SAN ANTONIO – The Alamo City beat Detroit for the top spot of percentage of people living in poverty for 2018.
- Was ranked second in 2017
- 15.4 percent of greater area live in poverty
- Majority Hispanic and Latino residents
In 2017, San Antonio climbed to the nation's highest poverty slot for a metropolitan area, moving up from number two in 2017.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 381,584 residents, or 15.4 percent in the greater San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan area, live in poverty.
That means nonprofits like Martinez Street Women's Center are staying busy trying to keep people afloat.
"The root of why their needs are not met are financial, and because they are impoverished," said case worker Irene White speaking from the East Side no-profit. "They are not making enough money."
White said she is not surprised by the government's latest poverty numbers.
She and 20 other advocates are busy trying to aid some of the 15 percent.
"What we provide is a hand up not a handout," said White. "They are people, just those of us who can feeds our kids without a problem and house our families without a problem. They just want an opportunity to do the same thing."
Of the almost 1.4 million Hispanic and Latino residents who call the area home, 19.22 percent live below the poverty line. Census numbers show 168,000 African-American residents live in the region. 16.9 percent of that population fall below federal poverty standards. Of the 64,511 Asians in the area, 16.7 percent are considered poor by federal standards.
Often times demographics of all color fall below the poverty level. Many end up on the streets.
"It's sad that they fall through the cracks," said White. "I can only do so much."
The City of San Antonio does offer many programs to help combat poverty.
Government figures last year place the poverty threshold for a family of four at just over $25,000.