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

Somerset County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 24 counties in 2018, at 31.4%. Carroll County had the lowest, at 6.1%. The median was 12.9% and the figure for Maryland was 12.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest31.4Somerset County
Median12.924 counties
Maryland12.1History

Map of counties, 2018

Allegany County: 21.3 %Anne Arundel County: 9.6 %Baltimore County: 13 %Calvert County: 6.6 %Caroline County: 19.9 %Carroll County: 6.1 %Cecil County: 12.8 %Charles County: 9.3 %Dorchester County: 27 %Frederick County: 7.4 %Garrett County: 18.4 %Harford County: 9.7 %Howard County: 6.2 %Kent County: 19.2 %Montgomery County: 8.4 %Prince George's County: 12 %Queen Anne's County: 8.6 %St. Mary's County: 10.6 %Somerset County: 31.4 %Talbot County: 14.6 %Washington County: 16.5 %Wicomico County: 20.1 %Worcester County: 17.7 %Baltimore city: 26.1 %
  • Under 8.5
  • 8.5 to 11
  • 11 to 16
  • 16 to 20
  • 20 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

Somerset County: 31.4 %Somerset County31.4Dorchester County: 27 %Dorchester County27Baltimore city: 26.1 %Baltimore city26.1Allegany County: 21.3 %Allegany County21.3Wicomico County: 20.1 %Wicomico County20.1Caroline County: 19.9 %Caroline County19.9Kent County: 19.2 %Kent County19.2Garrett County: 18.4 %Garrett County18.4Worcester County: 17.7 %Worcester County17.7Washington County: 16.5 %Washington County16.5Talbot County: 14.6 %Talbot County14.6Baltimore County: 13 %Baltimore County13Cecil County: 12.8 %Cecil County12.8Prince George's County: 12 %Prince George's County12St. Mary's County: 10.6 %St. Mary's County10.6Harford County: 9.7 %Harford County9.7Anne Arundel County: 9.6 %Anne Arundel County9.6Charles County: 9.3 %Charles County9.3Queen Anne's County: 8.6 %Queen Anne's County8.6Montgomery County: 8.4 %Montgomery County8.4Frederick County: 7.4 %Frederick County7.4Calvert County: 6.6 %Calvert County6.6Howard County: 6.2 %Howard County6.2Carroll County: 6.1 %Carroll County6.1Somerset County: 31.4 %Somerset County31.4Dorchester County: 27 %Dorchester County27Baltimore city: 26.1 %Baltimore city26.1Allegany County: 21.3 %Allegany County21.3Wicomico County: 20.1 %Wicomico County20.1Caroline County: 19.9 %Caroline County19.9Kent County: 19.2 %Kent County19.2Garrett County: 18.4 %Garrett County18.4Worcester County: 17.7 %Worcester County17.7Washington County: 16.5 %Washington County16.5Talbot County: 14.6 %Talbot County14.6Baltimore County: 13 %Baltimore County13Cecil County: 12.8 %Cecil County12.8Prince George's County: 12 %Prince George's County12St. Mary's County: 10.6 %St. Mary's County10.6Harford County: 9.7 %Harford County9.7Anne Arundel County: 9.6 %Anne Arundel County9.6Charles County: 9.3 %Charles County9.3Queen Anne's County: 8.6 %Queen Anne's County8.6Montgomery County: 8.4 %Montgomery County8.4Frederick County: 7.4 %Frederick County7.4Calvert County: 6.6 %Calvert County6.6Howard County: 6.2 %Howard County6.2Carroll County: 6.1 %Carroll County6.1
%. 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
1Somerset County31.4-1.2 pts
2Dorchester County27+0.1 pts
3Baltimore city26.1-5.7 pts
4Allegany County21.3-1.5 pts
5Wicomico County20.1-0.4 pts
6Caroline County19.9-0.6 pts
7Kent County19.2-1.2 pts
8Garrett County18.4-0.3 pts
9Worcester County17.7+1.6 pts
10Washington County16.5-2.2 pts
11Talbot County14.6-0.2 pts
12Baltimore County13+2.6 pts
13Cecil County12.8-0.4 pts
14Prince George's County12+0.2 pts
15St. Mary's County10.6-0.8 pts
16Harford County9.7+1.2 pts
17Anne Arundel County9.6+1.6 pts
18Charles County9.3-0.5 pts
19Queen Anne's County8.6-0.9 pts
20Montgomery County8.4-0.9 pts
21Frederick County7.4-0.2 pts
22Calvert County6.6-0.4 pts
23Howard County6.2-0.2 pts
24Carroll County6.1+0.6 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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/maryland-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 Maryland 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/maryland-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 Maryland 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/maryland-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_maryland_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 Maryland 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/maryland-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 Maryland 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/maryland-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/maryland-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)?

Somerset County, with 31.4% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Carroll County, with 6.1% 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 Maryland: more rankings