Census data shows higher poverty, lower median household incomes in Michigan

Household incomes are down while the number of people living in poverty is up. That’s according to new data from the US Census Bureau. Michigan’s numbers mirror national trends.

The reports compare data from 2010 to last year. During that time median household incomes in the US fell a little more than 1-percent, and so did Michigan’s. The median household income here in 2011 was $45,981 a year. Vermont was the only state that saw household incomes increase.

1.69 million (17.5-percent) Michigan residents lived in poverty in 2011. That’s up slightly from the year before. 16 other states, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin saw increases in poverty rates as well.  

This is the fourth consecutive year the poverty rate has gone up in the US. It stands at 15.9-percent.