How Many Seniors Live in Poverty?
Issue Brief
This issue brief presents estimates of poverty under the Census Bureau’s official poverty measure and the Supplemental Poverty Measure for adults ages 65 and older, based on data for 2017 and three-year averages (2015 to 2017). Unlike the official poverty measure, the SPM poverty thresholds vary by geographic area and homeownership status, and the SPM reflects financial resources and liabilities, including taxes, the value of in-kind benefits (e.g., food stamps), and out-of-pocket medical spending. Estimates of poverty based on the SPM indicate that the number and share of older adults who are struggling financially are larger than when based on the official poverty measure.