The current state of the world yields many individuals who coexist in poverty. Poverty is characterized by the lack of socially acceptable amounts of income or material possessions. To determine who lives in poverty the United States draws a poverty line (Henslin 203). The government makes the assumption that low-income homes spend about one third of their income on food. Therefore, the government calculates a “low-cost food budget and multiplies it by three” (Henslin 203). Those who have a yearly income that is lower than that amount is considered poor. Those who have an income higher than that amount, even by a few dollars more, is considered not poor. Even though individuals under the poverty line are considered poor, the line does not take into consideration of “food stamps, rent assistance, subsidized child care, and the earned income tax credit” (Henslin 204). Also every 10 years the government conducts a census, in which the U.S. Census Bureau’s determines the poverty threshold. According to Henslin, the United States have multiple reasons as to why many people in society are defined as “poor”. Reasons for poverty include geography, race-ethnicity, education, and feminization. In certain rural areas poverty 16 percent higher than the national average (Henslin 204). Rural areas have limited job opportunities; mainly the jobs will only offer minimum wage work. Race-ethnicity have a much more substantial factors that contribute to poverty. Mainly the majority of Americans that get discriminated against would be African Americans. Others such as Latinos and Native Americans also get discriminated but not as heavily (Henslin 204). The most obvious cause of poverty is education. During the early 1900s most Americans could live a comfortable lifestyle without every stepping into a school of secondary education. These individuals would occupy the jobs such as, coal miners, plumbers, mechanics, and certain state workers.