Washington’s poverty rate remained relatively unchanged when government assistance benefits and medical care and work-related expenses were factored in, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Census Bureau.
The state’s poverty rate declined nominally from 12.1 percent under the traditional poverty calculation to 12 percent when food stamps, tax rates, medical expenses, child care and commuting costs were considered. Factoring in government assistance, such as food stamps, tended to push poverty rates down, while medical expenses, child care and commuting costs could tip the balance in the other direction. However, in Washington, those factors balanced each other out.
