Kids Count Data Center

Poverty

Children Ages 0 to 17 Living in Poverty (2007)

The 2007 federal poverty threshold for a family of four was $21,201. The federal poverty thresholds are updated each year by the U.S. Census Bureau and were established in 1964 using guidelines set by the Social Security Administration. GEOGRAPHY - County data reflect the child’s place of residence. DATE - Census data reflect April 1 of reference year.  SAIPE data are modeled using estimates of poverty from the March supplement to the Current Population Survey.

U.S. Census Bureau: 1980 Census; 1990 Census, Summary Tape File 4A, Table PB100; Census 2000, Summary File 3 (SF3), Table P87; and the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program.

This indicator represents the number of children ages 0 to 17 who are living in families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold. 

The percentage is the proportion these children represent of the total child population ages 0 to 17 for whom poverty status is determined in respective geographic areas.  Children for whom poverty status is determined include children living in households where they are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Thus, children living in foster care or in a group/institutional setting are excluded from this indicator.