As of 2019, more than 12 million U.S. children — 16.8% of all Americans under the age of 18 — were living below the poverty line in this country. This is significantly higher than the overall poverty rate of 12.3%.
Child poverty varies widely from state to state. In some parts of the country, fewer than 10% of children live below the poverty line. In others, more than a quarter of children are impoverished. None of the six New England states have a child poverty rate exceeding the U.S. average for children of 16.8%. On the other hand, of the seven states with child poverty rates over 20%, six are in the South. These are 16 states where poverty is worse than you might think.
Click here to learn how many children live in poverty in your state.
Though the federal poverty level is the same for all states and the District of Columbia, the reality is that a dollar goes much farther in some parts of the country than others. In some states, the cost of living for most families of two is less than $45,000 per year, including housing and food costs. In other states, that cost can be well over $65,000. This is the income a family really needs to avoid poverty in every state.
To determine the number of children living in poverty in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Alabama
> Child poverty rate: 21.4% (6th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 228,412 (18th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 15.5% (7th highest)
> Median household income: $51,734 (5th lowest)
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Alaska
> Child poverty rate: 13.0% (14th lowest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 22,921 (5th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 10.1% (13th lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $75,463 (12th highest)
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Arizona
> Child poverty rate: 19.1% (13th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 308,459 (11th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.5% (13th highest)
> Median household income: $62,055 (23rd lowest)
Arkansas
> Child poverty rate: 22.1% (4th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 151,448 (24th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 16.2% (5th highest)
> Median household income: $48,952 (3rd lowest)
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California
> Child poverty rate: 15.6% (24th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 1,363,574 (2nd highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.8% (25th highest)
> Median household income: $80,440 (5th highest)
Colorado
> Child poverty rate: 10.9% (5th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 135,405 (22nd lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.3% (6th lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $77,127 (9th highest)
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Connecticut
> Child poverty rate: 14.1% (22nd lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 101,233 (18th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 10.0% (12th lowest)
> Median household income: $78,833 (6th highest)
Delaware
> Child poverty rate: 16.4% (22nd highest)
> Total children in poverty: 32,277 (8th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.3% (22nd lowest)
> Median household income: $70,176 (16th highest)
Florida
> Child poverty rate: 17.7% (17th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 737,415 (3rd highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 12.7% (19th highest)
> Median household income: $59,227 (17th lowest)
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Georgia
> Child poverty rate: 18.7% (14th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 461,456 (6th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.3% (14th highest)
> Median household income: $61,980 (22nd lowest)
Hawaii
> Child poverty rate: 12.4% (13th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 36,461 (11th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.3% (6th lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $83,102 (4th highest)
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Idaho
> Child poverty rate: 13.2% (17th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 58,188 (13th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.2% (20th lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $60,999 (20th lowest)
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Illinois
> Child poverty rate: 15.7% (23rd highest)
> Total children in poverty: 436,327 (8th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.5% (25th lowest)
> Median household income: $69,187 (17th highest)
Indiana
> Child poverty rate: 15.2% (25th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 230,725 (16th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.9% (23rd highest – tied)
> Median household income: $57,603 (14th lowest)
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Iowa
> Child poverty rate: 13.0% (14th lowest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 92,018 (16th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.2% (20th lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $61,691 (21st lowest)
Kansas
> Child poverty rate: 14.7% (23rd lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 101,094 (17th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.4% (23rd lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $62,087 (24th lowest)
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Kentucky
> Child poverty rate: 21.7% (5th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 212,130 (20th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 16.3% (4th highest)
> Median household income: $52,295 (7th lowest)
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Louisiana
> Child poverty rate: 27.0% (2nd highest)
> Total children in poverty: 288,732 (13th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 19.0% (2nd highest)
> Median household income: $51,073 (4th lowest)
Maine
> Child poverty rate: 13.8% (20th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 32,746 (9th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 10.9% (19th lowest)
> Median household income: $58,924 (16th lowest)
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Maryland
> Child poverty rate: 12.0% (10th lowest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 156,992 (25th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.0% (3rd lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $86,738 (the highest)
Massachusetts
> Child poverty rate: 11.6% (8th lowest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 154,457 (25th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.4% (8th lowest)
> Median household income: $85,843 (2nd highest)
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Michigan
> Child poverty rate: 17.6% (18th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 371,020 (10th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.0% (16th highest – tied)
> Median household income: $59,584 (19th lowest)
Minnesota
> Child poverty rate: 11.2% (7th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 143,006 (23rd lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.0% (3rd lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $74,593 (13th highest)
Mississippi
> Child poverty rate: 28.1% (the highest)
> Total children in poverty: 192,413 (22nd highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 19.6% (the highest)
> Median household income: $45,792 (the lowest)
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Missouri
> Child poverty rate: 17.1% (19th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 229,336 (17th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 12.9% (18th highest)
> Median household income: $57,409 (13th lowest)
Montana
> Child poverty rate: 14.9% (24th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 32,888 (10th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 12.6% (20th highest)
> Median household income: $57,153 (11th lowest)
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Nebraska
> Child poverty rate: 11.0% (6th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 51,085 (12th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.9% (10th lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $63,229 (25th highest)
Nevada
> Child poverty rate: 16.9% (20th highest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 114,886 (20th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 12.5% (21st highest)
> Median household income: $63,276 (24th highest)
New Hampshire
> Child poverty rate: 7.1% (the lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 17,609 (3rd lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 7.3% (the lowest)
> Median household income: $77,933 (8th highest)
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New Jersey
> Child poverty rate: 12.3% (12th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 235,470 (15th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.2% (5th lowest)
> Median household income: $85,751 (3rd highest)
New Mexico
> Child poverty rate: 24.9% (3rd highest)
> Total children in poverty: 115,997 (21st lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 18.2% (3rd highest)
> Median household income: $51,945 (6th lowest)
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New York
> Child poverty rate: 18.1% (16th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 711,686 (4th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.0% (16th highest – tied)
> Median household income: $72,108 (14th highest)
North Carolina
> Child poverty rate: 19.5% (11th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 440,230 (7th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.6% (11th highest – tied)
> Median household income: $57,341 (12th lowest)
North Dakota
> Child poverty rate: 10.2% (3rd lowest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 17,823 (4th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 10.6% (17th lowest)
> Median household income: $64,577 (20th highest)
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Ohio
> Child poverty rate: 18.4% (15th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 466,168 (5th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.1% (15th highest)
> Median household income: $58,642 (15th lowest)
Oklahoma
> Child poverty rate: 19.9% (8th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 186,392 (23rd highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 15.2% (8th highest)
> Median household income: $54,449 (8th lowest)
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Oregon
> Child poverty rate: 13.1% (16th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 110,323 (19th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.4% (23rd lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $67,058 (18th highest)
Pennsylvania
> Child poverty rate: 16.9% (20th highest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 434,904 (9th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 12.0% (22nd highest)
> Median household income: $63,463 (23rd highest)
Rhode Island
> Child poverty rate: 14.0% (21st lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 28,009 (6th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 10.8% (18th lowest)
> Median household income: $71,169 (15th highest)
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South Carolina
> Child poverty rate: 19.7% (9th highest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 214,772 (19th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.8% (10th highest)
> Median household income: $56,227 (10th lowest)
South Dakota
> Child poverty rate: 15.0% (25th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 31,425 (7th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 11.9% (23rd highest – tied)
> Median household income: $59,533 (18th lowest)
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Tennessee
> Child poverty rate: 19.7% (9th highest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 290,815 (12th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.9% (9th highest)
> Median household income: $56,071 (9th lowest)
Texas
> Child poverty rate: 19.2% (12th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 1,400,918 (the highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 13.6% (11th highest – tied)
> Median household income: $64,034 (22nd highest)
Utah
> Child poverty rate: 9.9% (2nd lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 91,433 (15th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 8.9% (2nd lowest)
> Median household income: $75,780 (11th highest)
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Vermont
> Child poverty rate: 10.2% (3rd lowest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 11,320 (the lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 10.2% (15th lowest)
> Median household income: $63,001 (25th lowest)
Virginia
> Child poverty rate: 13.4% (18th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 244,953 (14th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.9% (10th lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $76,456 (10th highest)
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Washington
> Child poverty rate: 12.0% (10th lowest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 196,520 (21st highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 9.8% (9th lowest)
> Median household income: $78,687 (7th highest)
West Virginia
> Child poverty rate: 20.1% (7th highest)
> Total children in poverty: 69,975 (14th lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 16.0% (6th highest)
> Median household income: $48,850 (2nd lowest)
Wisconsin
> Child poverty rate: 13.5% (19th lowest)
> Total children in poverty: 167,605 (24th highest)
> Overall poverty rate: 10.4% (16th lowest)
> Median household income: $64,168 (21st highest)
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Wyoming
> Child poverty rate: 11.6% (8th lowest – tied)
> Total children in poverty: 15,088 (2nd lowest)
> Overall poverty rate: 10.1% (13th lowest – tied)
> Median household income: $65,003 (19th highest)
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