Salvation Army Report Concludes Americans Don't Have Accurate Picture Of Poverty

Americans don’t quite have an accurate picture of what poverty in the United States looks like, at least according to a new survey.

Released today, “Perceptions of Poverty: The Salvation Army’s Report to America” surveyed more than 1,000 Americans online in February. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

The perception by Americans of how much annual income makes a family “poor” is roughly 25 percent less than the actual federal poverty level. On average, Americans believe the annual income that makes a family “poor” is approximately $18,472 – almost $4,600 less than the federal poverty level for a family of four, which is $23,050.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/16/poverty-salvation-army-report_n_1521577.html