Meeting
Basic Needs

Opportunites
to Prosper

Voice in
Democracy

Responsible
Government

Search

Causes of Poverty

In Brief

There are a variety of circumstances that force individuals and families into poverty. Each situation can be as unique as the person, but there are some general factors that make it more likely a person could end up in poverty. These factors include being a single parent who does not receive child support, a person of color, having a disability or having a low level of education.

More and more, people who work live in poverty. In Washington State more than 640,000 people, according to research carried out by the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development ,are living at or below the poverty line. A job alone is not enough when three out of four jobs in our state don’t pay enough to support a family. The number of people who don’t have access to health care is approaching 1 million, and the ranks of the uninsured are rising daily. Those earning under $20,000 a year are paying up to 17% of what they earn in state and local taxes. Financially staying afloat against odds like these takes more than hard work – it takes support from the community, from organizations like Poverty Action.