Poverty Rates Decline in Charlotte Region

Over the last five years, eight out of fourteen counties in the Charlotte region saw a significant drop in poverty rates. This new data from the American Community Survey (ACS), suggests that an overall decrease in poverty has been in process for little more than a decade.

So people who live in the region are getting richer, right? Not necessarily.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to those changes. For instance, newcomers to the area could bring higher incomes with them to the community, ultimately driving down poverty rates.

But, isn't a decline in poverty a good thing? By and large, yes. But income distribution matters more. And, while the numbers indicate economic improvement, they also don't tell the whole story.