The Official U

The official U.S.poverty standard was set in 1963 at $3,000 per year for a family of four.
In 1963 it was determined that $1,000 per year was needed to purchase a "minimally adequate" diet for a family of four.It was estimated that other basic necessities like housing,clothes,transportation,and so forth would cost twice as much as the food staples.So they concluded that a budget of $3,000 per year would fund a "minimally adequate" living standard for a U.S.family of four.That standard became the official U.S.poverty threshold in 1963.