Your Health Matters

Actions

Study claims poverty is 4th-leading cause of death in United States

In 2019, poverty was to blame for an estimated 183,000 deaths among people 15 years and older, more than 10 times the amount of homicide deaths.
Homeless
Posted

(KERO) — New data suggests that poverty in the United States is getting worse.

An analysis published by JAMA Network found that poverty kills more Americans than murder, diabetes, and obesity. It claimed that poverty is the fourth-largest cause of death in the US, only behind heart disease, cancer, and smoking.

In 2019, poverty was to blame for an estimated 183,000 deaths among people 15 years and older, more than 10 times the amount of homicide deaths.

US Census Bureau data estimates that nearly 40 million Americans are living in poverty.



,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Monday

01/19/2026

Partly Cloudy

-° / 41°

14%

Tuesday

01/20/2026

Mostly Cloudy

62° / 44°

13%

Wednesday

01/21/2026

Cloudy

61° / 48°

9%

Thursday

01/22/2026

Partly Cloudy

62° / 46°

6%

Friday

01/23/2026

Mostly Clear

63° / 45°

7%

Saturday

01/24/2026

Mostly Clear

61° / 42°

5%

Sunday

01/25/2026

Partly Cloudy

63° / 43°

2%

Monday

01/26/2026

Partly Cloudy

64° / 42°

3%