Facts About the City of Camden
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Overall poverty is much higher in Camden City than in the surrounding county and state, and this holds true for all age groups. Children in the city are more likely to live in poverty than those in the county and state. In 2005, more than 57 percent of the city’s children lived in poverty, compared to less than 20 percent of the county’s children and 12 percent of the children in the state. Working age adults are also much more likely to live below the federal poverty line in Camden City. Nearly two out of every five adults between 18 and 64 years old lived below the federal poverty line in Camden city in 2005, compared to around ten and seven percent in the county and state, respectively.

It is important, when discussing poverty, to recognize the different levels or categories of poverty. Severe poverty is a category used by the U.S. Census Bureau to identify persons living with less than 50 percent of poverty-level income. In 2005, for a three-person family, severe poverty was defined as an annual income below $7,868. In the city of Camden, nearly one out of every five people (20%) was living in severe poverty in 2005. In comparison, around six percent of Camden County residents and four percent of residents statewide lived in severe poverty. Looking at those living at less than 100% of the federal poverty level in 2005 (e.g., $15,735 for a three-person family), the rates were 44 percent in the city of Camden, 12 percent in Camden County, and 8.7 percent for the state (see Figure 6). A more realistic picture of the share of persons living with less income than it takes to get by in a high-cost state is provided by using 200% of the federal poverty level as a measure of “true poverty.” In the city of Camden, more than 70 percent of the population lives in true poverty (e.g., at an income level below $31,470 for a three-person family in 2005)