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Maine Children's Alliance

Children in poverty by race and ethnicity, detailed in Maine

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Why This Indicator Matters

In the United States, there is significant income inequality based on race and ethnicity. Our history, systems, structures and policies constitute the root causes of this economic inequality. Poverty plays a key role in children's well-being and is related to every KIDS COUNT indicator. Children who live in poverty, especially those who live in poverty for long periods of time, are at an increased risk for poor health, cognitive, social, and educational outcomes. They are more likely to have physical, behavioral, and emotional health problems; to have difficulty in school; to become teen parents; and as adults, earn less.

What the data shows
Due to systemic racism, the rate of poverty for Maine families who identify in the survey as "American Indian alone" have high poverty rates. The American Indian child poverty rate in Maine for 2017-2021 was estimated to be 32.4%. African American or Black is also disproportionately high. For 2017-2021, it was estimated to be 31.5% of Black children. This rate for Black children is an improvement from the 53% rate for the 5-year period 2013-2017.  In 2017-2021, non-Hispanic white children make up approximately 78% of all children in poverty in Maine and have a poverty rate of 12.8%.

Comparing Maine to the nation, for 2017-2021 Black children were about as likely to be in poverty in Maine than in other states the United States. In 2021, an estimated 31% of Black or African American children were in poverty in the United States. Kids Count-U.S. Children in poverty by race
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Data Provided By

Definitions: The percent of Maine children under age 18 who live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. In 2021, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $26,500. This data is based on 5-year averages, so 2021 represents 2017-2021. 

The percent of Maine children under age 18 who live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. In 2021, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $26,500. This data is based on 5-year averages, so 2021 represents 2017-2021. Race is from the US Census American Community Survey categories. "Non-Hispanic White" appears instead of "White alone".  The race category of "Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander " and the category, "Some other race" are not included, as the numbers surveyed was too small to produce reliable estimates for these groups.   

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey five-year estimates, ACS 5-yr Table B17001B to I
Table B17001B to B17001I.

Footnotes: Uploaded December 2022.