Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004

This US Census Bureau report highlights the increasing poverty and racial inequality in America. In 2004, 45.8 million people did not have health insurance. The poverty rate increased from 12.5 percent in 2003 to 12.7 percent in 2004; 1.1 million more people - a total of 37 million - lived in poverty in 2004. This rise in poverty came despite economic growth and marks the first time on record that household incomes had failed to increase for five straight years. Black households had the lowest median income; 32.7 percent of the Hispanic population was without health insurance.