What is Poverty?

Official Poverty Measure:

Individuals and families are classified as being impoverished if their pre-tax cash income falls below a specific threshold, one that was set in 1963.

Median family incomes:

  • Rockbridge County: $48,313
  • Lexington City: $36,505
  • Buena Vista City: $36,591
  • Virginia: $63,907
  • United States: $53,046

In 2013, 5,144 people, or 15.7% of the overall area, had incomes that put them below the Federal Poverty Level.

Household Size100%
1 $11,770
2 $15,930
3 $20,090
4 $24,250
5 $28,410
6 $32,570
7 $36,730
8 $40,890

Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM)

The SPM looks at the sum of cash income plus noncash benefits (SNAP, National Free Lunch Program, WIC, housing subsidies, and LIHEAP) that meet food, clothing, shelter, and utility needs, and then deducts significant expenditures including taxes, earned income tax credit, work and childcare related expenses, medical out of pocket expenses, and child support payments.

Area Public Assistance Numbers, June 2015*

Rockbridge County:

  • Medicaid and FAMIS: 11.6% of population
  • SNAP: 5%
  • TANF: 0.17%

Buena Vista:

  • Medicaid and FAMIS: 17.2% of population
  • SNAP: 7%
  • TANF: 0.29%

Lexington:

  • Medicaid and FAMIS: 5.6% of population
  • SNAP: 3%
  • TANF: 0.07%

*Source: Meredith Downey, June 2015

Poverty Rates, 2009-2013*

  • United States: 15.4% of population
  • Virginia: 11.7%
  • Rockbridge County: 13.6%
  • Lexington: 25.2 %
  • Buena Vista: 20.6%

*Source: U.S. Census Bureau

National School Lunch Programs*

Lexington:

  • Free Lunch: 18.93% of students
  • Reduced Lunch: 2.67%

Rockbridge County:

  • Free Lunch: 35.98% of students
  • Reduced Lunch: 7.28%

Buena Vista:

  • Free Lunch: 42.37% of students
  • Reduced Lunch: 8.53%

*Source: Virginia Department of Education, 2015