The official poverty rate in Colorado inched upward while the national rate declined for the first time this decade, according to figures released today by U.S. Census Bureau.

According to Community Population Survey, one of two survey instruments used by the Census, overall poverty in Colorado rose from 9.8 percent of households in 2003-2004 to 10.6 percent in 2005-2006.

Nationally, the poverty rate declined from 12.6 percent to 12.5 percent in that time, with 36.5 million people living in poverty.

The number of people nationally without health insurance coverage rose from 44.8 million in 2005 to 47 million in 2006.

Donna Sablan of Aurora is among the growing number of Colorado families struggling to make ends meet.

"It's a constant struggle for me and a lot of other families out there," said Sablan, who is disabled and cares for her two children and a granddaughter. "Around our house, we don't talk about wants. We talk about needs."

Meanwhile, Highlands Ranch and Douglas County were ranked among the nation's cities and counties with the highest median incomes.

Highlands Ranch ranked seventh among medium-sized cities, with a median income of $97,627. Douglas County ranked fourth among counties with 250,000 or more people, with a median income of $92,127.

In Colorado, the median household income — meaning half of all households have higher income and half have lower income — remained statistically flat between 2005 and 2006. It fell slightly to $52,015 from $52,275 the year before.

Colorado was one of seven of the 13 states in the West that were above the U.S. median household income. The states in the Northeast tended to have median incomes above the U.S. median.