High Housing Costs a Reality for Millions of Kids in Immigrant Families
Family nativity impacts how likely it is that children will grow up in households with high housing costs, according to research. Across the nation, this issue affects 41% of kids in immigrant families (7.6 million children) and just 29% of kids in U.S.-born families (16 million children).
The term “high housing costs” refers to households where more than 30% of a family’s monthly income is spent on rent or mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and related expenses.
This rate varies by state. In New York, 51% of kids in immigrant families are living in households grappling with high housing costs. At the other end of the spectrum sits Idaho, where just 23% of kids in immigrant families fall into the high-housing-cost category.
Paying too much for mortgage or rent limits a household’s capacity to afford other necessities, such as food, health care, transportation and child care. To build economic security for their families, parents and caregivers need both affordable housing options and jobs that pay a living wage.
Access more economic data by family nativity on the KIDS COUNT Data Center:
