City Holds Second Lowest Poverty Rate

Winchester has a poverty rate lower than national and state averages, as well as many communities nearby, according to data from the U.S. Census.

Winchester's poverty rate stood at 2.5 percent, as of 2010, according to the data. In the United States, the poverty rate in 2010 was 15.1 percent. That number was up from 14.3 percent in 2009 and 12.5 percent in 2007. Massachusetts has a poverty rate of 10.5 percent.

The U.S. Census uses a number of "thresholds" to measure poverty, which you can find here. In the example given by the U.S. Census, using 2010 numbers, a family of five, with a mother, father, great aunt and two children living in the household, would be considered living in poverty if the family income were $26,675 or less.

How does Winchester compare to other communities in the area? By way of example, Boston's poverty rate was 21.2 percent, Medford's was 8.3 percent, Wakefield's was 2.4 percent, and Arlington's was 4.9 percent.

Here's a chart showing the poverty rates in Winchester and neighboring communities.