Oregon Poverty Measure
Poverty and Inequality Research Group
The Oregon Poverty Measure sheds new light on the demographics, geographic distribution, and living situations of the poor, and reveal new inequalities and opportunities to reduce poverty in Oregon.
The current source of most poverty data, the Official Poverty Measure (OPM), has many limitations. The OPM uses outdated thresholds and lacks ability to measure the influence of social policies and net taxes, therefore does not accurately represent the state of poverty in Oregon. Modeled after the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), and using a combination of survey data (American Community Survey), state administrative data from the Department of Human Services and Employment Department, and data imputations, the new measure establishes a more valid measure of poverty in the state.
The Oregon Poverty Measure helps policymakers understand the extent of poverty. Measuring the influence of state policies on the poverty rate will help policymakers and others to evaluate their effectiveness. The ORPM sheds new light on the demographics, geographic distribution, and living situations of the poor, and reveal new inequalities and opportunities to reduce poverty in Oregon.
The project is funded by the Ford Family Foundation and the Providence Foundation.
Reports
Five-year findings from the Oregon Poverty Measure Project: 2014-2018
Released October 12, 2020
This new state-specific measure of poverty in Oregon aims to give policymakers a clearer understanding of who is most at risk of falling below the poverty line and highlights the contribution of public safety net programs.
Technical Appendix
Detailed information about the process to develop Oregon Poverty Measure (ORPM) estimates
Initial one-year findings
April 2020
Presentations
Oregon Poverty Measure: New Insights into Poverty and the Safety Net
OSU Postdoctoral Symposium
October 2, 2020
Preliminary Findings from the Oregon Poverty Measure Project
Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference presentation
May 2019
The Oregon Poverty Measure: Creation and Preliminary Findings
February 22, 2019
David Rothcard p-3, Ph.D., MSW,
In this seminar David describes a two-year project designed to develop a more valid measure of poverty in Oregon.
Oregon Poverty Measure news and posts
October 26, 2020
OSU researchers develop more accurate measure of Oregon poverty
Oregon State University researchers have developed a new method of measuring poverty across Oregon. The researchers say their method measures the impact of social safety programs on poverty. It also sheds light on the demographics and geographic distribution of poverty in Oregon. We talk with post-doctoral OSU scholar Leanne Giordono about what the new research can tell us. Listen to the interview at Think Out Loud.
October 13, 2020
New state-specific poverty measure offers more accurate counting of Oregon’s poor
Oregon State University researchers have developed a new state-specific measure of poverty in Oregon that aims to give policymakers a clearer understanding of who is most at risk of falling below the poverty line and highlights the contribution of public safety net programs. Read full press release at Synergies.
November 13, 2019
Child care and poverty
Several new stories in the media and an academic paper provide rationale for examining child care costs for our (1) Oregon Poverty Measure and (2) Paid parental leave projects. Read more.
May 1, 2019
The Poverty-Reducing Effect of Five Key Government Programs in Rural and Urban America
A new research report from the Carsey School of Public Policy uses the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) to examine five government programs combined— Social Security, disability benefits, federal and state cash assistance, the EITC, and SNAP. Read more.