Poverty in California remains highest in US, tied with Louisiana, report says

<p>People of color, renters and children among most affected, as child poverty more than doubles since 2021</p><p>A new report on poverty in California shows that the state remains the highest in the US, alongside Louisiana, and rates have shown little improvement.</p><p>Despite the abundant wealth in the state – more billionaires live in California than anywhere else in the US – in 2024 about 7 million people, or 17.7% of residents, could not afford to cover their basic needs. In 2021, California’s poverty rate reached a historic low of 11%, but as pandemic-era policies came to an end, rates surged in the state and across the US, according to the report from the <a href="https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/californias-persistent-poverty-crisis-2024-rates-remain-alarmingly-high/">California Budget and Policy Center</a> released last week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/17/poverty-california-louisiana">Continue reading...</a>