The Census Bureau has developed a "Supplemental Poverty Measure" (SPM) that considers additional factors such as geographic adjustments, taxes and credits, government assistance and health care costs that are not included in the "official" poverty definitions used for policy making and program eligibility.

Using the new measures, the Census Bureau found that 16% (49 million) of the U.S. is in poverty, an increase from 15.2% (46.5 million) using the "offical" measure.

Poverty rates in the South actually decrease under SPM (because of a lower cost of living and/or higher levels of government assistance?). People with public health insurance (Medicaid, Medicare, etc.) also have a lower poverty rate.

Poverty rates under SPM are higher for mortgage holders, people with private health insurance (and people with no health insurance), people in the Northeast and people in the West.

U.S. Census Bureau report...