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Beyond the Census data: How policy shapes well-being in NC
In September 2025, the US Census Bureau released annual data on poverty, income, and health insurance coverage for 2024. This resource will walk you through key data points for North Carolina and the public policy choices that influence these outcomes. Poverty How high is the poverty rate in North Carolina? New data from the U.S….
Public Comment: Work First TANF State Plan
To: Allison W. Smith, Deputy Director Division of Social Services Economic and Family Services NC Department of Health and Human Services 2420 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2420 From: NC Budget & Tax Center PO Box 25374 Durham, North Carolina, 27702 RE: Work First TANF State Plan Public Comments Dear Deputy Director Allison…
New census data: 12.5 percent of North Carolinians live in poverty; federal megabill and stalled state budget risk worsening hardship
RALEIGH – The U.S. Census Bureau released today its 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) data, providing the latest picture of poverty, income, and health coverage in North Carolina. The numbers show that 12.5 percent of North Carolinians were living in poverty in 2024, showing no significant change since 2023. This means more than 1.3 million…
National Census data show persistent inequities; NC data to be released Thursday
Sept. 9, 2024 — Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released national-level poverty, income, and health coverage data for 2024 from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). On Thursday, Sept. 11, the Bureau will release state- and local-level data from the American Community Survey (ACS). NC Budget & Tax Center (BTC)…
North Carolina can improve TANF policy to remove barriers to children’s well-being
Note: Learn more about how North Carolina can improve TANF policy to boost employment outcomes here Reducing child poverty is one of the best investments North Carolina can make: Every $1 spent reducing childhood poverty is estimated to save $7 on the future societal costs of poor health, child maltreatment, and other harms. But North…
North Carolina can improve TANF policy to boost employment outcomes
Note: Learn more about how North Carolina can improve TANF policy to remove barriers to children’s well-being here One goal of North Carolina’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) is to help participants achieve sustaining employment. But current rules discourage people from increasing their earnings and assets, while relying on counterproductive punishment strategies that…
House Bill 859: Local Govts/Guaranteed Income Programs
Download a PDF of this brief Blocks local governments from running popular and effective guaranteed income programs HB 859 Summary: This bill prohibits local governments from initiating or running guaranteed income programs that provide people with payments with no strings attached. Further limits the ability of local lawmakers to make choices about the use of…
Senate Bill 608: Revise Various Laws / Work First Cash Assistance
Download a PDF of this Brief Improves the state’s Work First benefits SB 608 Summary: Changes the state’s Work First program to provide more adequate income support, reach pregnant women, remove limits on assets that families need to stay connected to work, and align the program’s time limits with federal law. Connecting income support to…
House Bill 564: Public Safety Through Food Access
Download a PDF of this Brief Reducing recidivism by expanding access to benefits SB 564 Summary: Ensures that all people eligible for Food & Nutrition Services and Work First benefits who have been convicted of a drug felony are no longer denied benefits if they complete a substance abuse treatment program. Repealing the drug felony…
2025 Living Income Standard: The cost of meeting the basics across North Carolina
In every county in North Carolina, people want to meet basic needs for themselves and their children without stress. To build an economy that works for everyone and not just the wealthy few, we need to understand what it actually takes to meet those needs. Approximately every two years, we calculate a Living Income Standard…