US | poverty rate US Poverty Rate Still at Record Highs But figures still better than analysts' predictions By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Sep 12, 2012 10:16 AM CDT Copied In this Monday, July 30, 2012 photo, Dave Krepcho, director of the Second Harvest Food Bank, looks over a supply of goods that have arrived at the food bank warehouse in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Census Bureau says the number of Americans in poverty stood at 15% in 2011 as the number of poor remained at record highs. About 46.2 million people, or nearly 1 in 6, were in poverty. The figures were better than the expectations of analysts who had predicted an increase due to persistently high unemployment. The number in poverty in 2010 was 15.1%. That figure improved modestly in 2011, but wage growth was weak. A University of Michigan economist calls the poverty figures surprising and a sign that expiring unemployment benefits were able to help workers for much of the year. The median, or midpoint, household income was $50,054—a 1.5% decline from 2010. Read These Next Her blood isn't compatible with anyone else's. Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Rubio says the fate of Iran's conversion facility is what matters. Report an error