Demographics of 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 The United States measures poverty by an outdated standard developed in the 1960s.
Children in Tennessee, by Income Level, 2008
In Tennessee, there are 826,616 families, with 1,453,131 children.
Poor Children: 21% (303,349) of children live in poor families (National: 19%), defined as income below 100% of the federal poverty level.
Parental Employment
Parents' Employment Status in Tennessee, by Income Level, 2008
Parental Education
Children in Poor Families in Tennessee, by Parents' Education, 2008
Parental Marital Status
Children in Single-Parent Families in Tennessee, by Income Level, 2008
Child’s Race/Ethnicity
Children in Poor Families in Tennessee, by Race, 2008
Child’s Age
Children in Poor Families in Tennessee, by Age, 2008
Type of Residential Area
Children in Poor Families in Tennessee, by Residence, 2008
Residential Move
Children Who Have Recently Moved in Tennessee, by Income Level, 2008
Home Ownership
Children in Owner-Occupied Housing in Tennessee, by Income Level, 2008
Parental Presence
Children Living in Families with No Parent Present, in Tennessee, 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
- 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 $22,050 in 2009, $21,200 in 2008, and $20,650 in 2007.
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.