A HARD LOOK AT
POVERTY IN MT. WASHINGTON VALLEY

Poverty in North Conway is 24.6% of the population. 12.8% higher than the national poverty rate with a total of 570 out of 2.32k people living below the federal poverty level.

Poverty limits the rate of growth household incomes, business profitability, and tax revenues. It drives crime rates, diminishes graduation rates, increases homelessness, and hampers employers’ abilities to hire qualified candidates.

Poverty drives crime rates, diminishes graduation rates, and increases homelessness. Furthermore, subsidy programs have a built-in disincentive known as the Cliff Effect that generates a phantom workforce in Cobb—people who want to work, can work, but will not or cannot because they will lose more childcare, Medicaid, food stamps etc. than they can replace with a new job, increased hours, and/or taking a raise.

The Circles approach to changing poverty, and these seemingly ingrained social challenges, is to work together over time to create stronger, more secure families and individuals in our community.

Data from the Census Bureau ACS 5-year Estimate.