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Poverty & Welfare in California

Poverty, food assistance, Medicaid and social safety net programs.

Poverty rate, all ages (SAIPE)
11.8%
2024 · Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
Supplemental Poverty Measure rate
17.3%
2025 · Census CPS ASEC public-use file
Poverty rate, ages 0–17 (SAIPE)
14.6%
2024 · Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
SNAP (CalFresh) recipients
5,335,003
2023 · Census SAIPE program
Households receiving SNAP (CalFresh)
13.5%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Official poverty rate
12.0%
ACS 2023
People in poverty
4,600,000
Supplemental poverty rate
13.2%
Highest-tier in U.S.

Historical data

Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.

Poverty rate

1980–2023
12%

Official poverty rate (Census).

Official Poverty

The official poverty measure counts cash income before taxes against a national threshold.

Poverty rate, all ages (SAIPE)
11.8%
2024 · Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
Official poverty rate
11.6%
2023, Census
People below threshold
4,406,000
California Poverty Measure
13.2%
Early 2023, PPIC/Stanford

Poverty rate, all ages (SAIPE)

1989–2024
11.8%

Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (FRED PPAACA06000A156NCEN).

IndicatorCaliforniaU.S.
Official poverty rate202311.6%11.1%
  • •California's Supplemental Poverty Measure exceeds its official rate because it includes housing costs, taxes and noncash benefits (U.S. Census Bureau).
  • •California's safety-net programs kept an estimated 3.2 million additional residents out of poverty in early 2023 (PPIC/Stanford California Poverty Measure).
  • •CalFresh participation passed five million residents in 2022, after remaining below that level from 2019 through 2021 (Census SAIPE via FRED).

Supplemental Poverty

The Supplemental Poverty Measure reflects taxes, benefits, work expenses and regional housing costs.

Supplemental Poverty Measure rate
17.3%
2025 · Census CPS ASEC public-use file
Supplemental poverty rate
19.3%
2023, Census
People in SPM poverty
7,356,000
Gap vs official rate
+7.7 points

Supplemental Poverty Measure rate

2018–2025
17.3%

Census CPS ASEC public-use file, SPM poverty status weighted by person weight; income year shown (single-year state estimate, wider margin of error than Census's 3-year averages).

IndicatorCaliforniaU.S.
Supplemental poverty rate202319.3%15.2%
  • •California's Supplemental Poverty Measure exceeds its official rate because it includes housing costs, taxes and noncash benefits (U.S. Census Bureau).
  • •California's safety-net programs kept an estimated 3.2 million additional residents out of poverty in early 2023 (PPIC/Stanford California Poverty Measure).
  • •CalFresh participation passed five million residents in 2022, after remaining below that level from 2019 through 2021 (Census SAIPE via FRED).

Child Poverty

The California Poverty Measure captures child poverty after taxes, benefits and local living costs.

Poverty rate, ages 0–17 (SAIPE)
14.6%
2024 · Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
Child poverty rate
13.8%
Early 2023, PPIC/Stanford
Rate in fall 2021
9.0%
Increase
+4.8 points

Poverty rate, ages 0–17 (SAIPE)

1989–2024
14.6%

Census Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (FRED PPU18CA06000A156NCEN).

IndicatorCaliforniaU.S.
California child poverty measureState-specific CPM methodology13.8%Not directly comparable
  • •California's Supplemental Poverty Measure exceeds its official rate because it includes housing costs, taxes and noncash benefits (U.S. Census Bureau).
  • •California's safety-net programs kept an estimated 3.2 million additional residents out of poverty in early 2023 (PPIC/Stanford California Poverty Measure).
  • •CalFresh participation passed five million residents in 2022, after remaining below that level from 2019 through 2021 (Census SAIPE via FRED).

CalFresh Food Assistance

CalFresh is California's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

SNAP (CalFresh) recipients
5,335,003
2023 · Census SAIPE program
Participants
5,335,003
2023
Annual benefits
$12,000 million
FY 2023–24
Average monthly benefit
$189 per person

SNAP (CalFresh) recipients

1989–2023
5,335,003▲ 200%

Census SAIPE program, SNAP benefit recipients, July count (FRED BR06000CAA647NCEN).

CalFresh participants

2019–2023
5,335,003▲ 28%

Census SAIPE via FRED, annual participants.

IndicatorCaliforniaU.S.
Residents receiving food assistanceApproximate national SNAP participation, 20235,335,00342,100,000
  • •California's Supplemental Poverty Measure exceeds its official rate because it includes housing costs, taxes and noncash benefits (U.S. Census Bureau).
  • •California's safety-net programs kept an estimated 3.2 million additional residents out of poverty in early 2023 (PPIC/Stanford California Poverty Measure).
  • •CalFresh participation passed five million residents in 2022, after remaining below that level from 2019 through 2021 (Census SAIPE via FRED).

Safety Net Impact

Tax credits, food assistance and other programs materially reduce poverty in California.

Households receiving SNAP (CalFresh)
13.5%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Households with cash public assistance income
3.7%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
People kept out of poverty
3,200,000
Early 2023 estimate
Reduction in poverty
8.4 points
Children kept out of poverty
1,300,000

Households receiving SNAP (CalFresh)

2008–2024
13.5%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, B22001 (2020 not released).

Households with cash public assistance income

2008–2024
3.7%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, B19057 (2020 not released).

IndicatorCaliforniaU.S.
Child poverty reductionCalifornia Poverty Measure14.9 pointsNot directly comparable
  • •California's Supplemental Poverty Measure exceeds its official rate because it includes housing costs, taxes and noncash benefits (U.S. Census Bureau).
  • •California's safety-net programs kept an estimated 3.2 million additional residents out of poverty in early 2023 (PPIC/Stanford California Poverty Measure).
  • •CalFresh participation passed five million residents in 2022, after remaining below that level from 2019 through 2021 (Census SAIPE via FRED).

More figures

Child poverty
15.0%
CalFresh (SNAP) recipients
5,400,000
Medi-Cal enrollees
14,800,000
People experiencing homelessness
181,399
HUD 2023
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