Poverty rate in Weld County skyrockets

Poverty in Weld County increased dramatically in 2006, according to U.S. Census figures released Tuesday.

Almost 10,000 more people lived in poverty in Weld in 2006 than in 2005. In 2005, 26,617 people lived below the poverty level, in 2006, the most recent data available, 36,447 people lived in poverty.

The poverty rate in 2006 was 15.7 percent, up from 11.9 percent in 2005.

Also, one of every four Latinos in Weld lives in poverty. In 2006, 27.2 percent of all Latinos lived in poverty, up from 15.9 percent in 2005.

At the same time the poverty rate went up, household income increased.

The median household income in Weld was $52,543 in 2006, up from $48,763 in 2005. Likewise, median household income for Latinos also increased from $34,224 in 2005 to $36,034 in 2006.

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