# How Much Money Puts You Below the Poverty Line in 2024?

The U.S. Census Bureau just updated the numbers, and they're eye-opening.

**The threshold:** A family of four hits poverty level at $29,960/year. Single person? $14,891. Alaska and Hawaii run higher due to living costs ($37,500 and $34,500 for a family of four respectively).

For context—median household income is $98,487. That's over 3x the poverty threshold.

**The reality check:** About 11.6% of Americans (roughly 38 million people) live at or below this line. For kids under 6, it's 16.1%.

Here's what hits different—poor households spend way more of their paychecks on basics:
- Housing: Average American spends 33.8% of income. Those earning <$30K? 41.2%
- Food: Average 12.4%. Those earning <$15K? 16.7%
- Healthcare: Average 8.1%. Those earning <$15K? 8.6%

Meanwhile, they spend *less* on entertainment (4.8% vs 5.3%) and personal insurance (1.2% vs 11.8%).

Inflation's hitting the poorest hardest—every dollar stretched thinner.