Poverty Rate vs. Price Level by City
US cities with higher Price Level tend to have lower Poverty Rate.
Strong link: a correlation of −0.52 across 418 US cities.CorrelationHow closely two metrics move together, from −1 to +1. Near +1: both rise together. Near −1: one rises as the other falls. Near 0: no clear link.More in the glossary →
Each dot in the chart is one of 418 US cities. The correlation between Price Level and Poverty Rate is -0.52, a strong relationship: about 27% of the differences in Poverty Rate from place to place line up with Price Level. Ranked instead of measured, the link is -0.55.
The highest Poverty Rate is in Yazoo City, MS (46.7%), Donaldsonville, LA (44.8%) and State College, PA (38.1%); the lowest is in Southlake, TX (1.55%), Colleyville, TX (2.51%) and Lafayette, CA (2.91%). The median place has 14.4% for Poverty Rate and 98.4 for Price Level.
The biggest exceptions sit furthest from the trend line. Yazoo City, MS, Donaldsonville, LA and State College, PA have a much higher Poverty Rate than their Price Level would predict, while Leawood, KS, Waukesha, WI and Brentwood, TN have a much lower one.
This is a comparison across places, not proof that one causes the other: both can follow from something else, such as income, age or how urban a place is. Price Level is from 2024 and Poverty Rate from 2024.
Highest Poverty Rate
| Place | Poverty Rate | Price Level |
|---|---|---|
| Yazoo City, MS | 46.7% | 89.0 |
| Donaldsonville, LA | 44.8% | 90.8 |
| State College, PA | 38.1% | 96.8 |
| Youngstown, OH | 37.3% | 87.4 |
| Monroe, LA | 35.9% | 83.6 |
Lowest Poverty Rate
| Place | Poverty Rate | Price Level |
|---|---|---|
| Southlake, TX | 1.55% | 103.1 |
| Colleyville, TX | 2.51% | 103.1 |
| Lafayette, CA | 2.91% | 115.6 |
| Waukesha, WI | 3.02% | 96.9 |
| Leawood, KS | 3.08% | 92.5 |
Explore it yourself
- Open this comparison in the interactive chart to highlight places, change the metrics or colour by party.
- Full ranking and sources for Price Level
- Full ranking and sources for Poverty Rate