A report released this summer by Alabama Possible, a Birmingham-based statewide nonprofit that, according to its website, works to remove “barriers to prosperity in Alabama through education, collaboration and advocacy,” found that more than 800,000 Alabamians are living below the poverty line, among which are 262,000 children.

The 2019 Poverty Data Sheet, which highlights statewide poverty data related to educational attainment, employment and food security through sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama Department of Human Resources, found that Alabama is the sixth poorest state in the nation.

Further, the state’s 16.9 percent poverty rate is “noticeably larger” that the national average of 13.4 percent and 11 of the state’s 67 counties have a poverty rate higher than 25 percent – Dallas County is one of them, with a poverty rate of 27.9 percent.

The report states that there are 38,310 people living in Dallas County – 9,397 of which are children; 6,471 of which are seniors – 10,796 of them are living in poverty, including 4,061 children and 1,117 seniors.

The white poverty rate in Dallas County is 15 percent, with the poverty rate among Hispanic or Latino residents sitting at 17 percent, while 39.1 percent of African Americans in Dallas County are living in poverty.

While the overall poverty rate in Dallas County is just under 28 percent, more than 43 percent of the county’s children are living in poverty – female-headed households with related children are facing a poverty rate of 59.5 percent.

The study also finds that 33.5 percent of people in Dallas County are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or food stamps, with 27.2 percent of people facing food security and nearly 30 percent of children facing the same.

Additionally, the study found that more than 10 percent of Dallas County residents are going without healthcare.

“Living in poverty is like running in place,” said Alabama Possible Executive Director Kristina Scott in a statement on the group’s website. “Too many Alabamians are working hard just to make ends meet. Stagnant social mobility, increasing inequality and the rise of low-wage jobs without benefits impacts both low-income and middle-class Alabamians. Public policy has a vital role to play to give low-income Alabamians a chance to move into the middle class and ensure greater security for those already there.”

Alabama Possible suggests that “sustained investments in education, the creation of good jobs and asset building are necessary for Alabama families to achieve long-term financial security.”