Demographics of Poor Children
For 2010, 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 The United States measures poverty by an outdated standard developed in the 1960s.
Children in South Carolina, by Income Level, 2010
In South Carolina, there are 564,254 families, with 1,042,679 children.
Poor Children: 24% (248,626) of children live in poor families (National: 21%), defined as income below 100% of the federal poverty level.
Parental Employment
Parents' Employment Status in South Carolina, by Income Level, 2010
Parental Education
Children in Poor Families in South Carolina, by Parents' Education, 2010
Parental Marital Status
Children in Single-Parent Families in South Carolina, by Income Level, 2010
Child’s Race/Ethnicity
Children in Poor Families in South Carolina, by Race, 2010
Child’s Age
Children in Poor Families in South Carolina, by Age, 2010
Type of Residential Area
Children in Poor Families in South Carolina, by Residence, 2010
Residential Move
Children Who Have Recently Moved in South Carolina, by Income Level, 2010
Parental Nativity
Children in Poor Families in South Carolina, by Parents' Nativity, 2010
Home Ownership
Children in Owner-Occupied Housing in South Carolina, by Income Level, 2010
Parental Presence
Children Living in Families with No Parent Present, in South Carolina, by Income Level, 2010
Data Notes and Sources
Last Updated: June 4, 2012
Some graphs may not be shown because of extremely small sample sizes.
Because of rounding, not all figures will add up to 100%.
National data were calculated from the 2010 American Community Survey, representing information from 2010. State data were calculated from the 2008-2010 American Community Survey, representing information from the years 2008 to 2010.
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 $22,350 in 2011, $22,050 in 2010, and $22,050 in 2009.
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 2010 HHS Poverty Guidelines.
For definitions of other terms, please refer to Explanations of Terms and Data Sources.