Data can help you make the case that a need exists in your community, help prioritize limited resources, and uncover emerging trends. The Heartland Alliance Mid-America Institute on Poverty (MAIP) offers a  variety of fact sheets and data tables that you can use in your work. Don't see what you need here? Submit a data request by visiting our Data Request page.

2007 Poverty, Income, and State Health Insurance Summary | 2007 Geographic-Specific Poverty Fact Sheets | 2005 Illinois County Health Insurance

2007 Poverty, Income, and State Health Insurance Summary

Heartland Alliance's analysis of newly released 2007 data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that hardship continues to be a reality for over 37 million people in the United States. Millions of families are struggling to makes ends meet, and far too many are living in extreme poverty with incomes below half of the poverty line. Despite six years of economic expansion, the poverty rate remains higher today than it was in 2000, and middle- and low-income earners are worse off than they were at the end of the last expansion. The American Dream is at risk.

The economic picture today is even gloomier than the Census report, which covers 2007 when the economy grew and unemployment averaged a low of 4.6 percent nationally. Things have worsened since then. Unemployment is skyrocketing, real incomes are down, more and more households are relying on food stamps to make ends meet, and hardship is deepening as evidenced by incomes not keeping pace with increasing costs for essentials like housing, health care, and utilities.

Help for those left out is urgently needed. We need bold leadership and thoughtful strategies by government to reduce poverty.

• Download a MAIP summary of the new census data.

2007 Geographic-Specific Poverty Fact Sheets  

The Chicago Community Trust has supported the Heartland Alliance Mid-America Institute on Poverty's 2008 analysis of the Chicago area poverty.

2005 Illinois County Health Insurance

The Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program produces estimates of health insurance coverage for states and all counties. In October 2008, SAHIE released 2005 estimates of health insurance coverage. Currently, SAHIE are the only source for county-level estimates of health insurance coverage status.

• Download a fact sheet on 2005 Small Area Health Insurance Estimates.