The U.S. Census Bureau has released the 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), which provide income and poverty statistics for all states, counties, and school districts in the United States. According to the data, the median estimated poverty rate for children ages 5 to 17 in U.S. school districts was 12.5% in 2024.
The SAIPE program offers the only single-year estimates for each of the nation’s 3,143 counties and 13,126 school districts. These figures are used to allocate funding under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which directs resources to 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.
County-level data show that median household incomes ranged from $34,802 to $177,457 in 2024, with a national median of $66,757 across all counties. Median household income rose in 10.1% of counties and declined in 1.8% compared with last year.
The county-level poverty rate varied between 3.8% and 55.7%, with a median rate of 13.2%. From 2023 to 2024, poverty rates decreased in 4.5% of counties while increasing in 1.9%. For children ages 5 to 17 at the county level, poverty rates ranged from as low as 2.4% up to a high of 76.7%, with a median value of 16.1%.
Additional tables provided by SAIPE include information about median household income; numbers of people living below the poverty line at various age levels; as well as detailed breakdowns by state and school district populations related to child poverty statistics.
SAIPE estimates are generated using statistical model-based methods that draw on sample surveys, decennial census results, and administrative records.
For further details about how these figures are calculated or additional breakdowns by region or demographic group, visit SAIPE methodology.
