Census Survey Includes Statistics on Children Living in Poverty, Pre-K Counts Eligibility

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released results of the 2024 Community Survey (ACS), an annual source of up-to-date information on social, economic, and housing data and trends. 

This year’s survey found that the number of Pennsylvania children under the age of 18 living in families below the federal poverty level decreased by about 1%.

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The survey provides local statistics on a variety of demographic and economic topics, including health insurance coverage, household income, and educational attainment.

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children highlighted some of the most noteworthy statistics in a recent newsletter. These include:

• The number of Pennsylvania children under age 18 living in families below the federal poverty line - less than 100% FPL - decreased from 404,000 to 396,000, or from 16% to 15%.

• Racial gaps remain for children living in poverty: Approximately 31% of Black children live in poverty as well as 26% of Latino children, 10% of non-Hispanic white children, and 20% of children with two or more races.

• The rate of Pennsylvania children under age 6 who have all available parents in the labor force remained at 72%.

• Pennsylvania children under 6 who are eligible for Pre-K Counts (less than 300% FPL) decreased from 54% to 51%.

For more statistics, visit the Pennsylvania KIDS COUNT Data Center or the 2024 Community Survey.