Demographics of Young, Poor Children
For 2009, the federal poverty level is $22,050 for a family of four. Children living in families with incomes below the federal poverty level are referred to as poor. But research suggests that, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to meet their basic needs. The United States measures poverty by an outdated standard developed in the 1960s.
Young Children in Illinois, by Income Level, 2008
In Illinois, there are 628,121 families, with 1,122,809 young children.
Young Poor Children: 18% (205,884) of young children live in poor families (National: 22%), defined as income below 100% of the federal poverty level.
Parental Employment
Parents' Employment Status in Illinois, by Income Level, 2008
Parental Education
Young Children in Poor Families in Illinois, by Parents' Education, 2008
Parental Marital Status
Young Children in Single-Parent Families in Illinois, by Income Level, 2008
Child’s Race/Ethnicity
Young Children in Poor Families in Illinois, by Race, 2008
Child’s Age
Young Children in Poor Families in Illinois, by Age, 2008
Type of Residential Area
Young Children in Poor Families in Illinois, by Residence, 2008
Residential Move
Young Children Who Have Recently Moved in Illinois, by Income Level, 2008
Parental Nativity
Young Children in Poor Families in Illinois, by Parents' Nativity, 2008
Home Ownership
Young Children in Owner-Occupied Housing in Illinois, by Income Level, 2008
Parental Presence
Young Children Living in Families with No Parent Present, in Illinois, by Income Level, 2008
Data Notes and Sources
Last Updated: September 24, 2009
* This estimate should be used with caution. It may be unreliable due to a small sample size.
Some graphs may not be shown because of extremely small sample sizes.
Because of rounding, not all figures will add up to 100%.
State data were calculated from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (the March supplement) of the Current Population Survey from 2007, 2008, and 2009, representing information from calendar years 2006, 2007, and 2008. NCCP averaged three years of data because of small sample sizes in less populated states. The national data were calculated from the 2009 data, representing information from the previous calendar year.
Definitions
- Low Income
- Families and children are defined as low-income if the family income is less than twice the federal poverty threshold (see Poor).
- Parent
- Among children who do not live with at least one parent, parental characteristics are those of the householder and/or the householder's spouse.
- Poor
- Families and children are defined as poor if family income is below the federal poverty threshold. The federal poverty level for a family of four with two children was $22,050 in 2009, $21,200 in 2008, and $20,650 in 2007.
- Young Child
- A young child is defined as an individual under the age of 6. Children living in group quarters and children living with only unrelated adults are excluded from these data.
The federal poverty guidelines are issued annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The demographic findings on this page were calculated using a more complex version of the federal poverty measure—the thresholds issued by the U.S. Census Bureau. For more information about federal poverty measures, see The 2009 HHS Poverty Guidelines.
For definitions of other terms, please refer to Explanations of Terms and Data Sources.