Poverty in Indianapolis is high and growing. The overall rate rose from 14.1 percent to 15.7 percent in just a year, from 2005 to 2006. The poverty rate is higher in Indianapolis than Indiana (12.7 percent) or the U.S. (13.3 percent). Poverty is concentrated in Indianapolis, and is very low (6.3 percent) in the suburban counties.

Source: American Community Survey

The rate of poverty is not consistent for all ages. Children and teens everywhere are much more likely to be poor, but the gap is wider in Indianapolis. Indianapolis has a young population with proportionately more children that the state or nation has, and more Indianapolis children are poor. High rates of childhood poverty are linked to several factors, including single-parent households, which often are poor. Since there is only one adult and often more than one child, the result is a disproportionate increase in child poverty.

Poverty is lowest among retired and elderly people. Even among people 75 and older, the poverty rate is only slightly higher than for cohorts in their prime working years.

  
 
   
     
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