Young Child Poverty in the States, Wide Variation and Significant Change

State young child poverty rates range from under 12 percent in New Hampshire and Utah to 40 percent or more in Louisiana and West Virginia. The District of Columbia and seven states have young child poverty rates that significantly exceed the 1992-1996 national rate of 24.7 percent.

This report examines the differences in poverty rates for children under age six among the states and the changes that have taken place between 1979-1983 and 1992-1996. The research provides baseline information on state young child poverty rates to help establish a context in which individual state child poverty trends can be better understood as the nation enters a new era of increased state responsibility for children’s well-being.