More Children in South Said Living in Poverty

A report on children in poverty from the Southern Regional Education Board shows that from 2005 to 2010, the number of children living in poverty in the board’s 16 member states increased by 1.1 million, nearly equaling the total increase in child poverty in the rest of the nation.

Over that period, the percentage of children in poverty in SREB states rose to 26 percent, an increase of 3 percentage points. The rate of child poverty in the Western United States rose 4 percentage points, to 19 percent. In the Midwest, child poverty grew to 19 percent, up from 16 percent in 2005. SREB states now have 44.3 percent of all children in the country living in poverty.

The report ties educational attainment to income levels, using U.S. Census Bureau data.

Mississippi had the highest child-poverty rate in 2010 (32.5 percent), followed by the District of Columbia (30.4 percent). Nevada’s child-poverty rate jumped dramatically, going from the 34th highest in 2005 to 19th highest in 2010.