California has the USA’s highest poverty rate, when factoring in cost-of-living
The problem with the way poverty is measured in the US is it measures relative income. Being poor relative to other people sucks, but consider the following. You can be poor in the US, and have:<p>- Clean running water
- Electricity
- Heat
- Phone, now plus internet access
- Paved roads
- Access to basic health care (for now, thanks Obama!)<p>Disclosure: I went through bankruptcy and foreclosure, so I know exactly how much not having money sucks in this country, but I would take being broke in the US over being broke almost anywhere else, with one important caveat, if you have a long term physical or mental disability and do not have family to support you, then you are truly fucked (but that would be true  anywhere outside of northern Europe or Canada as well).