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Who are America's Poor Children? The Official Story |
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National Center for Children in Poverty: Nearly 13 million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $20,000 a year for a family of four. There are 1.3 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000, despite indications of economic recovery and growth. Children living in families with incomes below this level---for 2006, $40,000 for a family of four---are referred to as low income. This fact sheet details some of the characteristics of American children who are considered poor by these official standards. Data collected in the 1950s indicated that families spent about one-third of their income on food. Yet food now comprises far less than a third of an average family's expenses, while the costs of housing, child care, health care, and transportation have grown disproportionately. On the expense side, the official poverty measure does not include the cost of payroll and income taxes or work-related expenses, such as child care and transportation. Across the states, child poverty rates range from 7% in New Hampshire to 27% in Mississippi. In the 10 most populated states, rates of child poverty among Latino children range from 20% in New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois to 35% in Texas. Having immigrant parents increases a child's chances of being poor. 20% of children under age 6---1 in 5---live in poor families; 16% of children age 6 or older live in poor families. In the 10 most populated states, the percent of poor children who lack health insurance ranges from 12% in Michigan to 28% in Florida and Texas.
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