Short Definition: % of population under age 18 living below poverty

Long Definition:

Percent of the population under age 18 for whom poverty status is determined that are living below poverty level.

2000 Census determines poverty based on income reported for the calendar year 1999. The 2006-2010 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data reflect incomes over 2005-2010 (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars). Data for the 2006-2010 (ACS) 5-year estimates are collected on an on-going basis from January 1, 2006-December 31, 2010. ACS income values are reported based on the amount of income received during the 12 months preceding the interview month.

To determine a person's poverty status, one compares the person's total family income in the previous calendar year (2000 Census) or the last 12 months (ACS 2006-2010) with the poverty threshold appropriate for that person's family size and composition. If the total income of that person's family is less than the threshold appropriate for that family, then the person is considered "below the poverty level," together with every member of his or her family. The total number of people "below the poverty level" is the sum of people in families and the number of unrelated individuals with incomes in the previous calendar year (2000 Census) or the last 12 months (ACS 2006-2010) below the poverty threshold.

For more details see How Poverty Status is Determined in the 2000 technical documentation or How the Census Bureau Determines Poverty Status in the 2006-2010 technical documentation.

Agency Source: U.S. Census

Time Period(s):

Calendar Year	2000
Multi-Year	2006-10

Geographies: RI Tracts, RI Municipalities, U.S. States

Data Type: Numeric

Purpose:

Contextual: income is a vital measure of general economic circumstances. Income data are used to determine poverty status, to measure economic well-being, and to assess the need for assistance. These data are included in federal allocation formulas for many government programs. State and local governments use this information to decide how to allocate funds for food, health care, job training, housing and other assistance programs.

Limitations:

Since answers to income questions are frequently based on memory and not on records, many people tended to forget minor or sporadic sources of income and, therefore, underreport their income. Underreporting tends to be more pronounced for income sources that are not derived from earnings, such as public assistance, interest, dividends, and net rental income.

A margin of error (MOE) occurs whenever a population is incompletely sampled. The MOE expresses the maximum expected difference between the true population parameter and a sample estimate of that parameter. The MOE is usually defined as the "radius" (or half the width) of a confidence interval for a particular estimate. Confidence intervals can be created by adding the MOE to the estimate (for an upper confidence interval) and subtracting the MOE from the estimate (for a lower confidence interval). All published margins of error for the American Community Survey are based on a 90 percent confidence level. A 90 percent confidence interval can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent certainty that the true number falls between the upper and lower bounds.

Universe: Population under 18 for whom poverty status is determined

Tags: Census, WCCC, Youth, Below Poverty, Children, Population, Poverty

Related Reports: No related reports.

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