The City of New York has changed the way it determines the level of poverty in the city. The new formula "takes into account the cost of housing, child care and clothing, among other expenses not included in the formula used by the federal government," according to the New York Times.
Using the new measure, the poverty rate in the city increases to 23 percent of all New Yorkers. Federal guidelines put the rate at one in five, or about 20 percent.
New York officials hope to promote their new measure and hope it will be adopted by other cities and states in order to get a more clear picture of the conditions under which Americans live.
-- Jim Grinstead
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