Table 7
Poverty Rate, 1998-99
Rank	State	Amt.		Rank	State	Amt.
1	New Mexico	20.5%		27	Nevada	10.9%
2	Louisiana	19.1%		28	Missouri	10.7%
3	Mississippi	16.9%		29	Rhode Island	10.7%
4	West Virginia	16.8%		30	Maine	10.5 %
5	Montana	16.1%		31	Delaware	10.3%
6	NEW YORK	15.4%		32	Michigan	10.35
7	Texas	15.0 %		33	Pennsylvania	10.3%
8	Alabama	14.8%		34	Massachusetts	10.2%
9	Arkansas	14.7%		35	Illinois	10.0%
10	California	14.6%		36	Vermont	9.8%
11	Arizona	14.3%		37	South Dakota	9.3%
12	North Dakota	14.1%		38	Washington	9.2%
13	North Carolina	13.8%		39	Minnesota	8.8%
14	Oregon	13.8%		40	New Hampshire	8.8%
15	Idaho	13.5%		41	Colorado	8.7%
16	Oklahoma	13.45		42	Wisconsin	8.7%
17	Georgia	13.25		43	Alaska	8.5%
18	Florida	12.8%		44	Virginia	8.4%
19	Kentucky	12.8%		45	Connecticut	8.3%
20	South Carolina	12.7%		46	Iowa	8.3%
21	Tennessee	12.7%		47	New Jersey	8.2%
22	Nebraska	11.6%		48	Indiana	8.0 %
23	Ohio	11.6%		49	Utah	7.3%
24	Wyoming	11.1%		50	Maryland	7.2%
25	Hawaii	10.9%
26	Kansas	10.9%		U.S. average		12.3%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/povty99.html
New York was one of only four states nationwide to show significant improvement in both poverty rate and median income in 1999.