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10. How can I determine if the census tract of my proposed project qualifies as an area of persistent poverty for purposes of determining eligibility for HOPE funding?

The steps listed below will enable you to access the 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-year Data Series in order to view the percentage of the population at or below the poverty level for all census tracts in the United States.

  • Navigate to the Census poverty map
  • From the U.S. map displayed, locate and click on the census tract(s) of interest
  • Click 'Select,' which will highlight the selected census tract with shading
  • Click 'Table,' and the "Percent Below Poverty Level (Estimate)" statistic for the selected census tract will be displayed on the top row, 2nd column from the right-hand side.
  • Census tracts with 20% or greater of their population below the poverty level qualify as 'areas of persistent poverty.'