Demographics of Low-Income Children
Research suggests that, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to meet their most basic needs. Children living in families with incomes below this level—$42,400 for a family of four in 2008—are referred to as low income. The United States measures poverty by an outdated standard developed in the 1960s.
Children in New York, by Income Level, 2007
In New York, there are 2,610,749 families, with 4,445,241 children.
Low-Income Children: 41% (1,808,782) of children live in low-income families (National: 39%), defined as income below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Parental Employment
Parents' Employment Status in New York, by Income Level, 2007
Parental Education
Children in Low-Income Families in New York, by Parents' Education, 2007
Parental Marital Status
Children in Single-Parent Families in New York, by Income Level, 2007
Child’s Race/Ethnicity
Children in Low-Income Families in New York, by Race, 2007
Child’s Age
Children in Low-Income Families in New York, by Age, 2007
Type of Residential Area
Children in Low-Income Families in New York, by Residence, 2007
Residential Move
Children Who Have Recently Moved in New York, by Income Level, 2007
Parental Nativity
Children in Low-Income Families in New York, by Parents' Nativity, 2007
Home Ownership
Children in Owner-Occupied Housing in New York, by Income Level, 2007
Parental Presence
Children Living in Families with No Parent Present, in New York, by Income Level, 2007
Data Notes and Sources
Last Updated: September 3, 2008
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 2006, 2007, and 2008, representing information from calendar years 2005, 2006, and 2007. NCCP averaged three years of data because of small sample sizes in less populated states. The national data were calculated from the 2008 data, representing information from the previous calendar year.
Definitions
- Child
- A child is defined as an individual under the age of 18. Children living independently, living with a spouse, living in group quarters, and children ages 14 and under living with only unrelated adults are excluded from these data.
- 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 $21,200 in 2008, $20,650 in 2007, and $20,000 in 2006.
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 2008 HHS Poverty Guidelines.
For definitions of other terms, please refer to Explanations of Terms and Data Sources.