Poverty
Federal poverty thresholds are set every year by the Census Bureau and vary by the number and age of adults and the number of children under age 18 in the family unit. People living in poverty are less likely to have access to healthcare, healthy food, stable housing, and opportunities for physical activity. These disparities mean that people living in poverty are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes and premature death from preventable diseases. 7
Overall, 6.5 % of families in Washoe County live below the poverty level, which is lower than both the statewide and nationwide values( 9.3 % and 8.8 %, respectively). Figure 9 illustrates the percentage of families living below the federal poverty level by ZIP code. The darker green colors represent a higher percentage of families living in poverty, with the highest concentrations of poverty in the ZIP codes 89424( Nixon) and 89442( Wadsworth) where poverty impacts 19.2 % and 18.9 % of families, respectively. A detailed breakdown for each ZIP code in Washoe County is provided in the Appendix.
FIGURE 9: FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY ZIP CODE, WASHOE COUNTY
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U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2030. https:// odphp. health. gov / healthypeople / priority-areas / social-determinants-health / literaturesummaries / poverty
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