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 2018, at 26.8%. Cumberland County had the lowest, at 8%. The median was 17.2% and the figure for Maine was 14.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Median17.216 counties
Maine14.8History

Map of counties, 2018

Androscoggin County: 17.3 %Aroostook County: 19.1 %Cumberland County: 8 %Franklin County: 20.4 %Hancock County: 15.9 %Kennebec County: 15 %Knox County: 16.1 %Lincoln County: 16.8 %Oxford County: 26.3 %Penobscot County: 17.1 %Piscataquis County: 23.8 %Sagadahoc County: 13 %Somerset County: 21.1 %Waldo County: 20.2 %Washington County: 26.8 %York County: 10.5 %
  • Under 15
  • 15 to 17
  • 17 to 19
  • 19 to 21
  • 21 and over
%, 2018. 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, 2018

Washington County: 26.8 %Washington County26.8Oxford County: 26.3 %Oxford County26.3Piscataquis County: 23.8 %Piscataquis County23.8Somerset County: 21.1 %Somerset County21.1Franklin County: 20.4 %Franklin County20.4Waldo County: 20.2 %Waldo County20.2Aroostook County: 19.1 %Aroostook County19.1Androscoggin County: 17.3 %Androscoggin County17.3Penobscot County: 17.1 %Penobscot County17.1Lincoln County: 16.8 %Lincoln County16.8Knox County: 16.1 %Knox County16.1Hancock County: 15.9 %Hancock County15.9Kennebec County: 15 %Kennebec County15Sagadahoc County: 13 %Sagadahoc County13York County: 10.5 %York County10.5Cumberland County: 8 %Cumberland County8Washington County: 26.8 %Washington County26.8Oxford County: 26.3 %Oxford County26.3Piscataquis County: 23.8 %Piscataquis County23.8Somerset County: 21.1 %Somerset County21.1Franklin County: 20.4 %Franklin County20.4Waldo County: 20.2 %Waldo County20.2Aroostook County: 19.1 %Aroostook County19.1Androscoggin County: 17.3 %Androscoggin County17.3Penobscot County: 17.1 %Penobscot County17.1Lincoln County: 16.8 %Lincoln County16.8Knox County: 16.1 %Knox County16.1Hancock County: 15.9 %Hancock County15.9Kennebec County: 15 %Kennebec County15Sagadahoc County: 13 %Sagadahoc County13York County: 10.5 %York County10.5Cumberland County: 8 %Cumberland County8
%. 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

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Washington County26.80 pts
2Oxford County26.3+6.1 pts
3Piscataquis County23.8+0.4 pts
4Somerset County21.1-0.9 pts
5Franklin County20.4+0.9 pts
6Waldo County20.2+1.4 pts
7Aroostook County19.1+1.6 pts
8Androscoggin County17.3+1.5 pts
9Penobscot County17.1+0.9 pts
10Lincoln County16.8+1.5 pts
11Knox County16.1+1.4 pts
12Hancock County15.9+0.9 pts
13Kennebec County15+0.8 pts
14Sagadahoc County13-1 pts
15York County10.5+0.8 pts
16Cumberland County8-1.2 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2018. 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), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2018.

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), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_maine_by_2018,
  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), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2018. 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maine-counties?period=2018.
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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Cumberland County, with 8% in 2018.

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