Census report: LI poverty rate is between 6.5-7%

The latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau found that poverty on Long Island didn't change much from 2011-2012. The report found that more than 6.5 percent of Nassau's population was living at

News 12 Staff

Sep 20, 2013, 2:22 AM

Updated 4,033 days ago

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The latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau found that poverty on Long Island didn't change much from 2011-2012.

The report found that more than 6.5 percent of Nassau's population was living at or below the poverty level in 2012, down a little from the year before. In Suffolk, there was an increase from almost 6.5 percent to 7 percent.

Gwen O'Shea, of the Health and Welfare Council, says experts believe the number of Long Islanders living in poverty is higher, roughly between 30 and 40 percent. O'Shea says the numbers are drastically different because everything costs more on Long Island.

The census report found that the national poverty rate stayed at 15 percent from 2011-2012.