Case Studies Shed Light on Poverty in America

A new report from the Community Affairs offices of the Federal Reserve System and the Brookings Institution examines the issue of concentrated poverty.

The Enduring Challenge of Concentrated Poverty in America: Case Studies from Communities Across the U.S. profiles 16 high-poverty communities, including immigrant gateway, Native American, urban and rural communities.

One of the case studies focuses on Holmes County, Miss., located in the district served by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. With a poverty rate that stood at more than 41 percent in 2000, Holmes County is both geographically and economically isolated. It has lost many jobs during past decades—and continues to do so.

The information collected on all the communities in this report contributes to an understanding of the dynamics of poor people living in poor communities and the policies that will be needed to bring both into the economic mainstream.

The report is available at www.stlouisfed.org/community_development/.