Los Angeles On the Edge, Part II: An Analysis of Poverty Data from the U.S. Census Bureau

The data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau reveal high rates of poverty in L.A. County and even higher rates in its largest cities, Los Angeles and Long Beach. The 2008 data do not capture the full impact of the recession that began in late 2007, as much of the data were collected before the recession really hit Los Angeles County. Nevertheless, they provide the most current snapshot of the scale of poverty in the region. They also reveal the staggering numbers of people living in economic hardship and the large number of children living in poverty – more than one in five in L.A. County.