The Facts
1:5 Alabamians Live Below Poverty Line
Nearly one in five Alabamians live below the federal poverty line, which is $21,203 in household earnings for a family of four. US Census Bureau
2nd Largest Income Gap
The gap between Alabama’s richest and poorest families is the second largest in the nation. Our richest families’ income increased 43.7 percent from the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, while middle-class families’ income only went up 25.3 percent, and the poorest families did not see a significant increase at all. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
41.4% High School Dropout Rate
Alabama ranks 42nd in the nation in per capita income. And nearly 60 percent of the state’s income gap with the nation can be attributed to our high school drop out rate, which was 41.4 percent in 2007. Southern Education Foundation
3rd Most Obese State
Alabama is the third most obese state in the country and has the fourth highest rate of diabetes among adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Kaiser Family Foundation