Oklahoma’s poverty rate dips slightly but remains in the bottom third nationally.
Today, 16.8 percent of Oklahomans live in poverty, down from 17.2 percent last year. Rachel West with the Center for American Progress said the fastest way to lift families out of poverty is raising the minimum wage.
"Fifty-seven percent of total family income in minimum wage earners' families actually comes from that minimum wage job," West said. "So these are not teenagers that are working these jobs. This is a very real issue for families."
And though the state’s poverty rate is down a little, high racial disparities remain.
While about one in six Oklahomans live in poverty, one in four of the state’s Latinos and one in three black Oklahomans do. West said starting with children is the ideal way to address disparities.
"In that regard, I think raising parents' earnings but also investing heavily in education are smart policy options for eradicating this differential in the future," West said.
West said Oklahoma’s universal pre-K program is a wise investment, as educational attainment is tied to poverty reduction.
The nation’s lowest poverty rate is eight-point-seven percent in New Hampshire. The poverty line is just under $24,000 for a family of four.
