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Census Finds Dayton Metro Poverty Rate At Over 17 Percent

A U.S. Census Bureau report released this week says the rate in Dayton was 17.3 percent in 2014, an increase of nearly a full percentage point from 2013.

The numbers mean that more than 134,000 Dayton residents were living below the poverty level last year, which is about $20,000 for a family of three.

The 17 percent poverty rate closely matches Ohio’s 16.9 percent food insecurity rate. Michelle Riley is with The Foodbank, a distribution group that delivers food supplies to 96 member agencies in Montgomery, Greene and Preble Counties.

Riley says the high rates of poverty and food insecurity were on display this morning at a mass distribution event at the University of Dayton Arena.

"Today we delivered 70,000 pounds of food. There were 1,100 families in line and that represented 3,754 individuals.”

The overall poverty rate in Ohio in 2014 was 15.8 percent, slightly higher than the national rate of 15.5 percent. And according to a recent report from the USDA, the state ranks sixth nationally for food insecurity.

Jerry began volunteering at WYSO in 1991 and hosting Sunday night's Alpha Rhythms in 1992. He joined the YSO staff in 2007 as Morning Edition Host, then All Things Considered. He's hosted Sunday morning's WYSO Weekend since 2008 and produced several radio dramas and specials . In 2009 Jerry received the Best Feature award from Public Radio News Directors Inc., and was named the 2023 winner of the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Best Anchor/News Host award. His current, heart-felt projects include the occasional series Bulletin Board Diaries, which focuses on local, old-school advertisers and small business owners. He has also returned as the co-host Alpha Rhythms.
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