Indicator: 64 - Youth in Poverty

Why This Is Important

Growing up at or near the poverty line means not only that a child has a much lower level of consumption than other children, but also that he or she is more likely than a non-poor child to experience difficulties in school, to become a teen parent and, as an adult, to earn less and experience greater unemployment.

Where We Stand

In 1999, the estimated percentage of children and youth living in poverty was 14.8% for Maine and 17.1% for the U.S. Both the state and the nation showed a gradual decline in the number and percentage of all people in poverty since the early 1990’s, though Maine’s percentage of youth in poverty did rise in 1999. The trend displayed by the 1995-1999 poverty estimates was confirmed by the 2000 Census, which showed 13.7% of Maine children living in poverty (compared to 16.6% for the U.S.).

Data Sources and Context

This data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Program, which can be found on-line at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe.html.  This program provides more current estimates of selected poverty and income statistics than the decennial national Census offers.