Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Report Ranks Rochester As #3 In Poverty Rates Nationwide

 Downtown Rochester skyline view.
Max Schulte
/
WXXI News
Downtown Rochester skyline view.

A new report on poverty based on U.S.  Census figures backs up a study released last year by the Community Foundation in Rochester.

The latest report shows that Rochester ranks third in terms of having some of the highest poverty rates in the country, behind Detroit and Cleveland. The numbers, reported by Buffalo Business First,  show that nearly 28 percent  of the families in the city of  Rochester are living in poverty. Buffalo came in at number four.

Jennifer Leonard, President of the Community Foundation, says Buffalo and Rochester share some unfortunate statistics.

"Both metropolitan areas (have)  a very poor center city concentration of poverty that has an added effect for the families who live in neighborhoods with fewer assets, fewer stables families, fewer jobs."

The latest report includes just the city of Rochester, unlike the report released by the Community Foundation last year which includes the overall metro area. That report showed the metro area with the fifth highest poverty rate in the country.

Leonard notes that there are a number of families living in poverty not only in the city, but in rural and suburban areas as well.

She called on the state to focus more resources on this issue.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.