Trends: Expand Economic Opportunity and Reduce Child Poverty

Children in Poverty. These data presents the percentage of children in poverty according to the Federal Poverty Threshold. These data are drawn from the Kids Count Data Center. For more information on this indicator, see Kids Count – Children in Poverty.

To view child poverty data for your state, select up to six jurisdictions below and click "View Data"

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Questions to Consider

· How does your state compare to neighboring or similar states?

· What economic and other factors might explain similarities and differences?

· How do these data compare to other poverty measures, such as extreme poverty (50 percent of the Federal Poverty Threshold), or data about the working poor (200 percent of the Federal Poverty Threshold)?

· What do indicators tell us about outcomes for racial groups, age groups, regions, urban and rural areas and other sub-populations?

What You Need to Know

· The national child poverty rate has remained relatively level, holding at approximately 16 percent from 1999 to 2002, and subsequently at approximately 17 percent.[i]

· By contrast, state-level child poverty trends have varied widely, remaining relatively level in some states and fluctuating significantly in others; trending upward in some states and downward in others; and exceeding the national rate in some states, and falling below this rate in others.

· For an analysis of national poverty trends for multiple indicators of child poverty see Children in Poverty, produced by Child Trends.

How to Use This Site
Better results for kids and families through research-informed policy