Children under 18 years represent 23 percent of the population, but they comprise 34 percent of all people in poverty. Among all children, 45 percent live in low-income families and approximately one in every five (22 percent) live in poor families. Among our oldest children, adolescents age 12 through 17 years, 41 percent live in low-income families and 19 percent live in poor families. Being a child in a low-income or poor family does not happen by chance. Parental education and employment, race/ethnicity, and other factors are associated with children’s experience of economic insecurity. This fact sheet describes the demographic, socio-economic, and geographic characteristics of adolescents and their parents. It highlights the important factors that appear to distinguish low-income and poor children in this age group from their less disadvantaged counterparts

Ekono, Mercedes M.

Jiang, Yang

Skinner, Curtis

English

Columbia University Academic Commons

Basic Facts about Low-Income ChildrenChildren 12 through 17 Years, 2012Yang Jiang | Mercedes Ekono | Curtis Skinner February 2014Children under 18 years represent 23 percent of the population, but they comprise 34 percent of all people in poverty.1 Among all children, 45 percent live in low-income families and approximately one in every five (22 percent) live in poor families. Among our oldest children, adoles-cents age 12 through 17 years, 41 percent live in low-income families and 19 percent live in poor families. Being a child in a low-income or poor family does not happen by chance. Parental education and employ-ment, race/ethnicity, and other factors are associated with children’s experience of economic insecurity. This fact sheet describes the demo-graphic, socio-economic, and geographic characteristics of adolescents and their parents. It highlights the important factors that appear to distinguish low-income and poor children in this age group from their less disadvantaged counterparts.215 W. 125th Street, 3rd FloorNew York, NY  10027-4426Ph. 646-284-9600www.nccp.orgHow many adolescent children age 12 through 17 years in the United States live in low-income families?There are more than 24 million adolescents age 12 through 17 years in the United Statesu	41 percent – 10.0 million – live in low-income familiesu	19 percent – 4.7 million – live in poor familiesFA C T  S H E E TNote: Above low income is defined as at or above 200% of the federal poverty threshold (FPT), poor is defined as below 100% of FPT, and near poor is between 100% and 199% of the FPT. The low-income category includes both the poor and the near poor. Figure 1: Adolescents by family income, 2012Low-income41%Abovelow-income59%Near poor21%Poor19%Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.2The percentage of adolescent children living in low-income families (both poor and near poor) has been on the rise – increasing from 36 percent in 2006 to nearly 41 percent in 2012 (Figure 2). During this time period, the overall number of adolescent children age 12 through 17 years remained relatively constant, while the numbers who were low-income and poor increased by 12 percent and 21 percent, respectively (Table 1). Has the percentage of adolescents living in low-income and poor families changed over time?Table 1: Percentage change of adolescents living in low-income and poor families, 2006–2012 2006 2012 Percent changeLow-income 8,869,538 9,972,886 12%Poor 3,915,175 4,741,894 21%0510152025303540452012201120102009200820072006Percent (%)Figure 2: Adolescents living in low-income and poor families, 2006–201219%41%16%36%Near Poor 100–199% FPTPoor Less than 100% FPTWhat is the 2012 federal poverty threshold (FPT)?2 u $23,364 for a family of four with two childrenu $18,480 for a family of three with one childu $15,825 for a family of two with one child Is a poverty-level income enough to support a family?Research suggests that, on average, families need an income equal to about two times the federal poverty level to meet their most basic needs.3 Families with incomes below this level are referred to as low income:u $46,728 for a family of four with two childrenu $36,960 for a family of three with one childu $31,650 for a family of two with one childThese dollar amounts approximate the average minimum income families need to make ends meet, but actual expenses vary greatly by locality. In 2010–2011, the cost of meeting basic needs for a family of four was about $64,000 per year in Los Angeles, California; $57,000 in Newark, New Jersey; $46,000 in Indianapolis, Indiana; and $42,000 in Jackson, Mississippi.4   3How do adolescents compare to the rest of the population?The percentage of adolescents in low-income families surpasses that of adults. In addition, chil-dren age 12 through 17 years are more than twice as likely as adults 65 years and older to live in poor families (Figure 3). Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by children’s age?The overall percentages of chil-dren under 18 years who live in low-income and poor families vary by age group. Adolescents are less likely to live in low-income families than younger children (Figure 4). u	41 percent of children age 12 through 17 years – 10.0 million – live in low-income familiesu	19 percent of children age 12 through 17 years – 4.7 million – live in poor familiesu	47 percent of children under age 12 years – 22.3 million – live in low-income familiesu	24 percent of children under age 12 years – 11.4 million – live in poor familiesFigure 3: Family income by age, 2012Above low-incomeNear poorPoor0 20 40 60 80 10065+years18 to 64yearsLess than18 years12 to 17years59%19% 21%55%22% 22%66%14% 20%66%9% 24%Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.Low-income  45%Low-income  34%Low-income  34%Low-income  41%Percent (%)Figure 4: Percentage of children in low-income and poor families by age, 2012PoorLow-income0102030405012–17 yearsUnder 12 years41%10.0 million47%22.3 million19%4.7 million24%11.4 million4Does the percentage of adolescents in low-income families vary by race/ethnicity?As Figure 5 illustrates, the percentages of low-income and poor adolescents vary by race and ethnicity: whites comprise the largest share of all low-income children (39 percent) while  whites and Hispanics make up  the largest shares of poor children (34 percent each).5But black, American Indian, and Hispanic children are dispropor-tionately low-income and poor (Figure 6). u	28 percent of white adolescents – 3.8 million – live in low-income familiesu	60 percent of black adolescents– 2.1 million – live in low-income familiesu	60 percent of Hispanic ado-lescents – 3.2 million – live in low-income familiesu	34 percent of Asian adolescents – 0.4 million – live in low-income familiesu	58 percent of American Indian adolescents – 0.1 million – live in low-income familiesu	40 percent of adolescents of some other race – 0.4 million – live in low-income families	Does the percentage of adolescents in low-income families vary by parents’ country of birth?6u	54 percent of adolescents of immigrant parents – 3.1 million– live in low-income familiesu	37 percent of adolescents of native-born parents – 6.9 million – live in low-income familiesPercent (%)Figure 5: Race/ethnicity among adolescents by family income, 2012020406080100WhiteBlackHispanicAsianAmerican IndianOtherPoorLow-incomeTotal1%1%1%34%39%55%34%32%22%24%21%14%4%4%4%4%4%4%Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.Percent (%)Figure 6: Percentage of adolescents in low-income and poor families  by race/ethnicity, 2012PoorLow-income010203040506070OtherAmericanIndianAsianHispanicBlackWhite40%60% 58%30%60%28%19%31%34%15%34%12%   5Parents’ Education7Higher levels of parental educa-tion decrease the likelihood that a child will live in a low-income or poor family. Among children with at least one parent with some college or additional education, 28 percent live in low-income and 12 percent in poor families. By contrast, among children whose parents have less than a high school degree, 83 percent live in low-income and 51 percent in poor families (Figure 8).u	83 percent of adolescents with parents who have less than a high school degree – 2.3 million – live in low-income familiesu	60 percent of adolescents with parents who have a high school degree but no college – 3.0 million – live in low-income familiesu	28 percent of adolescents with at least one parent who has some college or additional education – 4.7 million – live  in low-income familiesAt the same time, significant shares of low-income and poor families with adolescent children are headed by parents with at least some college education, as shown in Figure 7.Parents’ Employment 8Adolescents with a full-time, year-round employed parent are less likely to live in a low-income family, compared to adolescents with parents who work part-time/part-year or who are not employed (Figure 8).What are the family characteristics of low-income and poor adolescents?020406080100PoorLow-incomePercent (%)Figure 7: Parents’ education among adolescents by family income, 201229%23%30%30%41%48%Some collegeor moreHigh school degreeLess than high school degreePercentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.Percent (%)Figure 8: Percentage of adolescents in low-income and poor families by parents’  employment and education, 2012PoorLow-income020406080100Somecollegeor moreHighschooldegreeLess thanhigh schooldegreeNotemployedPart-timeorpart-yearFull-time,year-round28%8%72%43%88%69%83%51%60%29% 28%12%u	28 percent of adolescents with at least one parent who works full-time, year-round – 5.0 million – live in low-income familiesu	8 percent of adolescents with at least one parent who works full-time, year-round – 1.4 million – live in poor familiesu	72 percent of adolescents with no parent who works full-time, but at least one parent who works part-time or part-year – 2.9 mil-lion –live in low-income familiesu	43 percent of adolescents with no parent who works full-time, but at least one parent who works part-time or part-year – 1.7 million –live in poor familiesu	88 percent of adolescents with no employed parents – 2.1 million – live in low-income familiesu	69 percent of adolescents with no employed parents – 1.6 million – live in poor families6Nevertheless, many low-income and poor adolescents have parents who work full time. About half of low-income and 29 percent of poor children in this age group live with at least one parent who worked full-time, year-round.Family StructureForty-seven percent of adoles-cents in low-income families –  4.7 million – and 37 percent of adolescents in poor families –  1.7 million – live with married parents. Children who live with two married parents are much less likely to be poor or low-in-come compared to children who live with a single parent. u	29 percent of adolescents residing with married parents – 4.7 million – live in low-income familiesu	11 percent of adolescents residing with married parents – 1.7 million – live in poor familiesu	64 percent of adolescents residing with a single parent – 4.4 million – live in low-income familiesu	36 percent of adolescents residing with a single parent – 2.5 million – live in poor familiesDoes the percentage of adolescents in low-income families vary by where they live?RegionThe percentage of adolescents in low-income families varies substantially by region.u	35 percent of adolescents in  the Northeast – 1.5 million – live in low-income familiesu	38 percent of adolescents in  the Midwest – 2.0 million –  live in low-income familiesu	44 percent of adolescents in  the South – 4.0 million – live  in low-income familiesu	43 percent of adolescents in  the West – 2.5 million – live  in low-income familiesResidential Instability and Home OwnershipResearch suggests that stable housing is important for healthy child development.9 However, adolescents living in low-income families were about two times as likely as other children to have moved in the past year and more DCFigure 9: Percentage of adolescents in low-income families by region, 2012South44% Northeast35%West43%Midwest38%than three times as likely to live in families that rent, rather than own, a home (Figure 10).u	16 percent of adolescents in low-income families – 1.6 million – moved in the last yearu	8 percent of adolescents in families with above the low-income threshold – 1.1 million – moved in the last yearu	56 percent of adolescents in low-income families – 5.6    70102030405060Above low-incomeLow-incomePercent (%)Figure 10: Residential instability and home ownership among adolescents by family income, 2012Rent housingMoved within one year56%16%18%8%million – live with a family  that rents a homeu	18 percent of adolescents in families with above the low-income threshold – 2.6 million – live with a family that rents  a homeAre adolescents in low-income families covered by health insurance?Consistent with research sug-gesting older children in general are particularly at risk of being uninsured, low-income and poor adolescents are more likely to be without health insurance coverage than their younger counterparts.10 Approximately 13 percent living in low-income families and 13 percent living in poor families re-port no insurance coverage of any kind (Figure 11).11 Public insur-ance reaches more than one-half (61 percent) of low-income and nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of poor adolescents, while private health insurance covers close to one-third (31 percent) of low-income and 18 percent of poor adolescents (Figure 12).u	13 percent of adolescents living in low-income families – 1.3 million – are uninsuredu	31 percent of adolescents living in low-income families – 3.1 million – are covered by private insuranceu	61 percent of adolescents living in low-income families – 6.1 million – are covered by public insurancePercent (%)Figure 11: Percentage of children uninsured in low-income and poor families  by age, 2012PoorLow-income0246810121412–17 yearsUnder 12 years8%13%7%13%Figure 12: Type of health insurance coverage among adolescents  by family income, 2012Percent (%) PublicPrivate01020304050607080PoorLow-income31%61%74%18%8To find comparable information for all children, see Basic Facts about Low-Income Children: Children under 18 Years, 2012; for infants and toddlers, see Basic Facts about Low-Income Children: Children under 3 Years, 2012; for young children, see Basic Facts about Low-Income Children: Children under 6 Years, 2012; for middle children, see Basic Facts about Low-Income Children: Children 6 through 11 Years, 2012.EndnotesThis fact sheet is part of the National Center for Children in Poverty’s demographic fact sheet series and is updated annually. Unless otherwise noted, analysis of the 2012 American Community Survey (ACS) was conducted by Yang Jiang and Mercedes Ekono of NCCP. Estimates include children living in households with at least one parent and most children living apart from both parents (for example, children being raised by grandparents). Children living independently, living with a spouse, or in group quarters are excluded from these data. Children age 14 years and under living with only unrelated adults were not included because data on their income status were not available. Among children who do not live with at least one parent, parental characteristics are those of the householder and/or the householder’s spouse. We would like to thank Renée Wilson-Simmons, NCCP director, for her advice on this fact sheet. Special thanks to Telly Valdellon for layout and production.1. In this fact sheet, poverty is defined as family income less than 100 percent of the federal poverty threshold, as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau; low income is defined as family income less than 200 percent of the poverty threshold.2. The U.S. Census Bureau issues the poverty thresholds annually. Thresholds vary by family size and composition. See http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/12poverty.shtml for the complete 2012 poverty thresholds.3. Cauthen, Nancy K. & Fass, Sarah. (2008). Measuring Income and Poverty in the United States. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health.4. These figures were derived from NCCP’s Basic Needs Budget Calculator.5. In the most recent ACS, parents could report children’s race as one or more of the following: “White,” “Black,” “American Indian or Alaska Native,” or “Asian and/or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.” In a separate question, parents could report whether their children were of Hispanic origin. For the data reported, children whose parent reported their race as White, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Asian and/or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and their ethnicity as non-Hispanic were assigned a non-Hispanic category of their race. Children who were reported to be of more than one race were assigned as Other. Children whose parent identified them as Hispanic were categorized as Hispanic, regardless of their reported race.6. The variable “native-born parents” is defined to mean that both parents in the family were born in the U.S. or its territories, or born abroad to American parent(s). The variable “immigrant parents” is defined to mean that at least one parent in the family is either a U.S. citizen by naturalization or is not a citizen of the U.S.7. Parents’ education is defined as the education level of the most highly educated parent living in the household. Parents can either have no high school degree, a high school degree but no college, or some college or more.8. Parents’ employment is defined as the employment level of the parent in the household who maintained the highest level of employment in the previous year. Parents can either have no employment in the previous year, part-year or part-time employment, or full-time, year-round employment. Part-year or part-time employment is defined as either working less than 50 weeks in the previous year or less than 35 hours per week. Full-time, year-round employment is defined as working at least 50 weeks in the previous year and 35 hours or more per week.9. Aratani, Yumiko. (2009). Homeless Children and Youth. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health.10. People can report more than one type of insurance coverage. Children not covered by private or public health insurance at the time of the survey are considered uninsured.11. Schwarz, Susan Wile. (2009). Adoles-cent Mental Health in the United States. New York, NY: National Center for Chil-dren in Poverty, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health.

Basic Facts about Low-income Children, Children 12 through 17 Years, 2012

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Basic Facts about Low-income Children, Children 12 through 17 Years, 2012

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