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Oklahoma's poverty rate is among the highest in the country

A map shows the locations of the U.S. Census Bureau's regional offices for the 2020 census.
Hansi Lo Wang
/
NPR
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The U.S. Census Bureau last week released its annual state-level data snapshot on poverty and health.

In 2022, Oklahoma had a poverty rate of 15.7% compared to the national poverty rate of 11.5%, leaving the state with the 8th highest poverty rate in the country. This ranking is unchanged from the previous year.

Additionally, 1 in 5 Oklahoma children were living at or below the federal poverty level in 2022.

However, the data also show the state has seen improvements in health insurance uninsured rates, as Oklahoma had one of the largest increases in health care coverage in the country last year following Medicaid expansion.

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Hannah France joined KGOU as a reporter in 2021, shortly after earning a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. In 2023, Hannah was the first place recipient of the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists' Radio Outstanding Reporter Portfolio award. Hannah reports on a variety of topics including criminal justice, housing, and labor rights and is dedicated to educating and empowering Oklahomans through community storytelling.
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