Family Poverty Status and Family Poverty Level Variables
Family Poverty Status and Family Poverty Level Variables
Introduction
The Family Poverty Status variable is calculated using a combination of reported family income, the number of family members in the respondent's household, and the national Poverty Income Guidelines, which are updated yearly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Poverty Income Guidelines are based on family size; the poverty guidelines set a base amount for smallest family size of one person and increases by a standard amount for each additional family member living in the household.
An NLSY79 respondent is determined to be in poverty if total net family income for the last calendar year is below the Poverty Income Guidelines given their family size.
Poverty Income Guideline Tables
The national Poverty Income Guidelines used in creating the family poverty status variable are shown below.
Questions about the use of the poverty guidelines in one of the outlying jurisdictions (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the North Marianas, and Palau) by a Federal program serving any of those jurisdictions should be referred to the Federal office responsible for the individual program involved.
Table 1. Poverty Income Guidelines by NLSY79 Survey Year
Survey Year | Poverty Income Guidelines Year | First Person | Each Additional Person | Four-person Family |
1979 | 1978 | $3,140 | $1,020 | $6,200 |
1980 | 1979 | $3,400 | $1,100 | $6,700 |
1981 | 1980 | $3,790 | $1,220 | $7,450 |
1982 | 1981 | $4,310 | $1,380 | $8,450 |
1983 | 1982 | $4,680 | $1,540 | $9,300 |
1984 | 1983 | $4,860 | $1,680 | $9,900 |
1985 | 1984 | $4,980 | $1,740 | $10,200 |
1986 | 1985 | $5,250 | $1,800 | $10,650 |
1987 | 1986 | $5,360 | $1,880 | $11,000 |
1988 | 1987 | $5,500 | $1,900 | $11,200 |
1989 | 1988 | $5,770 | $1,960 | $11,650 |
1990 | 1989 | $5,980 | $2,040 | $12,100 |
1991 | 1990 | $6,280 | $2,140 | $12,700 |
1992 | 1991 | $6,620 | $2,260 | $13,400 |
1993 | 1992 | $6,810 | $2,380 | $13,950 |
1994 | 1993 | $6,970 | $2,460 | $14,350 |
1996 | 1995 | $7,470 | $2,560 | $15,150 |
1998 | 1997 | $7,890 | $2,720 | $16,050 |
2000 | 1999 | $8,240 | $2,820 | $16,700 |
2002 | 2001 | $8,590 | $3,020 | $17,650 |
2004 | 2003 | $8,980 | $3,140 | $18,400 |
2006 | 2005 | $9,570 | $3,260 | $19,350 |
2008 | 2007 | $10,210 | $3,480 | $20,650 |
2010 | 2009 | $10,830 | $3,740 | $22,050 |
2012 | 2011 | $10,890 | $3,820 | $22,350 |
2014 | 2013 | $11,670 | $4,060 | $23,850 |
2016 | 2015 (2016 interview date) | $11,770 | $4,160 | $24,250 |
2016 | 2016 (2017 interview date) | $11,880 | $4,140 | $24,300 |
2018 | 2017 (2018 interview date) | $12,060 | $4,180 | $24,600 |
2018 | 2018 (2019 interview date) | $12,140 | $4,320 | $25,100 |
2020 | 2019 (2020 interview date) | $12,490 | $4,420 | $25,750 |
2020 | 2020 (2021 interview date) | $12,760 | $4,480 | $26,200 |
Users interested in information on the variables created using the old poverty guideline standards should click here for a PDF.