?
    • Bill W  •  Youngstown, United States  •  7 mths ago
      You ever notice votes to increase congressional pay and benefits (which is already in the hundreds of thousands of dollars ) always pass and so are "free" trade agreements which send middle class jobs over seas. But things like minimum wage increases and jobs bills are always blocked. How odd.
      • A Yahoo User 7 mths ago
        We've got a GOP Senate that broke the record for filibusters and the economically illiterate tea party / GOP Congress. The only thing you can do is vote yourself to prosperity or keep voting GOP and live with it!! Leadership does matter.
      • christinek 7 mths ago
        How about curbing inflation? Gas prices are way too high, health care, insurance, food, taxes, cars, appliances, etc...the costs of everything have jumped 100 fold...Jeez, why is that not part of the problem to anyone?
      • accountant retired 7 mths ago
        in the world of the AP free trade =no embargos. Do a web search on U.D.Duty. You'll find checks on imports from every country in the world are payable to ICE which was Customs.
    • Sam  •  7 mths ago
      congress needs to spend time working as social workers for a year and really see the suffering of our people.
      • James 7 mths ago
        Most of them would rather spend time at their country clubs.
      • Lobo 7 mths ago
        most of them would rather die before living like an average American.
      • Jay 7 mths ago
        most of them should be in jail
    • ROBERT  •  7 mths ago
      Mississippi has always been the down trodden of the nation.
      • Mike 7 mths ago
        How so? True, finacially many are challenged but I find the people of Mississiippi to be the salt of the earth.
      • Hondo 13 7 mths ago
        When the war between the states broke out Mississippi was the richest state. From that time on it has been the poorest!
      • L.C.by T. 7 mths ago
        Republicans as I type are filibustering the Democrats, Obama jobs bill, and have put forth their own. Obamas jobs bill would create 400 thousand jobs, putting teachers, fire fighters, police and other first responders back to work.
        The Republican say their bill would create 200 thousand jobs but 30 billion dollars would have to be cut from discretionary spending within 90days after implementation of their bill to pay for these jobs. In fact this jobs bill would cause 200 thousand plus jobs to be discontinued and create nothing in return. This money is what is used to pay for Fire Fighters, Teachers, Police, the FBI, and First Responders.
        Mitch McConald has said, Obama has to be defeated at any cost. Of course he isn't talking about him pay anything, he talking about Americans like you and me, and all those lazy people on unemployment paying and some 200 thousand more joining their ranks.
        So the Republican bill would take 200,000 more jobs away, they would block the 400,000 jobs that would be created with the Democratic bill = 600,000 jobs are going to be lost and or blocked to defeat one black Obama, the President.
    • James F  •  7 mths ago
      Looking at the illustrated map ... 80% of the USA qualifies as poor ... ! Sad fact for a country that used to be the greatest country in the world .... so let's just keep voting the same old politicians back into office again ... we certainly don't want things to get any better ..... do we ? Get the big corporate money out of our politics or it will just get worse .....
      • Abdiel 7 mths ago
        Both ;political parties are the same bushit just different piles. The people need to take back their corrupted democracy and start fresh with a government of, by and for the people... Get rid of the oligarchic butt kissers that are dragging us to a two class feudal/fascist state of haves and impoverished have nots. Already one in every six Americans live at or below the poverty level and 48 million American families have no healthcare whatsoever...
      • Lobo 7 mths ago
        Then i would recommend listening to what Ron Paul has to say.
      • Mike 7 mths ago
        James, good point!!
    • Ea  •  7 mths ago
      Mississippi has highest poverty rate in nation
      I thought that Mississippi always held that title.
      • Truth 7 mths ago
        Yes they always have and DC has the highest murder rate?!
      • Ea 7 mths ago
        Truth
        Relevance please, or is it that you want to demonstrate your racist ignorance?
      • 2XTURBO 7 mths ago
        racist? #$%$ please...
    • Boomer  •  Milwaukee, United States  •  7 mths ago
      What I find disturbing about this map isn't the location of the states experiencing poverty, but
      that our country has so much poverty to begin with.
    • michaelb  •  7 mths ago
      This is News? Who has not known this for at least the last 20 years-
    • widdly scuds  •  7 mths ago
      On the plus side it takes over 2.2 lbs of marijuana to be considered a felony in Mississippi versus just a half OUNCE in Tennessee.
    • mel  •  Owings Mills, United States  •  7 mths ago
      and the lowest taxes too.
    • "Legs"  •  Appleton, United States  •  7 mths ago
      How can that possibly be??? All those companies that moved south to take advantage of those "right-to-work states" wages??? C'mon now . . . you mean minimum wage isn't cutting it??? I'm shocked!!!!
    • Scott  •  Biloxi, United States  •  7 mths ago
      Bogus story. "Doesn't take into account big differences in cost of living between states." If you got $22000 a year, would you stay in New York? Or move to Mississippi?
    • Jim  •  7 mths ago
      Way to go Haley Barbour! Good show!
    • A Yahoo! User  •  7 mths ago
      Man what an honor :( !
    • Willy Lunchmeat  •  San Diego, United States  •  7 mths ago
      I left the Republican Plantation a long time ago.
    • JustSayin  •  Pleasanton, United States  •  7 mths ago
      So why is this news? Mississippi HAS ALWAYS HAD THE HIGHEST poverty rate in the nation! I grew up there as a child and let me tell you, IT WASN'T PRETTY!
    • HAL 9000  •  Dallas, United States  •  7 mths ago
      Always has. Can anybody guess why?
    • LAW ABIDING CITIZEN  •  Richmond, United States  •  7 mths ago
      I'm moving to Mississippi I can live like a king there...
    • A1!  •  Hattiesburg, United States  •  7 mths ago
      REALLY??? We are doing just fine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. We have two thriving Universities and just got a new MEDICAL SCHOOL at WCU. We have a solar panel plant about to open that was sought after by countries all over the world. We have Howard Industries the largest builder of Electrical Transformers in the world and thriving Masonite Corporation. Our sister city Laurel is on a pool of oil that will not dry up for 3,000 years. Our housing prices are untouched by the recession and new housing starts are everywhere out in the award-winning OAK GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT where it is common to see people take demotions with their companies to get to move here to use the schools. We have several pro-athletes including but not limited to Brett Farve who have second homes here and a couple of old rock stars live here full time and NONE of them are from the area. I would hardly call us downtrodden!!! Do not stereotype.
    • jOhn  •  7 mths ago
      The south has been poor since the Civil War. Actually, since before the Civil War. And nothing has changed that.
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