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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 22, 2011 

Contacts:
Sue Lin Chong / 410-223-2836 / media@aecf.org

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Forty-One of the 50 Largest U.S. Cities Had Increases in Rates of Children Living in Low-Income Families Between 2007 and 2010

New Data from the American Community Survey Now Available on the KIDS COUNT Data Center

Baltimore, Md. – The 2010 American Community Survey (ACS) data released today shows an increase in the number and rate of low-income children in the United States. Within the 50 largest U.S. cities (based on information from the 2010 Decennial Census), Detroit, Mich., Cleveland, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wis., Memphis, Tenn., and Dallas, Texas had the highest rates of children living below 200 percent of poverty. Seattle, Wash., Virginia Beach, Va., San Francisco, Calif., San Jose Calif., and Colorado Springs, Colo. had the lowest rates of children living below 200 percent of poverty.

“The national percentage of low-income children rose from 39 percent (28.6 million) in 2007 to 44 percent (32.2 million) in 2010,” said Laura Speer, associate director for Policy Reform and Data at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “This increase means that 3.6 million more children were living below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, which is about $44,000 for a family of four, a minimum needed for most families to make ends meet.”

Mesa Ariz., Charlotte, N.C., San Diego, Calif., Las Vegas, Nev., and Wichita, Kan. had the biggest increase in rates of children living in low-income families between 2007 and 2010.

Among the 50 largest U.S. cities, those with the highest rates of children living in low-income families in 2010 are:

Note: San Juan P.R. rate is 79% but is not ranked against other U.S. cities.

Among the 50 largest U.S. cities, those with the lowest rates of children living in low-income families in 2010 are:

Among the 50 largest U.S. cities, those with the biggest increase in rates of children living in low-income families between 2007 and 2010 are:

“These numbers underscore that millions of children are living in families who are barely getting by economically, which can affect their current well-being and their ability to succeed as adults,” concluded Speer. “The future prosperity of the U.S., now more than ever, depends on our ability to foster the health and well being of the next generation.”

The Casey Foundation’s 2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book message asserts that providing the opportunity for all children to succeed requires two-generation strategies that simultaneously help parents put their families on a path to economic success and enhance children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development from birth. The Data Book is available at http://datacenter.kidscount.org/databook/2011

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Center has been updated with economic data from the 2010 ACS including the numbers and rates of children living in families with incomes below both the federal poverty line and 200% of the federal poverty line. This most recent data covers children in the U.S. states, cities, and congressional districts, and includes demographic factors, such as race.

The KIDS COUNT Data Center contains maps and graphs of the latest data on poverty, health insurance coverage, and hundreds of other indicators of child well-being. This year, the Data Center is enhanced by a user-friendly new mobile site, accessible at http://mobile.kidscount.org The Data Center allows users to import widgets, maps, and graphs directly to their own websites as well as download static maps, graphs, and ranking tables for use in presentations and publications.

Indicators based on the latest ACS and Current Poverty Estimates will be updated as data become available. Updates are compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Population Reference Bureau.

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The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization, whose primary mission is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. For more information, visit www.aecf.org

The Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations. For more information, visit www.prg.org.