Community Action in Michigan Responds to Poverty
Community Action gives people the tools to lift themselves out of poverty. Twenty-seven Community Action agencies across the State of Michigan provide services at the local level because they believe people in the community know what is best for the community.
Measuring Poverty
Official Poverty Measure
The Census Bureau determines a person’s poverty status by comparing his or her resources against a measure of need. For the official measure, the term resources is defined as total family income before taxes, and the measure of need is a dollar amount called a poverty threshold. Only money income before taxes is used in calculating the official poverty measure, meaning this measure does not treat in-kind benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), housing subsidies, or employer-provided benefits as income. Because the official measure uses income before taxes, it also excludes refundable tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, as well as stimulus payments that were made as refundable tax credits.
Supplemental Poverty Measure
Criticisms of the official poverty measure have led to the development of an alternative research measure called the SPM, which the Census Bureau also computes and releases. The SPM includes adjustments to reflect geographic variations in housing costs, and the estimated effects of taxes and in-kind benefits (such as housing, energy, and food assistance) on poverty, while the official measure does not.
The official measure provides a comparison of the population below poverty over a longer period
than does the SPM, including some years before many current antipoverty assistance programs had been developed.
(Source: Congressional Research Service, Poverty in the United States in 2021.)
2025 Poverty Guidelines
The poverty guidelines are determined by the US Department of Health and Human Services and updated annually. The amounts are based on number of persons in a family per household for 125% poverty.
Poverty guidelines for Alaska are:
| Persons/Household | Gross Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $24,437 |
| 2 | $33,037 |
| 3 | $41,637 |
| 4 | $50,237 |
| 5 | $58,837 |
| 6 | $67,437 |
| 7 | $76,037 |
| 8 | $84,637 |
For families/household with more than 8 persons, add $8,600 for each additional person.
Poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and Washington D.C. are:
| Persons/Household | Gross Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $19,562 |
| 2 | $26,437 |
| 3 | $33,312 |
| 4 | $40,187 |
| 5 | $47,062 |
| 6 | $53,937 |
| 7 | $60,812 |
| 8 | $87,687 |
For families/household with more than 8 persons, add $6,875 for each additional person.
Poverty guidelines for Hawaii are:
| Persons/Household | Gross Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $22,487 |
| 2 | $30,400 |
| 3 | $38,312 |
| 4 | $46,225 |
| 5 | $54,137 |
| 6 | $62,050 |
| 7 | $69,962 |
| 8 | $77,875 |
For families/household with more than 8 persons, add $7,913 for each additional person.
Michigan Poverty Facts by County
The 2023 Michigan statewide poverty rate is 13.5% — a decrease from 14.4% in 2019. The interactive map below shows poverty facts, including poverty rate, by county from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates released in fall of 2019. The poverty represents the percentage of individuals at or below 100% of the federal poverty level.
Select a county to see current information and data
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COVID-19 Community Needs Assessment Report
This report looks at the impact of a deadly pandemic on the residents of Michigan’s two peninsulas beginning in February 2020. This document highlights examples of economic barriers and opportunities that came to light during the COVID-19 outbreak, especially for those who were already economically vulnerable or at risk of becoming so, and the efforts of Community Action agency (CAA) staff, volunteers and partners who worked hard and smart to meet the unprecedented surge of human needs.
Post-Pandemic Community Needs Assessment Report
This report will discuss how the residents of Michigan moved forward following the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a living document, a collective effort that incorporates data gathered by Community Action agencies (CAAs) across the state, stories and examples drawn from interviews with CAA directors, state documentation, and media accounts. It highlights how Community Action programs and services are helping people and changing lives in a post-pandemic world.