Poverty USA -- Catholic Campaign for Human Development -- A hand up, not a hand out.

Top 10 States with Highest Poverty Rate, 2003-2004

State, % People Below Poverty Level
1. Mississippi	17.3%
1. New Mexico	17.3%
3. Louisiana	16.8%
4. District of Columbia	16.7%
4. Texas	16.7%
6. Arkansas	16.4%
7. Alabama	16.0%
7. Kentucky	16.0%
9. West Virginia	15.8%
10. North Carolina	15.1%

U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004

Also see:
•	Poverty USA: The State of Poverty in America
•	The Face of Poverty in America
•	Poverty and the Working Poor
•	Poverty: 2004 Snapshot
Top Ten Lists:
•	States with the Highest Poverty Rates
•	Counties with the Highest Poverty Rates
•	Cities with the Highest Poverty Rates
•	Cities with the highest child poverty rates
•	Top Ten States with the Highest Percentage of Low Income, Uninsured Children
•	Top Ten States with the Greatest Increase in Poverty
•	States Experiencing a Decrease in Poverty
•	Top Ten States with Highest Percentage of Children Living in Poverty
U.S. Government: What is the "Poverty Line"? The Poverty Threshold: How the Government Defines Poverty in America How Health and Human Services defines Poverty in America