Census Bureau Releases Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates for States, Counties and School Districts

DEC. 17, 2024 - The median estimated poverty rate of children ages 5 to 17 in U.S. school districts in 2023 was 13.4%, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The new data come from the 2023 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), which provide the only single-year income and poverty statistics for the nation's 3,143 counties and 13,137 school districts.

SAIPE statistics are used to allocate funding under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. School districts receive Title I funds based on their number and percentage of children from low-income families. The U.S. Department of Education plans to use the 2023 estimates to calculate and provide fiscal year 2026 funding to states and school districts in the 2025-2026 school year for Title I and several other federal education programs.

Additional tables provide statistics on median household income, the number of people of all ages in poverty, the number of children younger than age 5 in poverty at the state level, the number of children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty, and the number of children younger than age 18 in poverty. At the school district level, estimates are available for the total population, the number of children ages 5 to 17, and the number of children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty.