The Lost Decade – Low‐ and Moderate‐Income Families Lose Ground as Unemployment and Poverty Rise in NC

October 2011

KEY FINDINGS:

• During the 2000s, the poverty rate in North Carolina jumped 24.5 percent—from 14.1 percent in 2001 to 17.5 percent in 2010.
• Median household income in North Carolina dropped from 9.4% over the course of the decade—from $47,823 in 2001 to $43,326 in 2010, adjusted for inflation.
• Policymakers should consider the decade‐long trends of growing poverty and stalling middle‐class living standards when proposing solutions to ease economic distress in North Carolina.