Source: EconLog
by Scott Sumner
“New York and Hawaii have the highest rates [of homelessness], although elsewhere I read that California has the most homeless people actually living on the streets. Many homeless New Yorkers are in shelters. Mississippi is lowest in per capita terms. So here’s my question: If poverty actually did cause homelessness, then what are the odds that the lowest rate of homelessness would occur in America’s poorest state? Even if there were no correlation, the odds would be only 1 in 50. If there actually was a positive correlation between poverty rates in a state and homelessness, then it would be even more surprising to find Mississippi having the lowest homeless rate.” (06/03/25)