The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Oklahoma 2009 calculates the amount of income Oklahoma families need to meet their basic needs. The report was prepared by Dr. Diana Pearce of the Cenetr for Women's Welfare at the University of Washington for the Oklahoma Asset Building Coalition.

Click here for the full 102-page report, which includes Tables calculating the Standard for 8 family types in each county, plus Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

A fact sheet from Oklahoma Policy Institute offers a series of concise numbers and graphs summarizing key findings from the 2008 American Community Survey on poverty in Oklahoma. 

New U.S. Census Bureau data revealed a drop in Oklahoma's poverty rate in 2007 - from 17.0% to 15.9% - and a significant increase in median household income. While this showed that Oklahoma's strong economy was finally providing benefits to low- and moderate-income families, Oklahoma's poverty rate remained well above the national average and above the rate at the peak of the last economic cycle in 2000.

Oklahoma's economy continues to outperform the nation's as a whole, yet many families are already caught in the financial pinch of stagnant wages and rising costs. This brief and the fact sheet explore the main factors contributing to the economic squeeze on Oklahoma households and reviews some of the indicators revealing the extent and range of hardships confronting many families. With state tax collections already declining, it will be a great challenge to assist families in need if and when the national economic downturn hits Oklahoma.

This report was produced for the Public Policy Department of the Community Action Project of Tulsa County under the direction of David Blatt, then Director of Policy at CAP. 

This report was produced for the Public Policy Department of the Community Action Project of Tulsa County under the direction of David Blatt, then Director of Policy at CAP.