What share of people in Kalamazoo are on low incomes?

50.8% of residents of Kalamazoo had incomes below twice the poverty line in 2020-2024, 22nd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 28.2%; Michigan: 29.3%).

Poverty and living standards in Kalamazoo, Michigan: official figures

24.9% of residents of Kalamazoo (16,607 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 46th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; Michigan: 13.2%).

Poverty rate

24.9%

2020-2024

Child poverty rate (under 18)

22.2%

2020-2024

Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent

56.3%

2020-2024

How many children live in poverty in Kalamazoo?

22.2% of children under 18 in Kalamazoo lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (2,960 children), 210th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; Michigan: 17.6%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

What is the poverty rate for older people in Kalamazoo?

By age, the poverty rate in Kalamazoo was 28.6% for children under 6 and 16.5% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Kalamazoo live in deep poverty?

9,267 people in Kalamazoo, 13.9% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 35th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many renters in Kalamazoo are cost-burdened?

56.3% of renting households in Kalamazoo spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (9,083 households), 266th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; Michigan: 50.4%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many households in Kalamazoo spend half their income on rent?

32.1% of renting households in Kalamazoo spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 139th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Kalamazoo are food insecure?

An estimated 25.5% of adults in Kalamazoo experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 102nd highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 18.6% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

How Kalamazoo compares with other cities in the United States

Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Kalamazoo ranks 46 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents below the poverty line
43	Lorain	25.2%
44	Tuscaloosa	25.1%
45	Harlingen	25.1%
46	Kalamazoo	24.9%
47	Macon-Bibb County	24.7%
48	Birmingham	24.7%
49	Waterbury	24.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Kalamazoo ranks 210 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Children under 18 below the poverty line
207	Logan	22.2%
208	Chico	22.2%
209	Richmond	22.2%
210	Kalamazoo	22.2%
211	Palmdale	22.1%
212	Des Moines	22.1%
213	Pueblo	22.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)

Kalamazoo ranks 35 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents with incomes below half the poverty line
32	Columbia	14.3%
33	Ames	14.1%
34	Albany	13.9%
35	Kalamazoo	13.9%
36	Port Arthur	13.7%
37	Chapel Hill	13.7%
38	Cincinnati	13.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)

Kalamazoo ranks 266 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent
263	Georgetown	56.4%
264	Everett	56.4%
265	Tuscaloosa	56.3%
266	Kalamazoo	56.3%
267	South Fulton	56.2%
268	Citrus Heights	56.1%
269	Melbourne	56.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)

Kalamazoo ranks 103 of 592, highest first.

Rank	City	Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate)
100	Mobile	25.9%
101	Bellflower	25.9%
102	Akron	25.5%
103	Kalamazoo	25.5%
104	Ontario	25.4%
105	Toledo	25.3%
106	Elkhart	25.3%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

More on Kalamazoo: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)

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