Volume 20 - Article 15 | Pages 353–376  

Poverty in the Texas borderland and lower Mississippi Delta: A comparative analysis of differences by family type

By Tim Slack, Joachim Singelmann, Kayla Fontenot, Dudley L. Poston, Rogelio Saenz, Carlos Siordia

Abstract

We provide a comparative analysis of county-level poverty in the two poorest regions of the United States - the Texas Borderland and the Lower Mississippi Delta - with a special focus on differences by family type. Our results reveal important regional variation in both the prevalence of poverty and the composition of the poor population across major family types. Using OLS regression models of family type-specific poverty we demonstrate three key findings: 1) There are no significant regional differences in poverty levels by family type between the Borderland and the Delta, net of important structural factors that characterize the regions; 2) with the exception of the employment rate, the structural factors associated with poverty among married couple and single female-headed families are quite different; and 3) paradoxically, areas in the Borderland with high in-migration are especially likely to suffer from high married-couple family poverty. Our results suggest the need for regionally targeted and demographically tailored anti-poverty policies.

Author’s Affiliation

• Tim Slack - Louisiana State University, United States of America EMAIL
• Joachim Singelmann - Louisiana State University, United States of America EMAIL
• Kayla Fontenot - Louisiana State University, United States of America EMAIL
• Dudley L. Poston - Texas A&M University, United States of America EMAIL
• Rogelio Saenz - University of Texas at San Antonio, United States of America EMAIL
• Carlos Siordia - West Virginia University, United States of America EMAIL

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