Data / Rankings / Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) / US states

US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Mississippi had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 51 states in 2013, at 34%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 10.9%. The median was 20.8% and the figure for the United States was 22.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest34Mississippi
Lowest10.9New Hampshire
Median20.851 states
United States22.2History

Map of states, 2013

Alabama: 27.4 %Alaska: 13.6 %Arizona: 26.6 %Arkansas: 28.3 %California: 23.5 %Colorado: 16.8 %Connecticut: 14.5 %Delaware: 19.1 %District of Columbia: 29.3 %Florida: 24.8 %Georgia: 26.7 %Hawaii: 14.4 %Idaho: 19.2 %Illinois: 20.6 %Indiana: 21.9 %Iowa: 16 %Kansas: 18.4 %Kentucky: 25.5 %Louisiana: 28.4 %Maine: 18.2 %Maryland: 13.9 %Massachusetts: 16.2 %Michigan: 23.7 %Minnesota: 14 %Mississippi: 34 %Missouri: 22.2 %Montana: 20.8 %Nebraska: 17.1 %Nevada: 22.7 %New Hampshire: 10.9 %New Jersey: 16.5 %New Mexico: 30.1 %New York: 22.9 %North Carolina: 25.1 %North Dakota: 12.4 %Ohio: 22.7 %Oklahoma: 23.8 %Oregon: 21.6 %Pennsylvania: 19.2 %Rhode Island: 22 %South Carolina: 27.3 %South Dakota: 18.6 %Tennessee: 26.5 %Texas: 25 %Utah: 14.6 %Vermont: 15.2 %Virginia: 15.7 %Washington: 18.6 %West Virginia: 26.3 %Wisconsin: 18.4 %Wyoming: 13.5 %
  • Under 15
  • 15 to 18
  • 18 to 21
  • 21 to 24
  • 24 to 27
  • 27 and over
%, 2013. 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 states, 2013

Mississippi: 34 %Mississippi34New Mexico: 30.1 %New Mexico30.1District of Columbia: 29.3 %District of Columbia29.3Louisiana: 28.4 %Louisiana28.4Arkansas: 28.3 %Arkansas28.3Alabama: 27.4 %Alabama27.4South Carolina: 27.3 %South Carolina27.3Georgia: 26.7 %Georgia26.7Arizona: 26.6 %Arizona26.6Tennessee: 26.5 %Tennessee26.5West Virginia: 26.3 %West Virginia26.3Kentucky: 25.5 %Kentucky25.5North Carolina: 25.1 %North Carolina25.1Texas: 25 %Texas25Florida: 24.8 %Florida24.8Oklahoma: 23.8 %Oklahoma23.8Michigan: 23.7 %Michigan23.7California: 23.5 %California23.5New York: 22.9 %New York22.9Nevada: 22.7 %Nevada22.7Ohio: 22.7 %Ohio22.7Missouri: 22.2 %Missouri22.2Rhode Island: 22 %Rhode Island22Indiana: 21.9 %Indiana21.9Oregon: 21.6 %Oregon21.6Montana: 20.8 %Montana20.8Illinois: 20.6 %Illinois20.6Idaho: 19.2 %Idaho19.2Pennsylvania: 19.2 %Pennsylvania19.2Delaware: 19.1 %Delaware19.1South Dakota: 18.6 %South Dakota18.6Washington: 18.6 %Washington18.6Kansas: 18.4 %Kansas18.4Wisconsin: 18.4 %Wisconsin18.4Maine: 18.2 %Maine18.2Nebraska: 17.1 %Nebraska17.1Colorado: 16.8 %Colorado16.8New Jersey: 16.5 %New Jersey16.5Massachusetts: 16.2 %Massachusetts16.2Iowa: 16 %Iowa16Virginia: 15.7 %Virginia15.7Vermont: 15.2 %Vermont15.2Utah: 14.6 %Utah14.6Connecticut: 14.5 %Connecticut14.5Hawaii: 14.4 %Hawaii14.4Minnesota: 14 %Minnesota14Maryland: 13.9 %Maryland13.9Alaska: 13.6 %Alaska13.6Wyoming: 13.5 %Wyoming13.5North Dakota: 12.4 %North Dakota12.4New Hampshire: 10.9 %New Hampshire10.9Mississippi: 34 %Mississippi34New Mexico: 30.1 %New Mexico30.1District of Columbia: 29.3 %District of Columbia29.3Louisiana: 28.4 %Louisiana28.4Arkansas: 28.3 %Arkansas28.3Alabama: 27.4 %Alabama27.4South Carolina: 27.3 %South Carolina27.3Georgia: 26.7 %Georgia26.7Arizona: 26.6 %Arizona26.6Tennessee: 26.5 %Tennessee26.5West Virginia: 26.3 %West Virginia26.3Kentucky: 25.5 %Kentucky25.5North Carolina: 25.1 %North Carolina25.1Texas: 25 %Texas25Florida: 24.8 %Florida24.8Oklahoma: 23.8 %Oklahoma23.8Michigan: 23.7 %Michigan23.7California: 23.5 %California23.5New York: 22.9 %New York22.9Nevada: 22.7 %Nevada22.7Ohio: 22.7 %Ohio22.7Missouri: 22.2 %Missouri22.2Rhode Island: 22 %Rhode Island22Indiana: 21.9 %Indiana21.9Oregon: 21.6 %Oregon21.6Montana: 20.8 %Montana20.8Illinois: 20.6 %Illinois20.6Idaho: 19.2 %Idaho19.2Pennsylvania: 19.2 %Pennsylvania19.2Delaware: 19.1 %Delaware19.1South Dakota: 18.6 %South Dakota18.6Washington: 18.6 %Washington18.6Kansas: 18.4 %Kansas18.4Wisconsin: 18.4 %Wisconsin18.4Maine: 18.2 %Maine18.2Nebraska: 17.1 %Nebraska17.1Colorado: 16.8 %Colorado16.8New Jersey: 16.5 %New Jersey16.5Massachusetts: 16.2 %Massachusetts16.2Iowa: 16 %Iowa16Virginia: 15.7 %Virginia15.7Vermont: 15.2 %Vermont15.2Utah: 14.6 %Utah14.6Connecticut: 14.5 %Connecticut14.5Hawaii: 14.4 %Hawaii14.4Minnesota: 14 %Minnesota14Maryland: 13.9 %Maryland13.9Alaska: 13.6 %Alaska13.6Wyoming: 13.5 %Wyoming13.5North Dakota: 12.4 %North Dakota12.4New Hampshire: 10.9 %New Hampshire10.9
%. 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

RankStates2013 (%)Change on 2012
1Mississippi34+0.1 pts
2New Mexico30.1+1.2 pts
3District of Columbia29.30 pts
4Louisiana28.4-0.2 pts
5Arkansas28.3+0.2 pts
6Alabama27.4-0.2 pts
7South Carolina27.3+0.5 pts
8Georgia26.7-0.6 pts
9Arizona26.6-0.4 pts
10Tennessee26.5+0.4 pts
11West Virginia26.3+1.2 pts
12Kentucky25.5-1 pts
13North Carolina25.1-0.7 pts
14Texas25-0.8 pts
15Florida24.8-0.8 pts
16Oklahoma23.8-0.3 pts
17Michigan23.7-1 pts
18California23.5-0.3 pts
19New York22.9-0.1 pts
20Nevada22.7-0.7 pts
20Ohio22.7-0.9 pts
22Missouri22.2-0.4 pts
23Rhode Island22+1.2 pts
24Indiana21.9-0.2 pts
25Oregon21.6-1.1 pts
26Montana20.8-0.3 pts
27Illinois20.60 pts
28Idaho19.2-2.1 pts
28Pennsylvania19.2-0.4 pts
30Delaware19.10 pts
31South Dakota18.6+0.1 pts
31Washington18.6+0.1 pts
33Kansas18.4-0.6 pts
33Wisconsin18.4+0.1 pts
35Maine18.2-1.6 pts
36Nebraska17.1-0.3 pts
37Colorado16.8-1.3 pts
38New Jersey16.5+1.1 pts
39Massachusetts16.2+0.8 pts
40Iowa16-0.1 pts
41Virginia15.7+0.2 pts
42Vermont15.2-0.5 pts
43Utah14.6-0.9 pts
44Connecticut14.5-0.1 pts
45Hawaii14.4-2.8 pts
46Minnesota14-0.6 pts
47Maryland13.9-0.2 pts
48Alaska13.6-1.7 pts
49Wyoming13.5-1.9 pts
50North Dakota12.4-1.3 pts
51New Hampshire10.9-2.7 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 states 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/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.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 (US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2013) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2013. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2013. 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. US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2013. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2013.

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, US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2013 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2013 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_child_2013,
  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: US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2013}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2013. 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/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.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: US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2013
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2013
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2013.
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/2013/2013-state-and-county/est13all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Mississippi, with 34% in 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

New Hampshire, with 10.9% in 2013.

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

US states: more rankings