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The real American household poverty line isn’t $31,200, it’s around $140,000.
(www.yesigiveafig.com)
this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2025
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Notice how the poverty line increases barely at all, and if so, linearly. However, the stock market grows exponentially.
That's because the poverty line is directly tied to the cost of goods and services (and to social services, tax credits, etc that those under or near the poverty line can take advantage of).
Effectively it will move up as goods cost more (inflation) and social services and other credits people can take advantage of are reduced / removed.
If more social services are added, i.e. Life becomes cheaper without your income increasing, then the effective poverty line drops as it's only a number based on household income, and now you need less household income to survive at the same level.
The stock market is its own beast and is not directly connected to income, social services, or the cost of goods.