Posted on: October 23, 2017
According to a recent article (external link) in the Atlantic, childhood poverty in the United States is at a record low, down to 15.7% as of 2016. This is well below the post-recession high of 18.1% in 2012 as well as the overall measured high of 28.4% in 1967. The 15.7% of children in poverty is, however, higher than most other high-income countries. The 10-county Atlanta metro-wide childhood poverty rate, at 19.9%, is slightly higher than the national average, with county averages ranging from 31.5% in Clayton County to 5.7% in Fayette County. Other areas of high and low concentrations of childhood poverty can be seen on the map below, with the deepest blue areas having childhood poverty rates exceeding 80%. In short, while the proportion of children under 18 living in households below the poverty level has declined nationally, this should not obscure the reality that childhood poverty persists as a problem in many local communities.
Data Source: US Census, American Community Survey, 2011-15, 5-year estimate, and 2016, 1-year estimate
