Most of the Mountain West ranks below average in health insurance coverage and median income, according to recently released census data. Poverty rates, however, are largely better than average across the region.
The Census’ annual reports on the nation’s social and economic well-being made national headlines because of some disturbing trends. Child poverty doubled and median household income fell by 2.3 per cent – to $74,580 a year. Income inequality after taxes also increased.
The Census Bureau’s Liana Fox said in a webinar that many of these changes are the result of high inflation and the loss of pandemic-era government support, such as the expanded child tax credit.
“What we’re seeing are declines,” said Fox, a deputy division director. “Declines in income at the bottom of the income distribution, in the middle of the income distribution and at the top of the income distribution.”
In the Mountain West states, incomes stayed mostly the same, according to another Census dataset called the American Community Survey. However, only Utah and Colorado are above the US median. New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada have the lowest median incomes in the region.
Poverty rates, however, are a different story. Most states in the region – with the exception of New Mexico – have a lower percentage of people living in poverty than the US rate of 11.5 percent.
When it comes to health insurance, coverage is increasing nationally as more people either gain employment or age into Medicare eligibility, according to the Census Bureau.
Health insurance coverage rates increased throughout the Mountain West. But only Colorado’s coverage rate exceeds the US average.
