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National, state poverty data
SEPTEMBER 27, 2000

On Tuesday, the US Census Bureau released its poverty and income data for the country.

Poverty rates and income varied by ethnicity and race, with Native Americans falling below the rest of the nation. But Native Americans differed only slightly in poverty and income from African-Americans and Hispanics.

Data also varied by state. But of the top 10 states with the highest population of Native Americans, only two -- Washington and Alaska -- had a poverty level below the national average.

The following are a summary of poverty rates and median income levels for the nation and selected states.

AVERAGE POVERTY RATES 1997-1999
Characteristic	Percent below poverty (%)
American Indian and Alaska Native	25.9
African-American	25.4
Hispanic*	25.1
Asian and Pacific Islander	12.4
White	10.5
White, Non-Hispanic	8.2
All	12.9
* - Hispanic can be of any race. Source: Poverty in the United States: 1999. US Census Bureau. September 2000.

AVERAGE POVERTY RATES BY STATE 1997-1999*
State	Percent below poverty (%)
California	15.3
Oklahoma	13.5
Arizona	15.2
New Mexico	20.8
Washington	9.2
Alaska	8.6
North Carolina	13.0
Texas	15.6
New York	15.7
Florida	13.3
* - The states selected are the states with the highest population of American Indians and Alaska Natives. See Census data by state (The Talking Circle 8/31) Source for Poverty Rates: Poverty in the United States: 1999. US Census Bureau. September 2000.

AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME LEVEL 1997-1999*
Characteristic	3-year average
American Indian and Alaska Native	$30,784
African-American	$26,608
Hispanic**	$29,110
Asian and Pacific Islander	$48,614
White	$41,591
White, Non-Hispanic	$43,287
All	$39,657
* - Median is the middle value in a distribution, above and below which lie an equal number of values. ** - Hispanic can be of any race.