LANSING ? Michigan had more than one million people, or almost 10 percent of its population living without health insurance, in a household where the median income fell by $251 from 2005 to 2006.

The figures come from the March 2007 U.S. Census. The report also found that the state was among the tops in the nation both for percentage of its population in poverty and for growth in that population.

The census report found that nationwide, household income levels have risen for the second straight year, bringing median income to $48,200. Michigan’s median income for 2006 was $47,182, shy of the $47,433 it was a year prior (the margin of error was plus or minus $604).

Other states that saw their household median incomes drop were Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island and Wyoming.

Detroit was among the top 10 places in the country for the lowest median income at $28,364 (the report has an error of plus or minus $1,094).

The census report also found that Michigan has 1.33 million people living in poverty. Detroit was cited as being a large city with one of the largest populations in poverty, while Flint and Kalamazoo were also cited for people living in poverty compared to their respective resident populations. Troy was also listed as having one of the lowest poverty rates for a municipality with 65,000 to 249,999 people.

There are 39 million people nationally who meet the poverty qualification.

“This is, indeed, a disappointing trend,” said Ann Marston, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Human Services. “We know kids growing up in poverty have much harder time in school and with health issues. As we experience this shift from manufacturing to service jobs, people need to be equipped to move into service jobs that pay decently, and not just the ones that pay minimum wage.”

“This is not the direction Michigan should be going,” said Michigan’s Children President & CEO Sharon Claytor Peters. “We have far too many children facing the often insurmountable challenges of growing up in poverty: lack of access to quality health care, healthy and nutritious meals, safe streets, and quality educations. Our children deserve better. Michigan deserves better.”

Men make more money than women do nationally, as was the case in Michigan, where the median earnings for men was $47,329, while women’s median earnings were $33,748 (71.3 percent). Nationally, women are paid 77.3 percent of what men make.

Michigan was also among 11 other states to have more than 1 million residents living without health insurance. California had the largest number with 6.7 million residents. Nationally, there are 45 million people without insurance, the census report determined.

However, using a three-year average from 2004 to 2006, Michigan’s uninsured rate was below the national average. All other Midwest states fell below the national rate as well.

“There’s no question that the job losses due to the Bush trade policies have hurt Michigan families,” said Liz Boyd, press secretary for Governor Jennifer Granholm. “That’s why the governor has fought to increase the minimum wage and establish a Michigan earned income tax credit. She is also working an economic plan that is designed to combat the statistics we’ve seen today.”

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

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