SDG Indicator 1.2.1

Data for Indicator 1.2.1 depicts the percentage of the San Diego regional population living below the national poverty line by demographic characteristics. The regional target, set by the United Nations, is to reduce the proportion of people in poverty by half in 2030.

The U.S. poverty threshold varies based on the year and family size. For example, in 2020, a household with two adults and two children would be considered under the poverty line if the household had an annual income less than $26,246.

Data for this indicator comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) estimates and is available at the county, jurisdiction, and census tract levels. 

The choice to use one- or five-year data is based on the geography type and the type of analysis for which it is needed. 

One-year data has a sample size sufficient to report results and compare change over time at the county level. However, the Census Bureau recommends against using one-year data for 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, time-series results using this data will not have a value for 2020.

The sample size for one-year data is insufficient at the census tract level.  Therefore, results at this level use five-year data. 

At the jurisdictional level, while the sample size of one-year data is sufficient for large jurisdictions, it is not for many of the smaller ones. Results at the jurisdiction level use five-year data and are not available by year.  Thus, at the jurisdictional level, data is reported for 2015 (which is based on the 2011-2015 data) and 2020 (which is based on the 2016-2020 data).