The figures are shocking news, and are all part of report by the Government's watchdog for rural England. It certainly challenges the reputation of Cheshire as a rich county of premiership footballers and high-flying business moguls - it seems the distribution of wealth in the Borough is far from even.
Statistics compiled by the CRC (Commisssion for Rural Communities) show that 19.4% of average incomes in the Macclesfield Borough are below the target level set by the government. The poverty line is set by taking the average overall household income, which was £27,487 in 2007, and finding 60% of this figure, meaning that any household with an overall income of below £16,492 is considered to be below the poverty line.
Macclesfield is below the national average of these households however - nearly a quarter of English homes are below the poverty line. In Congleton the average is 20.7% and it is 23.4% in Stockport. The North-West average is 27.9%.
