Demographics of Low-Income Children
Research suggests that, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to meet their most basic needs. Children living in families with incomes below this level—$44,100 for a family of four in 2009—are referred to as low income. The United States measures poverty by an outdated standard developed in the 1960s.
Children in District of Columbia, by Income Level, 2008
In District of Columbia, there are 63,415 families, with 111,109 children.
Low-Income Children: 51% (56,795) of children live in low-income families (National: 41%), defined as income below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Parental Employment
Parents' Employment Status in District of Columbia, by Income Level, 2008
Parental Education
Children in Low-Income Families in District of Columbia, by Parents' Education, 2008
Parental Marital Status
Children in Single-Parent Families in District of Columbia, by Income Level, 2008
Child’s Race/Ethnicity
Children in Low-Income Families in District of Columbia, by Race, 2008
Child’s Age
Children in Low-Income Families in District of Columbia, by Age, 2008
Residential Move
Children Who Have Recently Moved in District of Columbia, by Income Level, 2008
Parental Nativity
Children in Low-Income Families in District of Columbia, by Parents' Nativity, 2008
Home Ownership
Children in Owner-Occupied Housing in District of Columbia, by Income Level, 2008
Parental Presence
Children Living in Families with No Parent Present, in District of Columbia, by Income Level, 2008
Data Notes and Sources
Last Updated: September 24, 2009
* This estimate should be used with caution. It may be unreliable due to a small sample size.
Some graphs may not be shown because of extremely small sample sizes.
Because of rounding, not all figures will add up to 100%.
State data were calculated from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (the March supplement) of the Current Population Survey from 2007, 2008, and 2009, representing information from calendar years 2006, 2007, and 2008. NCCP averaged three years of data because of small sample sizes in less populated states. The national data were calculated from the 2009 data, representing information from the previous calendar year.
Definitions
- Child
- A child is defined as an individual under the age of 18. Children living independently, living with a spouse, living in group quarters, and children ages 14 and under living with only unrelated adults are excluded from these data.
- Low Income
- Families and children are defined as low-income if the family income is less than twice the federal poverty threshold (see Poor).
- Parent
- Among children who do not live with at least one parent, parental characteristics are those of the householder and/or the householder's spouse.
- Poor
- Families and children are defined as poor if family income is below the federal poverty threshold. The federal poverty level for a family of four with two children was $22,050 in 2009, $21,200 in 2008, and $20,650 in 2007.
The federal poverty guidelines are issued annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The demographic findings on this page were calculated using a more complex version of the federal poverty measure—the thresholds issued by the U.S. Census Bureau. For more information about federal poverty measures, see The 2009 HHS Poverty Guidelines.
For definitions of other terms, please refer to Explanations of Terms and Data Sources.