The U.S. Census Bureau has released the 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), providing new data on income and poverty for states, counties, and school districts across the United States.
According to the Census Bureau, “The median estimated poverty rate of children ages 5 to 17 in U.S. school districts in 2024 was 12.5%.” The SAIPE program offers single-year income and poverty statistics for all 3,143 counties and 13,126 school districts nationwide.
These estimates are important for allocating federal funding under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. As stated by the Census Bureau, “School districts receive Title I funds based on their number and percentage of children from low-income families.” The U.S. Department of Education will use these figures to determine fiscal year 2027 funding for states and school districts during the 2026-2027 academic year for Title I as well as other federal education programs.
For county-level data in 2024, median household incomes ranged from $34,802 to $177,457 with a national median of $66,757. Median household income increased in about one-tenth of counties while decreasing in less than two percent compared to last year.
County-level poverty rates showed a range from 3.8% to 55.7%, with a national median at 13.2%. From 2023 to 2024, poverty rates decreased in approximately four-and-a-half percent of counties but increased in just under two percent.
Among school-age children (ages 5 to 17), county-level poverty rates varied widely—from as low as 2.4% up to nearly three-quarters at some locations—with a median rate nationally at 16.1%.
Additional tables provided by SAIPE include statistics on household income; numbers of people living in poverty across age groups; state-level counts for children under five years old living in poverty; figures on children aged five through seventeen within poor families; and data concerning all minors under eighteen living below the poverty line. At the district level, estimates are available regarding total population size as well as breakdowns for child populations by age group and family income status.
SAIPE estimates rely on statistical models that combine sample survey results with decennial census information and administrative records. More details about these methods can be found through resources such as the SAIPE methodology page.
