At least 30% of people in the congregation's 2000 census tract are below the official poverty level. (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)

Each question was asked of a key informant from the congregation, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader.

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Poverty Level (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)     [Results weighted by W1]

Related Topics • African-American Population • Immigration • Region of the Country • Type of Census Tract • See all Topics Demographic Patterns • Year Founded • Adult Members • Political Ideology • Region of the Country • Religious Tradition • Theology

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Poverty Level (Demographic Patterns)

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Poverty Level by Year Founded

	Before 1900	1900-1950	1951-1999	2000 or Later	Missing	TOTAL
No	88.0% 316	85.3% 331	86.2% 493	80.8% 80	72	86.0% 1220
Yes	12.0% 43	14.7% 57	13.8% 79	19.2% 19	16	14.0% 198
TOTAL	100.0% 359	100.0% 388	100.0% 572	100.0% 99	88	1418

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Poverty Level by Adult Members

	25 or Less	26-50	51-100	101-200	More than 200	Missing	TOTAL
No	81.5% 163	80.7% 302	87.7% 328	89.0% 258	90.4% 236	5	85.9% 1287
Yes	18.5% 37	19.3% 72	12.3% 46	11.0% 32	9.6% 25	0	14.1% 212
TOTAL	100.0% 200	100.0% 374	100.0% 374	100.0% 290	100.0% 261	5	1499

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Poverty Level by Political Ideology

	More on the conservative side	Right in the middle	More on the liberal side	Missing	TOTAL
No	87.5% 719	82.0% 401	88.3% 98	74	85.7% 1218
Yes	12.5% 103	18.0% 88	11.7% 13	10	14.3% 204
TOTAL	100.0% 822	100.0% 489	100.0% 111	84	1422

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Poverty Level by Region of the Country

	New England or Mid-Atlantic	East North Central or West North Central	South Atlantic, East South Central, or West South Central	Mountain or Pacific	TOTAL
No	87.9% 174	93.3% 360	79.7% 571	90.8% 187	85.8% 1292
Yes	12.1% 24	6.7% 26	20.3% 145	9.2% 19	14.2% 214
TOTAL	100.0% 198	100.0% 386	100.0% 716	100.0% 206	1506

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Poverty Level by Religious Tradition

	Roman Catholic	White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist	Black Protestant	White liberal or moderate	Non-Christian	TOTAL
No	86.3% 69	92.8% 684	62.8% 223	94.4% 269	96.0% 48	85.8% 1293
Yes	13.8% 11	7.2% 53	37.2% 132	5.6% 16	4.0% 2	14.2% 214
TOTAL	100.0% 80	100.0% 737	100.0% 355	100.0% 285	100.0% 50	1507

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Poverty Level by Theology

	More on the conservative side	Right in the middle	More on the liberal side	Missing	TOTAL
No	87.1% 796	81.4% 346	90.1% 109	42	85.7% 1251
Yes	12.9% 118	18.6% 79	9.9% 12	5	14.3% 209
TOTAL	100.0% 914	100.0% 425	100.0% 121	47	1460

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Notes

The National Congregations Study (NCS) dataset "fills a void in the sociological study of congregations by providing, for the first time, data that can be used to draw a nationally aggregate picture of congregations" (Chaves et al. 1999, p.460). Thanks to innovations in sampling techniques, the NCS data is the first nationally representative sample of American congregations. In 2006-07, a panel component was added to the NCS. In addition to the new cross-section of congregations generated in conjunction with the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS), a stratified random sample was drawn from congregations who participated in the 1998 NCS. The 2006-07 NCS sample, then, includes a subset of cases that were also interviewed in 1998. A full codebook, prepared by the primary investigator, is available for download here. The codebook contains the original questionnaire, as well as detailed information on survey methodology, weights, coding, and more.