The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau includes some good and bad news for Louisiana. Louisiana’s official poverty rate decreased slightly in 2022, but still remains the second highest in the nation. The state’s uninsured rate fell to another record low and income inequality decreased slightly. But the state’s median household income, after accounting for inflation, also fell. And the national child poverty rate more than doubled last year, when taking non-cash benefits into account. A new chartbook from the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes the latest Census data and explains why it matters.“While the latest Census data paints a somewhat complex picture, the policy conclusion is clear: A strong federal safety net improves lives,” said Christina LeBlanc, LBP’s economic opportunity policy analyst who is the report’s primary author. “Pandemic-era Medicaid enrollment protections drove down Louisiana’s uninsured rate, but people are now losing coverage as those protections expire. And...
