Vermont's poverty rate ranked 12th in the nation at 12.4 percent, or among a large group of second tier states, according to a US Census Bureau report issued today. New Hampshrie was best in the nation and led the usual group of mid-Atlantic and New England states with the lowest poverty rates. The Southeast and Southwest US again had the highest rates.
Between 2007 and 2010, the poverty rate for school-age children showed a statistically significant increase in about 20 percent of counties across the United States, according to US Census Bureau estimates for income and poverty in 2010 for every county and school district.
In Vermont, Grand Isle County had the loest rate (see graph); Essex and Orleans counties had the highest rates.
In all, 653 counties saw a significant increase in poverty for children ages 5 to 17 in families and eight counties saw a significant decrease over the period. A similar analysis of median household income showed 735 counties with a significant decrease over the 2007 to 2010 period and 78 counties with a significant increase.
The 2010 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) data are available for 3,142 counties and nearly 14,000 Title I-eligible school districts. The data represent the only current, single-year income and poverty estimates available for all sizes of counties and school districts. These estimates are released annually; however, 2007 was chosen for comparison because it was a pre-recessionary year.
The 2010 estimates also show that about one-third (1,011) of counties had school-age poverty rates significantly above the national poverty rate of 19.8 percent and 851 counties had rates significantly below. Among the 1,306 counties with total population less than 20,000, 73 counties were significantly above 30 percent poverty for school-age children in 2010. There were 48 counties above 30 percent in 2007.
SAIPE also provides county and state estimates for the total number of people in poverty, the number of children under 5 in poverty (for states only), the number of children 5 to 17 in families in poverty, the number of children under 18 in poverty and median household income. School district estimates from SAIPE, produced for the Department of Education to implement provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, are available for the total population, the number of children 5 to 17 and the number of children 5 to 17 in families in poverty.
This release includes publication of the 2010 SAIPE Highlights Document, which presents SAIPE statistical trends and explains the sources and approach. Also available is an interactive mapping tool (http://www.census.gov/did/www/saipe/data/maps/index.html), allowing access to the county and school district statistics by selecting the geographic area for display, as well as thematic maps for all concepts available from SAIPE 2010 and 2009. More information can be obtained from the SAIPE main page,
SAIPE combines the latest American Community Survey data with aggregate data from federal tax information, administrative records on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation, 2000 and 2010 Census statistics and annual population estimates.
These statistics, sponsored by the US Department of Education, are used as one of the criteria to allocate federal funds to local educational agencies. In addition, state and local programs use these statistics for distributing funds and managing school programs.
Table 1: 2010 Poverty and Median Income Estimates - Counties Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Estimates Branch Release date: 11.2011
Name
Poverty Estimate All Ages
Poverty Percent All Ages
Poverty Estimate Under Age 18
Poverty Percent Under Age 18
Median Household Income $
Vermont
74,720
12.4
20,036
15.9
49,393
Addison County
4,109
12.0
1,067
14.6
51,967
Bennington County
4,894
13.8
1,561
21.2
47,161
Caledonia County
4,833
16.1
1,431
21.8
40,219
Chittenden County
17,289
11.8
3,664
11.9
56,016
Essex County
1,082
17.2
317
26.5
34,947
Franklin County
5,614
11.9
1,793
15.5
51,296
Grand Isle County
565
8.1
205
14.8
54,907
Lamoille County
3,179
13.3
896
16.6
47,994
Orange County
3,543
12.5
1,019
17.3
48,008
Orleans County
4,476
17.0
1,376
24.4
36,515
Rutland County
7,789
13.2
1,931
16.7
43,600
Washington County
6,161
10.8
1,687
14.0
51,334
Windham County
5,533
12.8
1,548
18.1
43,045
Windsor County
5,654
10.2
1,539
14.0
48,804
New Hampshire
110,096
8.6
30,481
10.8
60,917
United States
46,215,956
15.3
15,749,129
21.6
50,046
State
Total
Poverty Rate %
New Hampshire
110,096
8.6
Maryland
559,937
9.9
Connecticut
348,881
10.1
New Jersey
883,643
10.2
Alaska
76,850
11
Virginia
865,746
11.1
Hawaii
146,923
11.1
Wyoming
62,636
11.4
Massachusetts
724,845
11.4
Minnesota
595,485
11.5
Delaware
104,456
11.9
Vermont
74,720
12.4
North Dakota
81,176
12.5
Iowa
368,965
12.5
Nebraska
224,530
12.6
Maine
169,076
13.1
Wisconsin
731,564
13.2
Colorado
651,744
13.2
Utah
362,689
13.3
Pennsylvania
1,645,097
13.4
Kansas
374,677
13.5
Washington
890,251
13.5
Illinois
1,732,129
13.8
Rhode Island
143,132
14.1
South Dakota
114,798
14.6
Nevada
393,605
14.8
New York
2,840,564
15
Montana
146,257
15.2
United States
46,215,956
15.3
Indiana
960,402
15.3
Missouri
888,471
15.3
Idaho
244,009
15.8
California
5,785,036
15.8
Ohio
1,771,404
15.8
Oregon
596,649
15.8
Florida
3,048,621
16.5
Michigan
1,614,110
16.7
Oklahoma
613,067
16.8
North Carolina
1,618,597
17.4
Arizona
1,105,075
17.6
Tennessee
1,102,643
17.8
Texas
4,411,273
17.9
Georgia
1,698,004
18
South Carolina
813,939
18.1
West Virginia
327,459
18.2
Arkansas
529,710
18.7
District of Columbia
107,279
18.8
Louisiana
831,512
18.8
Kentucky
796,208
18.9
Alabama
883,078
18.9
New Mexico
400,779
19.8
Mississippi
644,156
22.4
US Census Bureau. 11.29.2011