Iowa Uninsured Rate Falls, Poverty Rises

By Jon Ellis, Producer

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By Jon Ellis

Story Created: Aug 29, 2006 at 4:00 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 29, 2006 at 4:23 PM CDT

Iowa 2004-2005 Averages
Uninsured Rate	9.1%
Poverty Rate	11.1%
Median Income	$45,671

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Poverty is on the rise in Iowa, but the state is one of only three making progress on health insurance coverage, according to new figures the U.S. Census Bureau released Tuesday.

Iowa, Idaho and New York are the only states to show a decrease in the number of uninsured people, when comparing the 2004-2005 moving two-year average to the 2003-2004 average. The most recent two-year average shows 9.1 percent of people in Iowa have no health care coverage, the second lowest figure in the country. The average for 2003-2004 was 10.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Iowa's poverty rate is on the rise, from an average of 9.9 percent in 2003-2004 to 11.1 percent in 2004-2005. The most recent national average is 12.7 percent.

"Iowa has typically been a low-poverty state. There is cause for some concern when Iowa’s poverty rate is closing in on the national level," said Elaine Ditsler of the Iowa Policy Project in a press release.

The Office of Management and Budget says the poverty threshold for a family of four is about $19,971.

Median income in Iowa averaged $45,671 for 2004-2005, up from an average of $44,380 for 2003-2004, but lower than figures prior to the 2001 recession.

For more information, read the U.S. Census Bureau press release and the Iowa Policy Project press release.

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