Video Documentary: Poverty in the United States of America

Edit. Note: More people are working, but more people are also working and living in poverty.

The official poverty rate in 2020 was 11.4 percent, up 1.0 percentage point from 10.5 percent in 2019. This is the first increase in poverty after five consecutive annual declines as of Jan 21, 2022. 

How many people in Columbus, Georgia are homeless?

In 2018, the Point in Time Count identified 279 homeless individuals. The highest count came in 2011 when nearly 500 individuals were surveyed. 20.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbus, GA (39k out of 189k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.3%.

One out of every 4.6 residents of Columbus lives in poverty. That's 41,295 of 190,674 Columbus residents who reported income levels below the poverty line in the last year.

How safe are Columbus residents who have no place to live?

While the state of Georgia's crime rating is comparable to the national average, the city of Columbus ranks significantly lower. 

Overall, CrimeGrade.org, awarded the city a crime grade of a “D.” This grade is a composite of three scores for violent, property and miscellaneous crime.

The state of Georgia ranks 28th in the nation for homelessness (at 37.20%), with over 10,000 residents homeless in the past year statewide.

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