Poverty On Rise In Burlington

BURLINGTON, MA -- In 2016, 1,330 Burlington residents -- or 5.2% of the town's population -- were living below the federal poverty level. That was up sharply from 2012, when Census estimated 970 Burlington residents, or 4.0% of the town's population, lived below the federal poverty level.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sets the federal poverty level, which is used by states and the federal government to determine eligibility for a wide range of benefits. In 2017, the income level was $12,060 or less for an individual, $16,240 for a couple, $20,420 for a family of three and $24,600 for a family of four.

One of the groups hit hardest in Burlington by the increase in poverty levels were children. In 2012, just 2.9% of people under the age of 18 lived in households that were under the federal poverty level. In 2016, that percentage had jumped to 6.1%, including 8.2% of all Burlington children under the age of five living under the federal poverty level.

The numbers also show an increase in the number of people with higher levels of education falling into poverty. In 2012, just 173 people with a four-year college degree or higher had income under the federal poverty level; by last year, that number had more than doubled to 365.

While lower than the Massachusetts average, the increase in Burlington poverty was significantly greater. Statewide, 11.4% of Massachusetts residents lived under the poverty level in 2016. That includes 14.9% of all children under 18 and 16.7% of children under the age of five living under the poverty level. Those numbers have mostly held steady over the five years of Census data available: in 2012, 11% of Massachusetts residents and 14% of children under 18 lived under the federal poverty level.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).