Wisconsin's Poverty Rate Holds Steady at 10%, Median Income Drops $3600 in 5 Years

Link to 4-page news release

10 percent of Wisconsin population battling poverty. (Green Bay Press-Gazette, 9/19/2011)

Excerpt: About one in six people are living in poverty across the country. In Wisconsin, the poverty rate is holding steady at 10 percent, but the poor here are becoming more vulnerable.

"Families obviously are struggling more than before," said Bob Jacobson, spokesman for the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.

The state's median income has dropped by more than $5,000 since 2006, and 9.4 percent of residents are without health insurance, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The data shows the United States has "the highest number of people living in poverty in many, many years — and certainly our community is no exception to that," said Terri Refsguard, executive director of New Community Shelter. "When I think about that, the number of people we're feeding each week in our community programs is breaking every record."

Refsguard said the shelter, at 301 Mather St. in Green Bay, feeds 250-300 people every night.