MASS BUDGET & POLICY CENTER: Progress in reducing poverty in Massachusetts slows in 2017

October 2, 2018 Progress in reducing poverty in Massachusetts slows in 2017 Although the state has made significant gains in poverty reduction and income growth in recent years, especially since the recession, year-over-year progress began to slow in 2017. Compared to 2016, the poverty rate was essentially flat, and median household income grew at a much slower pace. More than one in 10 Massachusetts residents lived below the poverty line in 2017, essentially the same as the rate in 2016, according to a new Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) brief, Massachusetts Poverty Rate Flat, Median Income Growth Slowed in 2017. Although progress slowed in the past year, Massachusetts' poverty rate is close to pre-recession levels, at 9.9 percent, and is the 10th lowest in the country. From 2016 to 2017, Massachusetts saw a 0.6 percent growth in median household income, from $76,901 to $77,385 (in 2017 dollars) - a growth rate that ranked 37th nationally. Read the full report here. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108