How do we decide who gets financial support from the government? Usually, it comes down to the federal poverty line.  

You might think a lot of data and research goes into establishing that number. But in reality, it’s much squishier. So squishy in fact that it involves Jello...

Today, a special episode brought to us by our friends at Control F: the surprising history of the federal poverty line.

Sources in this episode:
U.S. Census Bureau Timeline of Poverty Measure, 2014
How the U.S. Census Bureau Measures Poverty, 2022
What does living at the poverty line look like?, USA Facts, 2023
Poverty Guidelines vs Poverty Thresholds, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Poverty Line Matrix, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2026
Remembering Mollie Orshansky — The Developer of the Poverty Thresholds, Society Security Administration, 2008
Relatively Deprived, New Yorker, 2006
Mollie Orshansky, Statistician, Dies at 91, The New York Times, 2007
Mollie Orshansky: Inventor of the Poverty Line, NPR, 2007
Thrifty Food Plan, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2021
Thrifty Food Plan: Better planning and accountability could help ensure quality of future reevaluations, U.S. Government Accountability Office Report to Congressional Requesters, 2022
Family Food Plans and Food Costs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1962
The Indians in the Lobby, Season 3, Episode 8, The West Wing, 2001
NPR audience call out on SNAP benefits, 2025
Legacies of the War on Poverty, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political & Social Science, 2024

Control F wants to answer your questions about how our world works! Click here to submit a question using their online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org

Do you have a tip for the Booming team? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

How do we decide who gets financial support from the government?&nbsp;Usually, it comes down to the federal poverty line. &nbsp;
You might think a lot of data and research goes into establishing that number.&nbsp;But in reality, it&rsquo;s much squishier. So squishy in fact that it involves Jello...
Today, a special episode brought to us by our friends at <a href="https://www.kuow.org/podcasts/control-f">Control F</a>: the surprising history of the federal poverty line.
Sources in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2014/demo/poverty_measure-history.html">U.S. Census Bureau Timeline of Poverty Measure</a>, 2014</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2021/demo/poverty_measure-how.html">How the U.S. Census Bureau Measures Poverty</a>, 2022</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://usafacts.org/articles/what-does-living-at-the-poverty-line-look-like/">What does living at the poverty line look like?</a>, USA Facts, 2023</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines/frequently-asked-questions-related-poverty-guidelines-poverty">Poverty Guidelines vs Poverty Thresholds</a>, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/57079d323990db17e9ceaaab212c5680/detailed-guidelines-2026.xlsx">Poverty Line Matrix</a>, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2026</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v68n3/v68n3p79.html">Remembering Mollie Orshansky &mdash; The Developer of the Poverty Thresholds</a>, Society Security Administration, 2008</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/04/03/relatively-deprived">Relatively Deprived</a>, New Yorker, 2006</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/us/17orshansky.html">Mollie Orshansky, Statistician, Dies at 91</a>, The New York Times, 2007</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2007/04/21/9750949/mollie-orshansky-inventor-of-the-poverty-line">Mollie Orshansky: Inventor of the Poverty Line</a>, NPR, 2007</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/thrifty-food-plan-2021">Thrifty Food Plan</a>, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2021</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105450.pdf">Thrifty Food Plan: Better planning and accountability could help ensure quality of future reevaluations</a>, U.S. Government Accountability Office Report to Congressional Requesters, 2022</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/private/pdf/106751/familyfoodplan.pdf">Family Food Plans and Food Costs</a>, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1962</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://youtu.be/q9EehZlw-zk?si=foDZKEv74m4WRbJF">The Indians in the Lobby</a>, Season 3, Episode 8, The West Wing, 2001</li>
<li aria-level="1">NPR audience call out on SNAP benefits, 2025</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00027162241289754">Legacies of the War on Poverty</a>, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political &amp; Social Science, 2024</li>
</ul>
Control F wants to answer your questions about how our world works!&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.office.com/r/4nGSfCuAML">Click here</a> to submit a question using their online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org
Do you have a tip for the Booming team? Give us a call at&nbsp;<a href="tel:2062217158" data-stringify-link="tel:2062217158" data-sk="tooltip_parent">(206) 221-7158</a> and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:booming@kuow.org">booming@kuow.org</a>. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It&rsquo;s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In&nbsp;Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming

A special episode brought to us by our friends at Control F: the surprising history of the federal poverty line.