The U.S. Census Bureau is releasing new data that shows about 17,000 fewer people were living in poverty in New Hampshire in 2013 compared to the year before.
The 1.3 percent decline from about 128,500 people in poverty in 2012 to roughly 111,500 last year is the second sharpest drop in the nation, trailing only Wyoming's 1.7 percent decrease.
In New Hampshire, 8.7 percent of the population lives in poverty, compared with 15.8 percent nationally. The national rate in 2012 was 15.9 percent.
The data also shows the median income in New Hampshire rose slightly from year to year: From $64,187 in 2012 to $64,230 last year. The median income in the U.S. rose from $51,915 in 2012 to $52,250 in 2013.