More Than 46 Million Americans Still in Poverty Salvatore Babones 15 percent of the US population lives in poverty. The poverty rate for children remains more than 20 percent for the third year in a row. As state anti-poverty programs around the country confront severe budget cuts, today's report indicates income inequality has reached an all-time high. According to Census Bureau figures released today, 15 percent of the US population lives in poverty. [...]