Pennies for Poverty:
Two Cents For Change

Newburyport Information:

For general information about Newburyport, please visit City of Newburyport.com. For information about global poverty, please visit Poverty Program.com.

To contact us about presentations on poverty issues or Pennies, please email us at awareness@2cents4change.com.

2010 Newburyport Poverty Report:

While the economy is slowly recovery we still have a long way to go before we start seeing the numbers of people in need reduced. We all need to understand that we need to be helping those affected by the economy for a long time to come. It's easy to slip into the ranks of the poor but it takes time and a lot of effort to move up economically.

How is poverty defined? Poverty statistics are dated the minute they're issued. It takes a year or more to get the information and the information on poverty is largely based on the Federal Poverty Level which is about $20,000 for a family of four. In contrast and closer to reality, Americans when polled say that it takes a minimum of $40,000 for a family of four not to live in poverty and to financially cover basic necessities. And in places with high housing costs like Newburyport, it costs even more.

One of the first things Pennies did was to develop a definition of poverty for Newburyport based on the living wage and taking into account the increased cost for housing. It is slightly higher than 200% of the FPL due to the increased cost of housing in Newburyport.

What are adequate resources to not be poor in Newburyport? A single person needs to make $25,000; 2 adults $35,000 and a family with 2 children needs to make $50,000. We defined severe poverty as earning less than $15,000, moderate poverty as less than $35,000 and have a serious risk of poverty as earnings less than $50,000 depending on family size.

Report Sections By Topic:

For the 2009 report, please click here.

Newburyport Poverty Definition:

Adequate resources to not be poor in Newburyport:

Single Individual: $25,000
2 Adults: under $35,000
Family with children: $50,000

3 categories of poverty based on a sustainable level of income (costs of housing and living expenses taken into account):

Severe poverty (under $15,000): 711 households
Moderate poverty (under $35,000): 1424 households
Risk of poverty (between $35,000-$50,000): 1,345 households

Total of all 3 categories: 3,480 Households times 3.09 (average family size in Newburyport) = up to 10,753 individuals in or at risk of poverty or 44% of the population in Newburyport. Please note that these numbers are not based on 2008 earnings but on 2006 information.

TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS UNDER $35,000 = 4,590
(27% of Newburyport Households)

2006 Household Income Houses in Newburyport: 7,913
(7,537 occupied: 5,026 owner occupied, 2,511 renter occupied)

Less than $10,000 = 850 HOUSEHOLDS (5%)
$10,000 to $14,999 = 680 HOUSEHOLDS (4%)
$15,000 to $24,999 = 1530 HOUSEHOLDS (9%)
$25,000 to $34,999 = 1530 HOUSEHOLDS (9%)
$35,000 to $49,999 (17%)
$50,000 to $74,999 (18%)
$75,000 to $99,999 (16%)
$100,000 to $149,999 (14%)
$150,000 to $199,999 (5%)
$200,000 or more (4%)

Poverty Statistics:

Risk Factors in Newburyport:

Separated/divorced = 2132 or 11.82%
Widowed = 1,060 = 5.88%
Children 0-4 = 1,047
Children 5-9 = 938
Elderly = 2,476 = 13.73%
Non-white = 7.32%
Education:

no high school diploma = 5.17%
No college degree = 28.03%
Total: 33.2%

Net Worth:

less than $10,000 = 27.31%
$10-50,000 = 24.98%
Total net worth under $50,000 = 52.29% of population
Medium Net worth is less than medium debt by $45,000

Medium Income by Age = Children under 25 & Elderly at risk
Less than $5,000 difference between medium income and average expenditures.

General Poverty Statistics:

44 Children receiving WIC
7.5% of school age children receive free or reduced lunch.
Two food pantries, 6 soup kitchens in Newburyport.
30-50 of people serviced per meal.
381 unemployed (7/06), 3.8 unemployment rate.
2,417 people living below poverty level.
231 children living below poverty level.
348 AFDC, medicaid recipients.
Multiple assistance medicaid recipients (under 25 yrs old) 51.
23 documented child abuse/neglect.
150 low income elderly, income less than $1,851 month.
Low income housing: 150 elderly, 48 families, 92 section 8 vouchers; 7 on emergency housing list and a minimum of 10 year waiting list for non-emergency housing.
5.4% of children 5-17 do not speak English at home.
25% of 3rd-graders do not meet MCAS standards.
HIV/AIDS has increased 25% in MA since 1999.
MA 1,200 homeless families.

People in group quarters in Newburyport:

275 people in nursing homes
44 people in other noninstitutional group quarters
29 people in homes for the mentally retarded
16 people in homes or halfway houses for drug/alcohol abuse
8 people in residential treatment centers for emotionally disturbed children
6 people in other nonhousehold living situations
3 people in homes for the physically handicappe

Pennies for Poverty: Two Cents For Change