About one in five Fresno County residents live in poverty. Map shows most-impacted areas
About one out of every five Fresno County residents lived in poverty from 2016 through 2020. But in some areas, the percentage of people whose incomes fell below the poverty level was much higher.
The figures represent the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, which released its five-year estimates for the 2016-2020 span on March 17.
This interactive map of census tracts across Fresno County can be explored to see the estimated population, plus the Census estimates of the number of residents in poverty, the percentage of residents in poverty, and the number of children and senior citizens living in poverty in each tract.
Countywide, the Census Bureau estimated that of more than 973,000 people for whom poverty status could be determined, about 202,300 were below poverty level, or 20.8%. California’s statewide poverty rate for 2016-2020 amounted to about 12.6%.
At the much more granular census tract level, percentages ranged from a low of almost zero in one area of Kingsburg in the southern part of Fresno County, to a high of almost 74% at and near the university campus of Fresno State in northeast Fresno.
You can find your specific Census tract number using the Census Bureau’s online geocoder search tool. Fill in the address fields, use the “benchmark” dropdown to select “Public_AR_2020,” and in the “vintage” menu select “Current_Current,” and then click the “get results” button.
On the resulting page, scroll down the bottom of the page to find the Census Tract name.
Poverty thresholds used by the Census Bureau set the poverty level for 2020 at $13,171 for a single person, $16,733 for a couple, $20,591 for a family or household of three, and $26,496 for a family of four. The threshold goes up as family size increases, to $53,905 for a family or household of nine or more people.
The 2016-2020 estimates produced by the Census Bureau are based on information collected each year by the agency’s American Community Survey, a sampling that is smaller than the broader census conducted every 10 years.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created a much lower response rate from households, which forced the bureau to adjust the way it compiled the five-year estimates compared to previous five-year samples.
This story was originally published March 26, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
