Poverty

Concentrated Rural Poverty and the Geography of Exclusion
2008
This policy brief provides new empirical evidence on concentrated rural poverty. We find that one-half of all rural poor are segregated in high-poverty areas. The rates are even more striking for minorities.
Clearly, the rural poor, like those in cities, are often physically and socially isolated from most middle-class Americans. These findings call for targeted public policies that address inequalities based on place and the geography of exclusion in America.
Carsey Institute

The Enduring Challenge of Concentrated Poverty in America
2008
In 2006, the Community Affairs Offices of the to examine the issue of concentrated poverty. The resulting report, The Enduring Challenge of Concentrated Poverty in America: Case Studies from Communities Across the U.S., profiles 16 high-poverty communities from across the country, including immigrant gateway, Native American, urban, and rural communities. Through these case studies, the report contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of poor people living in poor communities, and the policies that will be needed to bring both into the economic mainstream. Download "A Synthesis of Themes from the Case Studies"
US Federal Reserve System and the Brookings Institution

Children in Central Cities and Rural Communities Experience High Rates of Poverty
2008
New data indicate that more than 13 million children are living in poverty, 22 percent of rural children and 25 percent of children living in central cities, according to a new report released by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.

Urban and Rural Children Experience Similar Rates of Low-Income and Poverty
2008
The rates of children living in low-income families are similar in both rural areas and central cities, a new report from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire finds. Nearly one-half of all children living in rural areas and in central cities lived in a low-income family.

Pathways to Economic Mobility: Key Indicators
The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the factors that seem to affect the likelihood that someone will move up, or down, the economic ladder in the United States. The report is organized around three categories of mobility indicators: social capital, human capital, and financial capital. Within each category, detailed analysis of individual indicators, such as community influences, entrepreneurship and educational attainment, are provided.
Stuart M. Butler, William W. Beach, and Paul L. Winfree

At the Razor's Edge: Building Hope for America's Rural Poor
2006
Leif Jensen, Pennsylvania State University
Rural Realities Issue no. 1