Children and Youth
Children Living in Poverty

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Children Living in Poverty

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What does this measure?

The estimated number of children under 18 living below the federally defined poverty line, expressed as a percentage of all children under 18. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2021, the threshold for a four-person family was $27,479.

Why is this important?

Children raised in impoverished environments are at higher risk for a wide variety of health and social problems, including poor performance in school. The challenges they face in childhood can diminish their chances for successful adult lives.

How is the region performing?

The estimated proportion of children living in poverty increased slightly in the region from 2000 to 2017-21, similar to the state (excluding NYC) and national trends. In 2017-21, 15% of children in the region lived in poverty, up 2 points from 2000 but lower than the rate in 2012-16. The 2017-21 rate was similar to the state (excluding NYC) and below the national rate of 17%.

Within the region, Sullivan County had the highest percentage of children living in poverty (23%). Putnam had among the lowest rates (6%). Since 2000, four counties (Columbia, Dutchess, Orange and Ulster) had a 2 percentage point increase in child poverty rates; Putnam increased by 1%. Rates decreased since 2000 in Greene (4 points) and were essentially flat in Sullivan.

Among cities, towns and villages in the region for which reliable data was available, child poverty was highest in the Monticello (49%), Kiryas Joel (42%), and Port Jervis (32%) in 2017-21.

Notes about the data

The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval).

The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Poverty status is not reported for people in institutions, including college dormitories and military barracks, and people in living situations without conventional housing. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.

Children Living in Poverty
20002007-112012-162017-21
Region13%15%16%15%
Columbia County12%13%19%14%
Dutchess County9%12%12%11%
Greene County16%20%16%13%*
Orange County15%18%20%17%
Putnam County5%5%*5%*6%*
Sullivan County23%23%25%23%
Ulster County14%16%15%16%
NYS (excluding NYC)13%15%17%15%
U.S.17%20%21%17%
Columbia Cities
Hudson38%31%***30%**30%**
Columbia Towns
Ancram5%21%***49%**13%***
Austerlitz7%7%***30%***0%***
Canaan6%5%***12%***11%***
Chatham7%10%***15%***6%***
Claverack7%7%***23%**22%***
Clermont9%13%***19%***3%***
Copake12%10%***10%***0%***
Gallatin4%5%***12%***13%***
Germantown11%4%***5%***0%***
Ghent4%11%***20%***16%***
Greenport13%21%***31%**26%***
Hillsdale9%23%***5%***29%***
Kinderhook6%4%***8%***4%***
Livingston4%24%***11%***22%***
New Lebanon17%10%***13%***19%***
Stockport22%16%***9%***9%***
Stuyvesant6%0%***22%***14%***
Taghkanic15%1%***46%***2%***
Columbia Villages
Chatham9%14%***8%***9%***
Kinderhook3%13%***2%***5%***
Philmont16%29%***34%***56%***
Valatie14%4%***16%***5%***
Dutchess Cities
Beacon17%26%*14%**15%***
Poughkeepsie32%37%32%30%*
Dutchess Towns
Amenia3%15%***14%***35%**
Beekman5%2%***6%**10%***
Clinton3%5%***2%***2%***
Dover11%7%***19%**27%**
East Fishkill3%6%***5%**4%**
Fishkill6%4%***17%*7%***
Hyde Park6%9%***13%**13%**
La Grange4%8%***3%***4%***
Milan5%0%***5%***26%***
North East20%4%***5%***8%***
Pawling1%4%***4%***8%**
Pine Plains15%2%***15%***16%***
Pleasant Valley7%8%***5%***5%***
Poughkeepsie6%14%*11%*10%*
Red Hook8%5%***3%***5%***
Rhinebeck8%4%***12%***4%***
Stanford3%12%***14%***16%***
Union Vale2%3%***5%***7%***
Wappinger5%6%***8%**6%**
Washington11%12%***22%***7%***
Dutchess Villages
Fishkill9%4%***25%***13%***
Millbrook5%22%***19%***13%***
Millerton25%12%***21%***11%***
Pawling4%8%***3%***15%***
Red Hook8%12%***3%***4%***
Rhinebeck11%8%***35%***0%***
Tivoli13%17%***0%***5%***
Wappingers Falls15%19%***20%***17%***
Greene Towns
Ashland29%0%***18%***23%***
Athens12%17%***10%***0%***
Cairo11%36%***17%**6%***
Catskill22%27%*15%**10%***
Coxsackie16%14%***14%**19%***
Durham9%19%***25%***35%**
Greenville15%14%***24%***9%***
Halcott45%0%***0%***19%***
Hunter24%23%***11%***16%***
Jewett22%14%***0%***34%***
Lexington16%32%***62%***0%***
New Baltimore10%2%***4%***0%***
Prattsville16%13%***45%***27%***
Windham6%3%***6%***9%***
Greene Villages
Athens12%5%***12%***0%***
Catskill30%37%***25%***7%***
Coxsackie14%10%***14%***9%***
Hunter22%35%***0%***0%***
Tannersville29%1%***0%***24%***
Orange Cities
Middletown26%24%27%*22%*
Newburgh36%36%45%25%*
Port Jervis26%24%**26%**32%*
Orange Towns
Blooming Grove5%10%**8%**12%**
Chester5%2%***6%***1%***
Cornwall8%4%***7%***2%***
Crawford4%5%***9%***6%***
Deerpark11%16%***20%**5%***
Goshen3%4%***6%***9%***
Greenville5%8%***2%***1%***
Hamptonburgh5%5%***5%***4%***
Highlands5%10%***3%***3%***
Minisink7%0%***6%***21%***
Monroe40%46%46%4%***
Montgomery10%7%***7%**11%*
Mount Hope8%10%***17%***4%***
New Windsor6%6%***4%**6%**
Newburgh3%12%**6%**17%**
Tuxedo2%0%***1%***19%***
Wallkill12%6%**13%**14%**
Warwick4%5%***5%***4%**
Wawayanda2%2%***5%***7%***
Woodbury4%5%***15%*6%***
Orange Villages
Chester8%4%***14%***0%***
Cornwall-on-Hudson3%16%***4%***4%***
Florida8%6%***1%***12%***
Goshen1%2%***7%***11%***
Greenwood Lake8%5%***0%***0%***
Harriman2%0%***17%***4%***
Highland Falls6%15%***5%***11%***
Kiryas Joel64%63%58%42%
Maybrook8%10%***11%***4%***
Monroe4%10%***13%**4%***
Montgomery9%0%***6%***5%***
Otisville11%15%***10%***4%***
South Blooming Grove6%***17%***33%**
Tuxedo Park3%3%***3%***3%***
Unionville6%0%***0%***21%***
Walden13%17%***11%***28%**
Warwick4%9%***2%***4%***
Washingtonville3%5%***6%***2%***
Woodbury5%***15%**6%***
Putnam Towns
Carmel1%4%**2%***8%***
Kent5%6%***8%**6%***
Patterson6%2%***10%***6%***
Philipstown5%5%***4%***5%***
Putnam Valley7%9%***2%***5%***
Southeast9%7%***5%***7%**
Putnam Villages
Brewster14%20%***7%***21%***
Cold Spring7%1%***15%***10%***
Nelsonville6%0%***0%***3%***
Sullivan Towns
Bethel24%33%***26%***25%***
Callicoon11%23%***11%***2%***
Cochecton10%29%***25%***10%***
Delaware29%29%***8%***46%***
Fallsburg31%32%47%28%*
Forestburgh4%11%***6%***23%***
Fremont22%4%***0%***10%***
Highland23%27%***16%***10%***
Liberty20%19%**25%**16%**
Lumberland16%29%***11%***7%***
Mamakating10%6%***8%**15%**
Neversink14%19%***2%***20%***
Rockland23%16%***32%***0%***
Thompson35%29%*34%*40%*
Tusten9%6%***25%***16%***
Sullivan Villages
Bloomingburg18%30%***28%***61%***
Jeffersonville0%25%***21%***17%***
Liberty14%10%***32%**20%**
Monticello50%34%**40%*49%*
Woodridge42%29%***56%**6%***
Wurtsboro12%17%***32%***0%***
Ulster Cities
Kingston24%29%*30%26%*
Ulster Towns
Denning16%15%***2%***18%***
Esopus11%6%***6%***15%***
Gardiner9%2%***9%***0%***
Hardenburgh3%0%***45%***0%***
Hurley8%2%***13%***33%***
Kingston12%2%***21%***24%***
Lloyd9%17%***13%***5%***
Marbletown7%1%***17%***25%***
Marlborough10%20%**2%***9%***
New Paltz9%9%***8%**11%***
Olive5%18%***14%***32%***
Plattekill13%13%***13%***10%***
Rochester17%17%***9%***23%**
Rosendale20%4%***3%***10%***
Saugerties11%13%***14%*7%***
Shandaken14%13%***17%***15%***
Shawangunk8%9%***6%***9%***
Ulster11%12%***21%**24%**
Wawarsing25%33%*22%*18%**
Woodstock15%8%***6%***22%***
Ulster Villages
Ellenville32%41%**26%**24%***
New Paltz19%21%***8%***6%***
Saugerties18%30%***8%***2%***

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.




Number of Children Living in Poverty
20002007-112012-162017-21
Region35,24639,92139,58235,721
Columbia County1,7711,5702,0471,383
Dutchess County6,2967,6486,8376,030
Greene County1,7281,8691,290962*
Orange County14,71017,92919,69317,396
Putnam County1,1641,304*956*1,222*
Sullivan County4,0803,9194,0243,759
Ulster County5,4975,6824,7354,969
NYS (excluding NYC)343,954377,733397,874344,768
U.S.11,711,49114,550,80515,335,78312,443,424
Columbia Cities
Hudson671450***425**297**
Columbia Towns
Ancram1742***139**30***
Austerlitz2119***83***0***
Canaan1912***32***25***
Chatham6684***111***54***
Claverack10175***210**202***
Clermont4867***83***11***
Copake8356***59***0***
Gallatin1415***40***33***
Germantown4917***16***0***
Ghent50129***154***137***
Greenport116137***215**194***
Hillsdale3498***14***68***
Kinderhook12278***135***56***
Livingston28165***64***80***
New Lebanon9653***45***56***
Stockport17271***49***59***
Stuyvesant310***101***78***
Taghkanic332***72***3***
Columbia Villages
Chatham4148***17***22***
Kinderhook746***5***11***
Philmont6175***126***113***
Valatie6615***52***17***
Dutchess Cities
Beacon631880*356**460***
Poughkeepsie2,3802,7782,1011,701*
Dutchess Towns
Amenia30175***119***268**
Beekman19085***190**287***
Clinton2848***22***12***
Dover257124***357**384**
East Fishkill237449***339**237**
Fishkill228153***683*244***
Hyde Park300396***447**461**
La Grange185308***99***144***
Milan330***19***103***
North East13825***22***43***
Pawling2780***66***138**
Pine Plains958***73***50***
Pleasant Valley168174***93***100***
Poughkeepsie5611,173*940*746*
Red Hook209117***55***98***
Rhinebeck11650***134***45***
Stanford2889***77***94***
Union Vale2236***41***82***
Wappinger305379***413**283**
Washington128121***191***50***
Dutchess Villages
Fishkill2117***124***38***
Millbrook1374***48***19***
Millerton6425***22***20***
Pawling2437***13***60***
Red Hook3252***9***14***
Rhinebeck5950***134***0***
Tivoli3533***0***6***
Wappingers Falls172245***193***185***
Greene Towns
Ashland520***23***18***
Athens107139***67***0***
Cairo159449***190**69***
Catskill602635*339**156***
Coxsackie246198***202**230***
Durham51116***129***244**
Greenville121107***170***54***
Halcott210***0***20***
Hunter173115***36***105***
Jewett4723***0***14***
Lexington2543***71***0***
New Baltimore7617***19***0***
Prattsville2619***34***32***
Windham228***10***20***
Greene Villages
Athens4916***22***0***
Catskill330390***201***27***
Coxsackie10658***78***49***
Hunter3420***0***0***
Tannersville361***0***57***
Orange Cities
Middletown1,8021,7741,726*1,614*
Newburgh3,2663,2154,1971,893*
Port Jervis628589**584**601*
Orange Towns
Blooming Grove230447**290**610**
Chester16253***143***18***
Cornwall260135***209***43***
Crawford84117***205***121***
Deerpark240281***315**81***
Goshen93127***167***236***
Greenville6094***27***11***
Hamptonburgh6365***73***51***
Highlands128217***81***94***
Minisink730***69***220***
Monroe5,0928,0568,669220***
Montgomery585397***362**611*
Mount Hope105153***193***46***
New Windsor360368***250**351**
Newburgh216883**418**1,010**
Tuxedo134***5***139***
Wallkill748369**789**825**
Warwick354404***330***261**
Wawayanda3741***91***115***
Woodbury111140***500*155***
Orange Villages
Chester6836***96***0***
Cornwall-on-Hudson26109***30***24***
Florida5628***4***83***
Goshen929***87***139***
Greenwood Lake6541***0***0***
Harriman110***96***39***
Highland Falls49165***33***94***
Kiryas Joel4,7777,7777,5588,070
Maybrook7883***55***21***
Monroe94253***290**98***
Montgomery980***61***40***
Otisville3243***24***20***
South Blooming Grove51***127***505**
Tuxedo Park44***5***2***
Unionville90***0***35***
Walden250299***176***487**
Warwick56122***35***46***
Washingtonville5270***66***33***
Woodbury140***470**155***
Putnam Towns
Carmel124370**166***491***
Kent179203***212**147***
Patterson16854***240***120***
Philipstown114103***72***93***
Putnam Valley188292***59***127***
Southeast391282***207***244**
Putnam Villages
Brewster62115***28***97***
Cold Spring275***47***43***
Nelsonville100***0***5***
Sullivan Towns
Bethel204238***140***172***
Callicoon77128***74***14***
Cochecton3282***68***19***
Delaware225111***36***168***
Fallsburg8439691,358805*
Forestburgh817***9***23***
Fremont789***0***17***
Highland119101***68***25***
Liberty459452**527**452**
Lumberland80194***71***33***
Mamakating298150***213**438**
Neversink142188***17***131***
Rockland227111***255***0***
Thompson1,2611,151*1,156*1,421*
Tusten2718***32***41***
Sullivan Villages
Bloomingburg1116***30***201***
Jeffersonville09***7***14***
Liberty12799***300**318**
Monticello871610**671*913*
Woodridge9844***179**12***
Wurtsboro4342***53***0***
Ulster Cities
Kingston1,2751,530*1,5181,264*
Ulster Towns
Denning1922***3***9***
Esopus226123***75***162***
Gardiner12018***115***0***
Hardenburgh10***10***0***
Hurley11417***140***363***
Kingston234***36***30***
Lloyd198407***276***98***
Marbletown10111***179***292***
Marlborough224451**36***128***
New Paltz190174***159**205***
Olive51139***96***163***
Plattekill354337***228***189***
Rochester336285***118***327**
Rosendale28248***28***78***
Saugerties486516***517*254***
Shandaken9245***48***37***
Shawangunk208245***155***211***
Ulster322291***419**545**
Wawarsing717941*532*431**
Woodstock15878***47***183***
Ulster Villages
Ellenville399499**285**308***
New Paltz8266***44***33***
Saugerties169217***64***14***

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.




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