South By North Strategies, Ltd.

The New York Times reports on the prospects of the 51 million Americans with “incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line.”

Of the 51 million who appear near poor under the fuller measure, nearly 20 percent were lifted up from poverty by benefits the official count overlooks. But more than half were pushed down from higher income levels: more than eight million by taxes, six million by medical expenses, and four million by work expenses like transportation and child care.
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Demographically, they look more like ‘The Brady Bunch’ than ‘The Wire.’ Half live in households headed by a married couple; 49 percent live in the suburbs. Nearly half are non-Hispanic white, 18 percent are black and 26 percent are Latino.
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Perhaps the most surprising finding is that 28 percent work full-time, year round.