(August 30, 2005) -- In a dubious distinction, the U.S. Census Bureau says that in 2004, LB had the sixth highest poverty rate among all U.S. communities over 250,000 population.

The Census Bureau's Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey" released Aug. 30, 2005 indicates LB is the only CA community in this "bottom ten."

LB's position in the annaul report has steadily worsened since the Census Bureau began releasing these statistics in 2000. In 2000, LB's poverty rate was 37th nationally. In 2001, LB was 27th. It 2002, LB was 10th. In 2003 LB was 7th...and in 2004 (the latest figure available), LB ranked 6th nationwide in terms of its poverty rate.

Detroit's poverty rate (33.6%) was the highest, followed by El Paso (28.8%), Miami (28.3%), Newark (28.1%), Atlanta (27.8%)...and Long Beach (26.4%). Rounding out this "bottom ten" were Milwaukee (26.0%), Buffalo (25.9%), Philadelphia (24.9%) and Memphis (24.6%).

And LB's actual ranking may be worse or somewhat better:

"Because of sampling error, the estimates for the high-poverty counties and places mentioned here...may not be statistically different from one another or from counties and places not mentioned," says the Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau says its American Community Survey (ACS) "is a new approach to collecting reliable, timely information needed by local communities. It will replace the decennial census long form in future censuses and is a critical element in the Census Bureau’s 2010 Decennial Census Program."