The vast majority of poor people are poor because there families are poor or because the economy of the area they live has either collapsed or is seriously underdeveloped.
I agree with Al... family income and the community economy are obviously two of the most highly correlated variables in the population. They're also related to what kind of future a young person has. Most people in poor areas with poor families just find it much harder to climb that ladder, and perhaps feel less pressure to do so.
