The article presents the results of an empirical sociological study conducted in 2022 in Saratov using the questionnaire method and dedicated to poverty. The volume of the quota-territorial sample amounted to 626 respondents. It was revealed that the middle generation was more likely to talk about absolute poverty, the younger – about relative poverty. Today, the majority of Saratov residents link poverty with an income of 8–12,000 rubles. Every fourth of them felt poverty at the beginning of their independent life path and the same number, mainly of the middle generation, at the time of the survey are in a situation of poverty. They feel more deprived in all areas of everyday life, especially on vacation. The dynamics of the assessment of the material situation indicates a relatively successful stable improvement in the situation of young people, and somewhat less favorable multidirectional vectors of change in the middle generation. Among young people, they more often talked about the risk of losing their jobs, low wages, and losing their breadwinner. Among the middle generation, the fear of illness and over-indebtedness are more common. For residents of the city of Saratov, the main objective factors of poverty were low wages (68.5%), unemployment (50.5%), insuffi cient state support (44.0%). Along with this, the subject characteristics that contribute to poverty are highlighted: laziness, alcoholism, low educational level, drug addiction, loss of health, over-indebtedness and loss of breadwinner. In other words, Saratov residents are more inclined to blame the state and its policies for poverty, not forgetting about the subjective characteristics of individuals. Young people are more optimistic than the average generation about overcoming poverty. 6.7% of Saratov residents leave the town for other areas to earn money, mainly young people (6.9%). 20.0% of the population, mostly the middle generation, still plan to do it. Most often, people leave for work to capital cities, less often - in other regions. The majority of the Saratov population, especially the middle generation, rather negatively evaluate the eff ectiveness of the strategy to overcome poverty in the region.