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Children in Poverty Summary

Children in Poverty measures the percentage of related persons under age 18 living in a household that is below the poverty threshold.  The poverty threshold established by the U.S. Census Bureau for a household of four people is approximately $20,650 in household income.   

Table 27 displays the 2007 ranks, based on 2006 data (March 2007 Current Population Survey, Washington, D.C., U.S. Census Bureau).  The percentage of children in poverty ranged from less than 10 percent of persons under age 18 in New Hampshire and Vermont to a high of more than 25 percent in Mississippi and Arkansas.  The national average is 17.4 percent, down 0.2 percent from the 2006 Edition and up 1.6 percent from the low of 15.8 percent of the population reported in the 2002 Edition.  It is 3.2 percent below the 1990 Edition.  In the past year, the percentage of children in poverty increased in 21 of 50 states. It increased by 8.0 percent in Arkansas.  The number of children in poverty decreased by more than four percent in Alabama, Washington and Indiana.  Since 1990, the percentage of children in poverty has increased in 14 of 50 states.  The percentage increased by more than five percent in Kansas.  It decreased by 10 percent or more in Louisiana, Florida, Hawaii and Minnesota since 1990. 


 


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Table 27 - Children in Poverty
ALPHABETICAL BY STATE RANK ORDER
2007 RANK (1-50) STATE PERCENT OF PERSONS UNDER AGE 18 SCORE 2007 RANK (1-50) STATE PERCENT OF PERSONS UNDER AGE 18 SCORE
35 Alabama 18.8 8 1 New Hampshire 5.6 -54
8 Alaska 11.6 -33 2 Vermont 8.9 -49
39 Arizona 20 15 3 Connecticut 10.3 -41
49 Arkansas 26.6 53 4 Hawaii 10.5 -40
33 California 18.1 4 4 Washington 10.5 -40
17 Colorado 13.4 -23 6 Maryland 10.9 -37
3 Connecticut 10.3 -41 7 Minnesota 11.1 -36
9 Delaware 12.4 -29 8 Alaska 11.6 -33
23 Florida 14.6 -16 9 Delaware 12.4 -29
40 Georgia 20.4 17 10 New Jersey 12.5 -28
4 Hawaii 10.5 -40 10 Nevada 12.6 -28
14 Idaho 13.2 -24 10 Utah 12.6 -28
24 Illinois 14.9 -14 13 Nebraska 13.1 -25
21 Indiana 14.3 -18 14 Idaho 13.2 -24
22 Iowa 14.4 -17 14 Maine 13.2 -24
38 Kansas 19.7 13 14 Virginia 13.2 -24
47 Kentucky 23.5 35 17 Colorado 13.4 -23
48 Louisiana 23.8 37 17 South Dakota 13.4 -23
14 Maine 13.2 -24 19 Massachusetts 13.6 -22
6 Maryland 10.9 -37 20 Wyoming 14 -20
19 Massachusetts 13.6 -22 21 Indiana 14.3 -18
37 Michigan 19.3 11 22 Iowa 14.4 -17
7 Minnesota 11.1 -36 23 Florida 14.6 -16
50 Mississippi 28.8 54 24 Illinois 14.9 -14
32 Missouri 17.7 2 25 Wisconsin 15.5 -11
31 Montana 17.2 -1 26 South Carolina 15.6 -10
13 Nebraska 13.1 -25 26 Rhode Island 15.7 -10
10 Nevada 12.6 -28 28 North Dakota 16.3 -6
1 New Hampshire 5.6 -54 29 Oregon 16.7 -4