DC Poverty Rates Could Increase With New Measurement (DCentric): “A new government method of measuring poverty takes into account many factors the old rate didn’t: geography, taxes, government benefits, housing costs and other expenses. For DC, this means many more people would qualify as poor due to the city’s high cost of living.” DC Fiscal Policy Institute analyst Jenny Reed points out that median rent has risen by 35%, while incomes have increased by less than half of that. DC, along with Detroit, is one of only two US cities to have experienced a rise in housing in the past year. “A state-by-state breakdown of the new measure isn’t yet available, but regional data show western states have the highest rate, followed by the southern region.”

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