Census numbers released last month tell a grim story for Athens County and much of southeast Ohio.

Decades-old problems with poverty, a lack of well-paying jobs and the number of people relying on food assistance are only getting worse – and county leaders say state funding cuts aren’t helping.

“Poverty is an ongoing problem that Athens has had,” said County Commissioner Lenny Eliason. “And it isn’t going to change anytime soon.”

Athens County leads the state in more than five major categories of the 2010 American Community Survey, a subsection of the U.S. Census, but none of them are crowning achievements.

The Athens County poverty rate, 32.8 percent, is almost 10 percent higher than the next highest in the state, Pike County, with a poverty rate of 23.4 percent, according to the survey.

Athens County’s poverty rate, 32.8 percent, is also more than double the state poverty rate, 13.6 percent, according to the survey.

Almost 34 percent of the county’s children are living below the poverty line. The median household income, $30,190, is nearly $17,000 lower than the state level, which is $47,144, according to the survey.

But county officials say there is little they can do about rising poverty in Athens.

“The only thing that is going to solve these problems is an increase in the economy,” Eliason said. “We’re just here as a safety net.”

But national and state budget turmoil has sliced a hole in that net.

The Athens County Department of Job and Family Services, one of the primary support units for the impoverished in Athens, has had to scale back – and in some cases eliminate – financial assistance programs, said Nick Claussen, department spokesman.

“It’s troubling when people come in for help, and we have fewer people on staff, and we have to tell them we’re no longer offering the services they need.”

Just last week, county officials slashed $100,000 from funding for the department and, with a state budget deficit projected anywhere from $8 billion to $10 billion, local leaders expect even more cuts.

But even if funds were not reduced, county officials don’t believe they’d be able to address the underlying roots of Athens County’s poverty problems.

Compared to state percentages, the county has the lowest percentage of manufacturing jobs, 5.3 percent, and the highest percentage of service industry jobs, 25.9 percent, which are typically lower paying, according to the survey.

The state percentage of manufacturing jobs is 16.4 percent and the state percentage of service industry jobs is 16.8 percent, according to the survey.

“We can’t create jobs and bring manufacturing here,” Claussen said.

But by helping people get back on their feet, the county can put them in a better position to secure employment, Claussen said.

“If you don’t know where your next meal is coming from or where your family is going to sleep tonight, you’ve got more pressing things on your mind than finding a job,” he said.

And for much of Athens County, feeding their families is a major concern.

Almost 19 percent of the county’s population receives government food assistance, according to a 2010 report by The Athens Foundation.

“A lot of food pantries have at least doubled the number of clients coming in than they did a year ago,” said Susan Urano, the foundation’s executive director.

Job and Family Services reported that, on average, 10,068 people received food assistance each month last year.

“It should be a call to action to get more assistance to help more people,” Claussen said.