Erika Rawes

Cheat Sheet

We all know that the income distribution in the U.S. is completely uneven. According to the most recent Census reports, 80% of people share less than half of the income. And that other 20% has enough money to dive into giant piles of cash like Scrooge McDuck (excuse the dramatic exaggeration).

We often hear about the haves and have-nots. But, as some of us sit and think about how the office worker earns only a fraction of what the executive on the top floor does, we forget that there are also those who do not have enough money to even cover the most basic necessities.

The lowest income groups have only the tiniest pieces of the pie. The bottom 20% share only 3% of the income in this country, and the next 20% share only 9%.

There is a large group of people in the U.S. — around 45 million of them — who fit poverty guidelines. That is, they are part of a family of four living off of an annual income of less than $23,850, a couple living off of less than $15,730, or an individual living off of less than $11,670 (per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's most recent publications).

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Just like income and wealth, poverty is not spread evenly across the country either. In some areas of the country, the poverty rate is much higher than the official national poverty rate — which was 14.5%, as of 2013. Using Census data on poverty, we've created a list of the states, and D.C., with the highest poverty ratings.

7. Kentucky

• Number of people living below poverty during 2013: 800,635

• Percentage of people living below poverty during 2013: 18.8%

• Number of people living below poverty in 2012: 823,197

• Food stamp use ranking: Kentucky has the 10th-highest food stamp use-percentage in the U.S.

6. District of Columbia

• Number of people living below poverty during 2013: 115,551

• Percentage of people living below poverty during 2013: 18.9%

• Number of people living below poverty in 2012: 108,732

• Food stamp use ranking: D.C. has the highest food stamp-use percentage in the U.S.

5. Georgia

• Number of people living below poverty during 2013: 1,843,768

• Percentage of people living below poverty during 2013: 19%

• Number of people living below poverty in 2012: 1,848,533

• Food stamp use ranking: Georgia has the eighth-highest food stamp use-percentage in the U.S.

4. Arkansas

• Number of people living below poverty during 2013: 565,469

• Percentage of people living below poverty during 2013: 19.7%

• Number of people living below poverty in 2012: 568,065

• Food stamp use ranking: Arkansas has the 16th-highest food stamp use-percentage in the U.S.

3. Louisiana

• Number of people living below poverty during 2013: 888,019

• Percentage of people living below poverty during 2013: 19.8%

• Number of people living below poverty in 2012: 891,981

• Food stamp use ranking: Louisiana has the seventh- highest food stamp use-percentage in the U.S.

2. New Mexico

• Number of people living below poverty during 2013: 448,461

• Percentage of people living below poverty during 2013: 21.9%

• Number of people living below poverty in 2012: 426,245

• Food stamp use ranking: New Mexico has the third-highest food stamp use-percentage in the U.S.

1. Mississippi

• Number of people living below poverty during 2013: 695,915

• Percentage of people living below poverty during 2013: 24.0%

• Number of people living below poverty in 2012: 698,252

• Food stamp use ranking: Mississippi has the second-highest food stamp use-percentage in the U.S.

The Cheat Sheet is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.