Mecklenburg poverty map | Growth in ranks of the poor spreads to suburbs

The number of Mecklenburg County residents living in poverty has increased to 15 percent, according to recently released Census data.

The increase from 13 percent from 2007-11 estimates now means a total of 148,000 live in poverty. The jump in the latest estimates from 2011-15 was driven by a growing number of low-income residents in the county’s eastern and western suburbs.

In the Mint Hill area between N.C. 27 and Lawyers Road, for example, people living in poverty increased from 10.1 percent in 2010 to 33 percent last year. The 23 percentage point increase was the highest among all county neighborhoods.

Some areas saw a decrease in poverty, data show, and Myers Park near Queens Road has the county’s lowest poverty rate at less than 1 percent.

The poverty line for a family of four is $24,250. For a couple, it’s $15,930.

Click on the map to search poverty estimates for your neighborhood.

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Mecklenburg poverty map | Growth in ranks of the poor spreads to suburbs."