Camden ousts Reading as country’s poorest city

    New statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau suggest the Pennsylvania city of Reading is no longer the county’s poorest.

    Census figures say the poverty rate in Reading dropped from 41.3 percent in 2010 to 40.1 in 2011.That means the city of about 88,000 people is no longer considered the country’s most-impoverished.

    The Reading Eagle reports Thursday the city’s average household income increased 2.8 percent in 2011 to $34,083.

    The census figures say Camden, N.J., now has the dubious distinction of being the country’s most-impoverished city. Reading is sixth.

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    But an official with the United Way in Reading cautions that the rates are just estimates. Senior Vice President of Community Impact Pat Giles says the margin of error for Reading, Camden and other similarly struggling cities mean it’s hard to tell which one truly has the highest rate.

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