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Poverty in Palm Beach County, Florida

Population                                            

According to Florida demographics, out of 916 cities in the state of Florida, Boynton Beach is the 39th most populated having a total of 71,097 people. 

Racial Makeup
The largest Boynton Beach racial/ethnic groups are White (53%) followed by Black (30%) and Hispanic (13%).  The 2012 U.S. Census reports the racial makeups of the cities as follows: 

                     Population

Black or African American
White, not Hispanic
American Indian and Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
Two or more races
Hispanics or Latinos of any race

Boynton
Beach
30.3%
53.6%
  0.3%
  2.2%
  0.0%
  2.2%
12.8%

West
Palm
Beach
32.5%
41.6%
  0.5%
  2.3%
  0.1%
  2.7%
22.6%

Riviera
Beach
65.9%
22.9%
  0.4%
  0.1%
  2.3%
  2.3%
  7.4%

Palm
Beach
County
18.2%
58.7%
  0.6%
  2.6%
  0.1%
  1.6%
20.1%

   

Florida
16.0%
57.9%
  0.4%
  2.4%
  0.1%
  2.5%
22.5%

Income       

In 2012, the median household income of Boynton Beach residents was $44,104.  Boynton Beach households made slightly more than Four Corners households ($44,060) and Greenbriar households ($44,103).  However, 12.4% of Boynton Beach residents live in poverty. 

Age

The median age for Boynton Beach residents is 41.8 years young. 

Living Wage
According to Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,[1] the living wage shown is the hourly rate that an individual must earn to support their family, if they are the sole provider and are working full-time (2080 hours per year).  The state minimum wage is the same for all individuals, regardless of how many dependents they may have.  The poverty rate is typically quoted as gross annual income.  We have converted it to an hourly wage for the sake of comparison.  Wages that are less than the living wage are shown in red.  

[1] 2014 Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  “Poverty in America – Living Wage Calculator.”  < http://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/12099>.  7/8/14. 

Hourly Wages

Living Wage
Poverty Wage
Minimum Wage

1 Adult

 $11.02
 $  5.21
 $  7.25

1 Adult, 
1 Child
 $22.25
 $  7.00
 $  7.25

1 Adult, 
2 Children
 $26.41
 $  8.80
 $  7.25

1 Adult,
3 Children
 $33.88
 $10.60
 $  7.25

2 Adults
 $16.94
 $   7.00
 $   7.25  

2 Adults, 
1 Child
 $20.79 $   8.80
$   7.25

2 Adults, 
2 Children
 $22.12
 $10.60
 $  7.25

2 Adults,
3 Children
 $27.22
 $12.40
 $  7.25

People Living Below Poverty Level

This indicator shows the percentage of people living below the federal poverty level. 

People Living Below Povert             15.6
  19.8

Comparison:  U.S. Counties 14.0 percent

Measurement Period:  2008-2012 Zoom
Sorry, we are unable to provide mapping at this exact location. Cl

County:  Palm Beach

Data Source:  American Community Survey

Categories: Economy / Poverty

Technical Note:  The distribution is based on data from 3,143 U.S. counties and county equivalents.

Maintained By:  Healthy Communities Institute
Last Updated:  January 2014

Why is this important? 

Federal poverty thresholds are set every year by the Census Bureau and vary by size of family and ages of family members. A high poverty rate is both a cause and a consequence of poor economic conditions. A high poverty rate indicates that local employment opportunities are not sufficient to provide for the local community. Through decreased buying power and decreased taxes, poverty is associated with lower quality schools and decreased business survival. 

Households
 
There were 69,996 households in the city of Boynton Beach out of which 15.1% of individuals below poverty level vs. 14.7% in Florida (2007 - 2011); 16.1% had a female household with no husband present, and 54/8% were non-families.  41.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.95. 

The population was spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, vs. 21.3% in Florida; from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older vs. 17.3% in Florida.  The median age was 31 years.  Females made up 52.8% and males only ?.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males. 

The median income for a household in the city between 2006 – 2010 was $44,372, and the median income for a family was $39,932.  Males had a median income of $31,535 versus $27,112 for females.  The per capita income for the city was $18,281.  About 16.0% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those ages 65 or over. 

Median household income was $30,041 and nationally $41,994.