More Than Half of Kids in Immigrant Families Lived in Low-Income Households in 2016

Posted March 8, 2018

By the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Hispanic mother and daughter. More than half of kids in immigrant families grow up in low-income households.

Compared to kids in U.S.-born families, kids in immigrant families are more likely to grow up in low-income households. They are also more likely to have parents who work full-time year-round.

In 2016, 51% of kids in immigrant families and 38% of kids in U.S.-born families lived in low-income households. The median family income between the two groups also varied, with kids in immigrant families growing up in households earning $13,700 less.

Two obstacles — limitations in education and language — could be blocking parents in immigrant families from accessing better paying jobs. Among children in these families:

55% lived with a parent who had difficulty speaking English; and
23% lived in a household where both parents had less than a high school degree.

Nearly all (96%) of kids in immigrant families live with parents who have contributed to the nation’s economy for more than five years. Supporting these families — and ensuring that they have access to quality education, training and language learning opportunities — can help immigrant parents boost both their household earnings and their contributions to the nation’s economy.