LogFAQs > #908601114

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/California-s-troubling-poverty-rate-13210928.php

by the supplemental poverty measure, not the official poverty rate, to be clear

The reason is obvious to anyone who has lived in California in the last 30 years -- the rent is too damn high

Rather, California has the highest supplemental poverty measure rate simply because of our highest-in-the-nation home prices. If housing prices in California were at the median seen across the rest of the United States, the states supplemental poverty measure rate would drop by nearly a third to 11.7 percent from 17.1 percent. California would then rank 30th among the states based on 2015 data. This might not be surprising, as 29 percent of Californians spend more than half their monthly income to keep a roof over their heads.

Still, this begs the question of whether Californias poverty rate should depend so exclusively and overwhelmingly on housing costs. It seems reasonable to assume that poor people would struggle with both food and housing costs. So, if California really has the highest poverty rate, we should expect it to also have high food insecurity.
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