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Philadelphians protest to raise the minimum wage.

Philadelphians living in poverty outnumber the population of Pittsburgh

As national poverty rates decline, Philadelphia's has stayed the same, with the highest number of people living in deep poverty out of all large U.S. cities.

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There are 396,963 Philadelphia residents living in poverty. That's more than Pittsburgh's entire population of 306,211.

The recently released U.S. Census 2013 American Community Survey revealed the state of poverty in Pennsylvania’s largest city. Of all counties, Philadelphia had the highest poverty rate (26 percent) and the highest child poverty rate (36 percent). That means that one in four adults and nearly one in three children live in poverty in Philadelphia. The city’s deep poverty rate — or the number of people with incomes that are half the poverty line — is higher than any other city of its size in the country, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

What’s more, the rates have not budged in past years while national rates have declined.

While Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate has declined below the national average, underemployment remains at 12 percent. Advocacy groups have called on the state to raise the minimum wage, which is currently at the national minimum of $7.25 an hour, to $10.10 per hour. Full-time workers who earn the minimum wage make around $15,000 a year. A $10.10 minimum wage would raise that annual income to $20,000. The federal poverty rate is $11,670 for an individual and $23,850 for a family of four.  

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