Counties in Maine by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Washington County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 16 counties in 2017, at 26.8%. Cumberland County had the lowest, at 9.2%. The median was 16% and the figure for Maine was 14.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Median1616 counties
Maine14.2History

Map of counties, 2017

Androscoggin County: 15.8 %Aroostook County: 17.5 %Cumberland County: 9.2 %Franklin County: 19.5 %Hancock County: 15 %Kennebec County: 14.2 %Knox County: 14.7 %Lincoln County: 15.3 %Oxford County: 20.2 %Penobscot County: 16.2 %Piscataquis County: 23.4 %Sagadahoc County: 14 %Somerset County: 22 %Waldo County: 18.8 %Washington County: 26.8 %York County: 9.7 %
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 15
  • 15 to 18
  • 18 to 20
  • 20 and over
%, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2017

Washington County: 26.8 %Washington County26.8Piscataquis County: 23.4 %Piscataquis County23.4Somerset County: 22 %Somerset County22Oxford County: 20.2 %Oxford County20.2Franklin County: 19.5 %Franklin County19.5Waldo County: 18.8 %Waldo County18.8Aroostook County: 17.5 %Aroostook County17.5Penobscot County: 16.2 %Penobscot County16.2Androscoggin County: 15.8 %Androscoggin County15.8Lincoln County: 15.3 %Lincoln County15.3Hancock County: 15 %Hancock County15Knox County: 14.7 %Knox County14.7Kennebec County: 14.2 %Kennebec County14.2Sagadahoc County: 14 %Sagadahoc County14York County: 9.7 %York County9.7Cumberland County: 9.2 %Cumberland County9.2Washington County: 26.8 %Washington County26.8Piscataquis County: 23.4 %Piscataquis County23.4Somerset County: 22 %Somerset County22Oxford County: 20.2 %Oxford County20.2Franklin County: 19.5 %Franklin County19.5Waldo County: 18.8 %Waldo County18.8Aroostook County: 17.5 %Aroostook County17.5Penobscot County: 16.2 %Penobscot County16.2Androscoggin County: 15.8 %Androscoggin County15.8Lincoln County: 15.3 %Lincoln County15.3Hancock County: 15 %Hancock County15Knox County: 14.7 %Knox County14.7Kennebec County: 14.2 %Kennebec County14.2Sagadahoc County: 14 %Sagadahoc County14York County: 9.7 %York County9.7Cumberland County: 9.2 %Cumberland County9.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Washington County26.8-1 pts
2Piscataquis County23.4-4.4 pts
3Somerset County22-8.3 pts
4Oxford County20.20 pts
5Franklin County19.5-0.9 pts
6Waldo County18.8-1.4 pts
7Aroostook County17.5-4.6 pts
8Penobscot County16.2-2 pts
9Androscoggin County15.8-3.7 pts
10Lincoln County15.3-3.9 pts
11Hancock County15-0.3 pts
12Knox County14.7-2.1 pts
13Kennebec County14.2-4 pts
14Sagadahoc County14-1 pts
15York County9.7-1.6 pts
16Cumberland County9.2-2.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in Maine by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Maine by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in Maine by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Maine by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_maine_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Maine by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Maine by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Washington County, with 26.8% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Cumberland County, with 9.2% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Maine: more rankings