Currently, the U.S. government measures poverty based on a formula from the 1960's using food expenditures and limited income measurements. This is known as the "absolute" poverty measure and is outdated.
Other countries use a more comprehensive measure called "relative" or "supplemental." This measure includes more categories in addition to food costs, including some housing, clothes, utility expenses. It also uses increased income sources available to families, as well as reflecting standard of living changes.
While the absolute measurement is easy to calculate and easy to use, the supplemental measurement more accurately reflects poverty changes over time and in different places.
It is time to change the way we look at poverty; let's update the government definition.