Alabama Near Bottom in Poverty Support Study

A new national report is putting a spotlight on how well states support residents living in poverty, and Alabama's overall ranking landed near the bottom of the list.

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The report, released by the nonprofit organization SmileHub, compared all 50 states using 20 different measures to determine which states provide the strongest support for people facing financial hardship. Researchers evaluated factors including poverty rates, food insecurity, minimum wage, public transportation access, income inequality and the number of charities dedicated to reducing poverty.
The findings come as an estimated 35.9 million Americans are currently living in poverty, according to the report. Researchers say the study is intended to identify where support systems are strongest and where additional investment and resources may be needed.

Alabama struggled in several key categories. The state ranked 44th for the share of residents living in poverty and 47th for access to public transportation. Alabama also placed 31st for minimum wage, 27th for the number of charities focused on reducing poverty per capita and 26th for food insecurity.

When all of the categories were combined, Alabama ranked 46th overall, making it one of the five lowest-ranked states in the nation for supporting people living in poverty.
Researchers say factors such as transportation, charitable resources and economic opportunities can have a significant impact on whether families are able to escape poverty and improve their long-term financial stability.