Oklahoma’s poverty rate remains above the national average.
As News 9 reports, more than 600,000 Oklahomans are living in poverty, according to the latest numbers out from the U.S. Census Bureau. That works out to one out of every five residents in the state.
The state’s poverty rate has held steady since the Great Recession of 2008. Almost half of Oklahomans who live in poverty have jobs. And three out of four have a family to feed.
Franklin Gibbs provides an example of what poverty looks like in Oklahoma. Gibbs has a monthly income of $800, coming mostly from his disabled veteran status. He makes about $60 on a good day selling magazines on a street corner in Oklahoma City He was living on the streets but has recently found lodging with his girlfriend's niece. He explained that the state has programs to aid the poor but they can be difficult to navigate and in the end, don't offer much help.