Despite modest improvements in childhood poverty, San Antonio has made little progress in reducing its overall poverty rate over the past decade, according to a new city report.
The city's 2026 Status of Poverty Report finds that approximately 250,000 San Antonio residents — 17% of the population — live below the federal poverty line. That's significantly higher than the Texas rate of 13.8% and the national rate of 12.5%.
The report, produced by the city's Department of Human Services, relies primarily on U.S. Census Bureau data covering the five-year period ending in 2024.
There is some encouraging news. Poverty among children under five has fallen nearly three percentage points since 2015, although 26% still live in poverty.
But older residents are falling further behind. Nearly 15% of San Antonians age 65 and older live in poverty, an increase of almost two percentage points over the same period.
The report also highlights a broader affordability crisis. Across Bexar County, 44% of households earn too little to reliably cover basic necessities, including housing, food and transportation, even when their incomes exceed the federal poverty threshold.
Poverty remains especially concentrated inside Loop 410 and in southern San Antonio neighborhoods, where some communities have experienced persistently high poverty for decades.
City officials recommend strengthening partnerships with nonprofit organizations and private businesses while directing limited resources toward the most vulnerable residents.
Guest:
Laura Serrano is the chief of social demography for the city's Department of Human Services.
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