52 states · ACS 2023 · Updated Source PDFExcelImageJSONAll files

Child poverty by US state

Summary

Child poverty rate, US states

Child poverty rate by state · all 52 states · hover or tap a state for every figure on this page

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StatesMississippi
Child poverty rate, US statesDarker amber is a higher share of people under 18 living below the poverty line. Puerto Rico is listed in the ranking and table but is not on this map.Alabama · Child poverty rate: 21.5% · Margin of error: 0.4% · Children below poverty: 239,040 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,111,463Alaska · Child poverty rate: 12.5% · Margin of error: 0.6% · Children below poverty: 21,897 · Under-18 poverty universe: 175,338Arizona · Child poverty rate: 17.0% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 266,857 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,567,779Arkansas · Child poverty rate: 21.4% · Margin of error: 0.5% · Children below poverty: 148,147 · Under-18 poverty universe: 693,404California · Child poverty rate: 15.1% · Margin of error: 0.1% · Children below poverty: 1,301,440 · Under-18 poverty universe: 8,590,409Colorado · Child poverty rate: 10.9% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 133,579 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,225,528Connecticut · Child poverty rate: 13.1% · Margin of error: 0.4% · Children below poverty: 95,177 · Under-18 poverty universe: 724,622Delaware · Child poverty rate: 15.8% · Margin of error: 0.9% · Children below poverty: 32,620 · Under-18 poverty universe: 206,701Florida · Child poverty rate: 16.9% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 714,768 · Under-18 poverty universe: 4,236,584Georgia · Child poverty rate: 18.7% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 467,864 · Under-18 poverty universe: 2,507,130Hawaii · Child poverty rate: 12.5% · Margin of error: 0.6% · Children below poverty: 36,815 · Under-18 poverty universe: 294,275Idaho · Child poverty rate: 12.5% · Margin of error: 0.4% · Children below poverty: 57,171 · Under-18 poverty universe: 456,757Illinois · Child poverty rate: 15.4% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 425,068 · Under-18 poverty universe: 2,767,087Indiana · Child poverty rate: 15.7% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 245,585 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,563,365Iowa · Child poverty rate: 12.7% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 92,217 · Under-18 poverty universe: 725,407Kansas · Child poverty rate: 13.7% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 95,012 · Under-18 poverty universe: 693,627Kentucky · Child poverty rate: 20.9% · Margin of error: 0.4% · Children below poverty: 209,028 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,002,012Louisiana · Child poverty rate: 25.7% · Margin of error: 0.4% · Children below poverty: 276,149 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,073,939Maine · Child poverty rate: 13.1% · Margin of error: 0.6% · Children below poverty: 32,284 · Under-18 poverty universe: 246,040Maryland · Child poverty rate: 11.5% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 156,046 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,353,842Massachusetts · Child poverty rate: 11.8% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 159,492 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,347,350Michigan · Child poverty rate: 17.5% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 370,766 · Under-18 poverty universe: 2,122,008Minnesota · Child poverty rate: 10.6% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 137,223 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,295,781Mississippi · Child poverty rate: 26.4% · Margin of error: 0.5% · Children below poverty: 179,522 · Under-18 poverty universe: 680,330Missouri · Child poverty rate: 16.0% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 216,943 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,356,461Montana · Child poverty rate: 13.8% · Margin of error: 0.5% · Children below poverty: 31,816 · Under-18 poverty universe: 229,927Nebraska · Child poverty rate: 11.6% · Margin of error: 0.4% · Children below poverty: 55,299 · Under-18 poverty universe: 476,755Nevada · Child poverty rate: 16.8% · Margin of error: 0.5% · Children below poverty: 114,206 · Under-18 poverty universe: 681,532New Hampshire · Child poverty rate: 7.8% · Margin of error: 0.5% · Children below poverty: 19,566 · Under-18 poverty universe: 252,075New Jersey · Child poverty rate: 13.3% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 266,599 · Under-18 poverty universe: 2,008,338New Mexico · Child poverty rate: 24.5% · Margin of error: 0.6% · Children below poverty: 112,705 · Under-18 poverty universe: 459,098New York · Child poverty rate: 18.2% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 731,672 · Under-18 poverty universe: 4,028,700North Carolina · Child poverty rate: 18.1% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 413,840 · Under-18 poverty universe: 2,284,911North Dakota · Child poverty rate: 10.6% · Margin of error: 0.6% · Children below poverty: 19,303 · Under-18 poverty universe: 181,811Ohio · Child poverty rate: 18.0% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 461,410 · Under-18 poverty universe: 2,566,266Oklahoma · Child poverty rate: 20.1% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 190,499 · Under-18 poverty universe: 945,840Oregon · Child poverty rate: 13.3% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 111,896 · Under-18 poverty universe: 839,115Pennsylvania · Child poverty rate: 16.0% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 420,291 · Under-18 poverty universe: 2,630,867Rhode Island · Child poverty rate: 13.3% · Margin of error: 0.8% · Children below poverty: 27,224 · Under-18 poverty universe: 205,307South Carolina · Child poverty rate: 19.7% · Margin of error: 0.4% · Children below poverty: 218,849 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,108,973South Dakota · Child poverty rate: 15.0% · Margin of error: 0.6% · Children below poverty: 32,269 · Under-18 poverty universe: 215,563Tennessee · Child poverty rate: 18.7% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 286,069 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,527,658Texas · Child poverty rate: 18.9% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 1,398,542 · Under-18 poverty universe: 7,393,288Utah · Child poverty rate: 8.9% · Margin of error: 0.3% · Children below poverty: 82,898 · Under-18 poverty universe: 933,047Vermont · Child poverty rate: 10.8% · Margin of error: 0.7% · Children below poverty: 12,421 · Under-18 poverty universe: 115,296Virginia · Child poverty rate: 12.7% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 236,443 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,866,092Washington · Child poverty rate: 11.9% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 195,225 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,646,339West Virginia · Child poverty rate: 21.4% · Margin of error: 0.6% · Children below poverty: 75,132 · Under-18 poverty universe: 350,880Wisconsin · Child poverty rate: 13.0% · Margin of error: 0.2% · Children below poverty: 163,268 · Under-18 poverty universe: 1,253,921Wyoming · Child poverty rate: 12.6% · Margin of error: 0.8% · Children below poverty: 16,442 · Under-18 poverty universe: 130,017District of Columbia · Child poverty rate: 20.4% · Margin of error: 1.3% · Children below poverty: 25,284 · Under-18 poverty universe: 123,781District of Columbia · Child poverty rate: 20.4% · Margin of error: 1.3% · Children below poverty: 25,284 · Under-18 poverty universe: 123,781Child poverty rate7.8%26.4%
Summary

Darker amber is a higher share of people under 18 living below the poverty line. Puerto Rico is listed in the ranking and table but is not on this map.

A typical published area has a child poverty rate of 15.3 percent, the midpoint of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico on the 2023 ACS five-year estimates. Mississippi has the highest rate among the 50 states at 26.4 percent, and New Hampshire is the lowest at 7.8 percent. Puerto Rico, which this table also returns, sits far higher at 55.6 percent. Mississippi is 18.6 percentage points above New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico is 47.8 points above New Hampshire. These are each area's own share of people under 18 living below the poverty line, not a national average of states.

In short

15.3%typical published areathe middle area, not an average
26.4%Mississippihighest of the 50 states
7.8%New Hampshirelowest child poverty rate
55.6%Puerto Ricohighest figure the Census published
10areas at or above 20%Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky, District of Columbia, Oklahoma
Figure 1

Child poverty rate, all published states

Child poverty rate · all 52 · ranked high to low

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Child poverty rate, all published statesEvery area the Census published in this table: 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, 52 in all. Puerto Rico leads at 55.6 percent, then Mississippi at 26.4 percent. New Hampshire is the lowest at 7.8 percent. The middle published area sits at 15.3 percent. 9 published areas among the 50 states and the District of Columbia sit at or above 20 percent. These figures are derived from the under-18 age cells in ACS table B17001, adding males and females.0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%Child poverty rate, percent55.6%Puerto Rico26.4%Mississippi25.7%Louisiana24.5%New Mexico21.5%Alabama21.4%West Virginia21.4%Arkansas20.9%Kentucky20.4%District of Columbia20.1%Oklahoma19.7%South Carolina18.9%Texas18.7%Tennessee18.7%Georgia18.2%New York18.1%North Carolina18.0%Ohio17.5%Michigan17.0%Arizona16.9%Florida16.8%Nevada16.0%Missouri16.0%Pennsylvania15.8%Delaware15.7%Indiana15.4%Illinois15.1%California15.0%South Dakota13.8%Montana13.7%Kansas13.3%Oregon13.3%New Jersey13.3%Rhode Island13.1%Connecticut13.1%Maine13.0%Wisconsin12.7%Iowa12.7%Virginia12.6%Wyoming12.5%Idaho12.5%Hawaii12.5%Alaska11.9%Washington11.8%Massachusetts11.6%Nebraska11.5%Maryland10.9%Colorado10.8%Vermont10.6%North Dakota10.6%Minnesota8.9%Utah7.8%New Hampshire
Summary

Every area the Census published in this table: 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, 52 in all. Puerto Rico leads at 55.6 percent, then Mississippi at 26.4 percent. New Hampshire is the lowest at 7.8 percent. The middle published area sits at 15.3 percent. 9 published areas among the 50 states and the District of Columbia sit at or above 20 percent. These figures are derived from the under-18 age cells in ACS table B17001, adding males and females.

Table 1

All states

52 rows · 5 columns

52 rows
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Summary

Child poverty rate, margin of error, children below poverty and the under-18 poverty universe for every published area.

All states
????
Alabama21.5%0.4%239,0401,111,463
Alaska12.5%0.6%21,897175,338
Arizona17.0%0.3%266,8571,567,779
Arkansas21.4%0.5%148,147693,404
California15.1%0.1%1,301,4408,590,409
Colorado10.9%0.3%133,5791,225,528
Connecticut13.1%0.4%95,177724,622
Delaware15.8%0.9%32,620206,701
District of Columbia20.4%1.3%25,284123,781
Florida16.9%0.2%714,7684,236,584
Georgia18.7%0.3%467,8642,507,130
Hawaii12.5%0.6%36,815294,275
Idaho12.5%0.4%57,171456,757
Illinois15.4%0.2%425,0682,767,087
Indiana15.7%0.3%245,5851,563,365
Iowa12.7%0.3%92,217725,407
Kansas13.7%0.3%95,012693,627
Kentucky20.9%0.4%209,0281,002,012
Louisiana25.7%0.4%276,1491,073,939
Maine13.1%0.6%32,284246,040
Maryland11.5%0.3%156,0461,353,842
Massachusetts11.8%0.3%159,4921,347,350
Michigan17.5%0.2%370,7662,122,008
Minnesota10.6%0.2%137,2231,295,781
Mississippi26.4%0.5%179,522680,330
Missouri16.0%0.3%216,9431,356,461
Montana13.8%0.5%31,816229,927
Nebraska11.6%0.4%55,299476,755
Nevada16.8%0.5%114,206681,532
New Hampshire7.8%0.5%19,566252,075
New Jersey13.3%0.2%266,5992,008,338
New Mexico24.5%0.6%112,705459,098
New York18.2%0.2%731,6724,028,700
North Carolina18.1%0.3%413,8402,284,911
North Dakota10.6%0.6%19,303181,811
Ohio18.0%0.2%461,4102,566,266
Oklahoma20.1%0.3%190,499945,840
Oregon13.3%0.3%111,896839,115
Pennsylvania16.0%0.2%420,2912,630,867
Rhode Island13.3%0.8%27,224205,307
South Carolina19.7%0.4%218,8491,108,973
South Dakota15.0%0.6%32,269215,563
Tennessee18.7%0.3%286,0691,527,658
Texas18.9%0.2%1,398,5427,393,288
Utah8.9%0.3%82,898933,047
Vermont10.8%0.7%12,421115,296
Virginia12.7%0.2%236,4431,866,092
Washington11.9%0.2%195,2251,646,339
West Virginia21.4%0.6%75,132350,880
Wisconsin13.0%0.2%163,2681,253,921
Wyoming12.6%0.8%16,442130,017
Puerto Rico55.6%0.5%300,465540,441

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Figure 1

Child poverty rate, US states

Figure 1: Child poverty rate, US states
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Figure 2

Child poverty rate, all published states

Figure 2: Child poverty rate, all published states
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About this data

  • Child poverty is the share of people under 18 whose income in the past 12 months was below the poverty level, among people under 18 for whom poverty status is determined.
  • Rates are derived from ACS table B17001 by adding male and female age cells under 18 years (under 5, 5, 6 to 11, 12 to 14, 15, and 16 and 17) for people below poverty and for the under-18 poverty universe.
  • A state child poverty rate is that state's own share for people under 18. A midpoint of state rates is not a United States child poverty rate.
  • The Census published 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. None of the rates were suppressed.
  • Puerto Rico is listed in the ranking and table but is not on the choropleth. Alaska and Hawaii appear on the ranking and as insets on the map.
  • Poverty status is not determined for people in institutional group quarters such as prisons and nursing homes, or for people in college dormitories or military barracks.