35% of Travis County residents are low-income

We have adequate income, resources and supports to live independent lives.

Indicator: % of Travis County residents who are low-income (below 200% of the federal poverty level)

Significance of Indicator: Most researchers and policymakers agree that a family must earn at least two times the federal poverty level to meet basic needs states the National Center for Children in Poverty. A family is considered to be low-income if they earn 200% of the federal poverty level or $42,400 for a family of four.

what the data tell us

The percent of individuals who are low-income increased 2008 to 2009. In Travis County, more than 352,000 people are living in conditions where they may not have enough money to make ends meet.

Definition: Percent of individuals living below 200% of the federal poverty level. Federal Poverty Guidelines can be accessed here.

Data Source: American Community Survey, 1 Year Estimates

Data Considerations: The American Community Survey samples 3% of the Nation's population. Due to small sample sizes, margins of error are increased and hard to reach populations may not be accurately represented in the data.

The Story Behind the indicator

Most low-income families have at least one adult who works full-time hours for the full year in a job or jobs that do not provide benefits. The Urban Institute explains that many of these families may experience hardships related to food, housing and healthcare. Children are significantly more likely to be living in low-income situations than adults. People who are low-income are: less likely to be kindergarten ready, less likely to be college-ready, more likely to smoke, more likely to be obese, less likely to have health insurance, more likely to report poor mental health , and less likely to find housing that they can afford. To learn more about the story behind the low-income residents in our community, click here.

Some local efforts to improve this indicator

The Basic Needs Coalition of Central Texas is a coalition of agencies that work to secure basic resources, such as food and housing, for people in need.
The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) advocates at the state level for policies to improve the safety net for people in need. The CPPP's "Family Budget Estimator" compares what it costs families to live in each of Texas' major metropolitan areas by estimating housing, food, child care, health care, transportation, and other basic expenses.
Bank on Central Texas is a community initiative led by United Way Capital Area and PeopleFund to bring together banks, credit unions, financial service providers, government, private sector, community organizations, and nonprofits to bring more people into the financial mainstream.

A Closer look at the story behind the indicators

Children and youth are much more likely to be living in low-income conditions than adults. Half of all children and youth in the City of Austin are low-income, even higher than the rate for the State of Texas (49%).

% of Children and Youth Under the Age of 18 Who are Low-Income

Definition: Percent of individuals under the age of 18 living below 200% of the federal poverty level. Federal Poverty Guidelines can be accessed here.

Data Source: American Community Survey, 1 Year Estimates

Children who are not economically disadvantaged are more likely to be kindergarten ready than their low-income peers (66% vs. 37%).

Definition: % of children who were assessed as being competent in or having mastered 14 of 16 competencies in the domains of social-emotional development, language and communications, emerging literacy, and mathematics and did not rate as unable to demonstrate any targeted expectation in a Kindergarten Readiness Study by economic status. Economically disadvantaged is defined as a child who is eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Program.

Data Source: E³ Alliance

Data Considerations: This data is based on a sample of 913 students from the following school districts: Austin, Bastrop, Hays, Manor, Not Your Ordinary School, Pflugerville, San Marcos and Travis. This baseline data was collected during assessments done over kindergarteners' first six to nine weeks of school.

% of Central Texas Children Who are Kindergarten Ready by Economic Status

The college readiness rate for economically disadvantaged graduates in the class of 2008 was 23% lower than the college readiness rate for the general student population of graduates.

2009% of Austin ISD Graduates Who are College Ready by Economic Status Economically

Definition: Percent of high school gradu-ates who scored at or above the criterion score on both the TAKS, SAT, or ACT Eng-lish language arts and mathematics tests by economic status. Economically disadvan-taged students qualify for the free and re-duced lunch program. To learn more about college readiness criterion visit the TEA's website, here.

Data Source: Texas Education Agency

Data Considerations: This data does not include the college readiness rates of high school seniors who dropped out, continued high school, or received a GED. The general student population includes economically disadvantaged students which undermines the disparity in college readiness rates be-tween economically disadvantaged and non-economically disadvantaged students.

Smoking rates varied by income in the Austin region in 2009: 25% of people with incomes lower than $25,000, 18% of people with incomes between $25,000 and $49,999, and 10% of people with incomes of $50,000 or more.

Definition: Adults ages 18 and older who smoke everyday or some days and has smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime by age

Data Source: Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Data Considerations: The BRFSS samples only adults who live in households with telephone landlines. Households without a landline are, on average, younger and/or have lower incomes. As a result, this data likely understates the actual smoking in our community. Small sample sizes for MSA level data may contribute to fluctuations in local smoking trends.

% of Adults in the Austin Region Who are Smokers by Income

Over time, obesity rates have generally been higher for people earning less than $25,000 a year. Obesity rates varied by income in the Austin region in 2009: 37% of people with incomes lower than $25,000, 41% of people with incomes between $25,000 and $49,999, and 24% of people with incomes of $50,000 or more. More analysis is needed to determine why there was a sudden increase in the obesity rate for persons earning between $25,000 and $49,999 a year.

% of Adults in the Austin-Round Rock MSA who are Obese by Income

Definition: Adults ages 18 and up who have a body mass index of 30 or more by income

Data Source: Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Data Considerations: The BRFSS samples only adults who live in households with telephone landlines. Households without a landline are, on average, younger and/or have lower incomes. As a result, this data likely understates the actual obesity rates in our community. Small sample sizes for MSA level data may contribute to fluctuations in local obesity trends.

In Travis County in 2009, the low-income population was more than twice as likely to be uninsured as people with higher incomes. The same disparities can be seen across the United States, Texas, our five-county region, and in the City of Austin.

Definition: Under 65 years with no private or public health insurance coverage for the civilian non-institutionalized population by economic status

Data Source: American Community Survey, 1 Year Estimates

% of Individuals in Travis County Under the Age of 65 with no Health Insurance Coverage by Economic Status

Since 2003, a higher percentage of people earning less than $25,000 a year in the Austin region have reported five or more poor mental health days within the past month than people with higher incomes. From 2006-2009, the percentage of people with low-incomes reporting poor mental health has rapidly increased from 24% to 47%.

% Reporting 5 or More Poor Mental Health Days within the Past Month by Income

Definition: Adults who report to have had ≥5 days of poor mental health which includes stress, depression, and problems with emotions, within the last 30 days

Data Source: Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Data Considerations: The BRFSS samples only adults who live in households with telephone landlines. Households without a landline are, on average, younger and/or have lower incomes. Small sample sizes for MSA level data may contribute to fluctuations in local obesity trends.

The Bank on Central Texas program states that low-income families are also often exposed to predatory lending services that charge high fees and interest rates. In Austin's low-income neighborhoods, payday lenders, check cashers, and pawn shops outnumber banks and credit unions.

Definition: % of banks and credit unions and alternative financial service providers (non-bank institutions that offer check cashing, payday loans, and/or pawn loans) in Austin that are located in neighborhoods with a median income of $37,146 or less

Data Source: Brookings Institution

Data Considerations: This data should be treated as estimates. Financial services data are current as of 2006. Neighborhood income data is from 1999 and has been adjusted to 2006 dollars using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index Research Series

% of Financial Services Branches Located in Low-Income Neighborhoods in Austin