The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data from the 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), providing single-year income and poverty statistics for all 3,143 counties and 13,126 school districts in the United States.
According to the report, the median estimated poverty rate for children ages 5 to 17 in U.S. school districts was 12.5% in 2024. The SAIPE data are used to allocate federal funding under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which supports school districts based on their number and percentage of children from low-income families. The U.S. Department of Education will use these estimates to determine fiscal year 2027 funding for states and school districts during the 2026-2027 academic year.
In terms of household income, county-level median figures ranged from $34,802 to $177,457 in 2024, with a national median of $66,757 across all counties. Median household income increased in 10.1% of counties and decreased in 1.8% between 2023 and 2024.
County-level poverty rates varied widely as well, ranging from 3.8% to 55.7%, with a median rate of 13.2%. The overall poverty rate fell in 4.5% of counties but rose in another 1.9%. For school-age children specifically (ages 5 to 17), county-level poverty rates spanned from as low as 2.4% up to a high of 76.7%, with a median rate at this age group standing at 16.1%.
Additional tables released include statistics on state-level median household income; numbers of people living in poverty by age group; and detailed breakdowns for children under five years old, those aged five to seventeen, and those under eighteen living below the poverty line.
The SAIPE program produces its estimates using statistical model-based methods that draw on sample surveys, decennial census information, and administrative records.
“There is no news release associated with this product,” according to the Census Bureau’s announcement.
For more details about how these estimates are produced or additional information about SAIPE methodology, visit the Census Bureau’s official website.
