Child Poverty Rates

Growing up in poverty has long-term impacts on children's health, learning, and development. We need a strong safety net that expands access to affordable health care, early childhood education, stable housing, good jobs, and economic growth.

Although the number of children living in families considered officially poor (earning less than 50% of the federal poverty threshold) reached new lows (2021), they still represent one in six American kids. These numbers reflect the persistent roadblocks that continue to block economic mobility for many American children. Child poverty rates vary significantly in the United States by race, ethnicity, and family structure. For example, Black and Hispanic children are more likely to live in impoverished households than white and Asian children. Poverty rates also differ by state, with the lowest levels in New Hampshire and the highest in Mississippi.

While the official poverty rate declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, the supplemental measure of poverty (before considering government benefits) increased slightly. This reflects the fact that most of the economic growth in recent decades has benefited families on the top rungs of the income ladder. Poverty remains an enormous challenge for millions of children in the United States, but progress towards eliminating child poverty is vital for advancing children’s long-term prospects. Research shows that children growing up in poverty are more likely to fall behind academically, perform worse on standardized tests, and have health problems as adults. Additional gains in poverty reduction can help break these inequality cycles and improve all Americans’ lives.

Child Poverty Rates by State

Child Poverty Rates by State 2024

While child poverty rates have dropped overall since the recession, large racial/ethnic disparities remain and have actually widened. Fortunately, we know what works to reduce these gaps. In particular, investing in education has proven to be a powerful tool for children from low-income families to break the cycle of poverty and increase opportunities for upward mobility.

In addition to improving children’s educational outcomes, the right mix of policies can help increase jobs, lower income inequality, and reduce child poverty. The first report in our new series, titled “Children, Families and Poverty”, looks at how these policies work together to make a difference for children.

This brief highlights the importance of the expansion of refundable tax credits to reduce poverty among working families. It also shows how a monthly benefit delivery approach can effectively smooth within-year volatility in household incomes and reduce child poverty year-round.

Mississippi27.57%191,339693,906
Louisiana26.34%284,7601,081,097
New Mexico25.56%121,373474,884
West Virginia23.13%82,218355,520
District of Columbia22.83%28,347124,153
Alabama22.74%244,7261,076,150
Kentucky22.16%218,023983,940
Arkansas22%151,653689,387
South Carolina21.2%231,0611,089,946
Tennessee20.83%308,2261,479,850
Oklahoma20.73%194,537938,307
Georgia20.09%495,4772,466,599
Texas20.05%1,462,2777,293,273
North Carolina20.01%452,4232,261,173
Arizona20%321,9191,609,860
Ohio19.13%486,8352,545,054
Michigan18.77%398,1192,121,489
New York18.68%746,2033,994,613
Florida18.67%773,8014,145,349
Nevada17.62%119,005675,571
Indiana17.56%269,5591,535,005
Missouri17.35%233,9271,347,911
Delaware17.21%34,390199,880
California16.8%1,480,6498,815,673
Pennsylvania16.7%434,4132,600,657
Illinois16.16%454,6542,813,715
South Dakota16.06%33,852210,809
Rhode Island15.65%31,629202,159
Montana15.16%33,815223,110
Oregon15.02%127,349847,858
Idaho14.37%63,003438,474
Wisconsin14.16%177,1401,250,830
Maine13.99%34,067243,504
Kansas13.94%96,696693,728
Alaska13.84%24,864179,636
New Jersey13.34%257,5521,930,346
Iowa13.31%95,105714,639
Virginia13.14%241,6371,838,531
Connecticut13.03%94,665726,564
Washington12.56%204,0591,625,130
Vermont12.32%13,975113,470
Wyoming12.27%16,175131,843
Massachusetts12.24%164,0811,340,628
Nebraska12.21%56,828465,570
Hawaii11.7%34,575295,576
Maryland11.62%153,3561,319,572
Minnesota11.6%147,9581,275,790
Colorado11.55%143,3901,241,717
North Dakota11.12%19,459175,040
Utah9.94%91,046915,887
New Hampshire8.92%22,509252,401
United States12,598,69972,065,