The 3.4-percentage-point increase reflects the difference between two ways of measuring poverty—not a rise in the state’s poverty rate over time. Five states, including California, New York and Maryland, had larger increases under the broader measure, known as the Supplemental Poverty Measure, or SPM.

The traditional poverty rate compares a family’s pretax cash income with a threshold that does not vary by location. The SPM takes a wider view: It counts assistance such as SNAP and housing aid, includes taxes and tax credits, subtracts work and medical expenses, and adjusts for differences in housing costs.

That adjustment can change how states compare. Under the traditional measure, Massachusetts’ rate is lower than rates in Ohio, West Virginia and Oklahoma. Once living costs and other household resources are considered, those three states fare better than Massachusetts in the comparison.

The national official poverty rate fell for a third consecutive year, reaching 10.2%, while the SPM rate was statistically unchanged at 13.1%—nearly three percentage points higher. The official measure also showed child poverty at a record-low 13.4% and median household income at a record $87,460 in 2025.

The SPM does not replace the official poverty rate. The Census Bureau describes it as a complementary measure that captures resources and necessary expenses the traditional calculation leaves out. State figures are based on three-year averages because the Current Population Survey has smaller samples at the state level.

The distinction matters for understanding affordability in Massachusetts: income figures alone do not show how much families have left after housing, health care, taxes and other unavoidable costs.