Census Data on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage for 2007

Data and reports from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2007 are trickling out, and on August 26, the figures for income, poverty, and health insurance coverage were released. Here's the press release link.

I had a quick look at the full report, and here are some highlights -- or perhaps I should say lowlights.

• The real median income in non-metro areas rose by 3.1% to $40,615 between 2006 and 2007. This income level continued to be lower than households inside metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), which was $51,831, a level not statistically significant from 2006. This means the income gap between metro and non-metro places is narrowing. I wonder if this is a reflection of exurbanization, of well-to-do city folks flocking to amenity-rich rural places.
  
• Within MSAs, households in principal cities (urban areas) the median income was $44,205, while it was $57,444 "outside principal cities" -- meaning the suburbs.
  
• Neither the metro nor the non-metro poverty rate changed by a statistically significant degree, although both rates rose slightly. The metro rate rose from 11.8% to 11.9%, and the non-metro rate rose from 15.2% to 15.4%.
• The uninsured rate for people living in metropolitan statistical areas decreased to 15.3% from 15.8%. The rate for people living outside MSAs decreased from 16% to 15% between 2006 and 2007.
  
• Here's a story from the NYT, which focuses on the health care coverage part of this particular Census Bureau Report.