The U.S. official poverty rate was 10.6% in 2024, which equals about 35.9 million people living below the poverty line. The Census Bureau says a person or family is counted in poverty if their income is below the official poverty threshold for their household size and composition.

Poverty thresholds

For 2024, the poverty guideline for the 48 contiguous states was $15,060 for one person and $31,200 for a family of four. The official poverty thresholds used for statistics are similar but not identical to the federal poverty guidelines used for program eligibility.

What it means

  • A single number does not capture everyone’s situation, because the poverty line changes by household size and sometimes by location/program rules.
  • The 2024 official poverty rate of 10.6% was down slightly from 2023.
  • In plain terms, the poverty line is the income cutoff the government uses to estimate how many people lack enough resources for basic needs.

Quick reference

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Measure 2024 figure
Official poverty rate 10.6%
People in poverty 35.9 million
1-person poverty guideline $15,060
Family of 4 poverty guideline $31,200
TL;DR: The U.S. poverty level is usually discussed as the official poverty rate, and in 2024 it was 10.6% of the population, or 35.9 million people.