Financial Security
Children Living in Poverty

Decreasing


Children Living in Poverty

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What does this measure?

The number of children under 18 who live below the federally defined poverty line, expressed as a percentage of all children under 18. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2023, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $30,900.

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. Studies have found that the stress of living in poverty can cause biological changes in children that can lead to long-term health problems.

How does our county compare?

In 2019-23, 11% of children in Lancaster County lived below the poverty line. This was lower than the statewide and national rates, both at 16%. The county's rate has decreased 4 percentage points since 2009-13. This was slightly lower than the nation which decreased 6 percentage points, but similar to the state which decreased 3 percentage points.

In the City of Lancaster, 29% of children lived below the poverty line in 2019-23. This was a decrease of 14 percentage points since 2009-13 and 7 percentage points from 2014-18.

The percentage of children living below the poverty line in Lancaster County in 2019-23 was similar to York (11%) and Cumberland (10%), and higher than in Chester (7%). Rates were higher in Berks (17%), Dauphin (17%) and Lebanon (15%), than in Lancaster.

Notes about the data

The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined 5 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 released annually in December.

Children Living in Poverty
2009-132014-182019-23
Pennsylvania19%18%16%
Lancaster County15%14%11%
Lancaster City43%36%29%
Lancaster County School Districts
School District of Lancaster40%33%26%
Cocalico School District8%*7%*13%*
Columbia Borough School District32%*36%*26%**
Conestoga Valley School District17%*15%*12%*
Donegal School District16%*10%*10%***
Eastern Lancaster County School District16%*11%*10%*
Elizabethtown Area School District6%**13%**5%***
Ephrata Area School District10%*10%*10%*
Hempfield School District5%*12%*5%**
Lampeter-Strasburg School District6%**7%**6%***
Manheim Central School District6%**6%***9%**
Manheim Township School District7%**7%**7%**
Penn Manor School District10%*5%***11%*
Pequea Valley School District8%*14%*7%**
Solanco School District15%16%12%*
Warwick School District8%**9%*5%**
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough6%***0%***16%***
Akron borough10%***2%***7%***
Christiana borough15%***10%***26%***
Columbia borough32%*36%*26%**
Denver township6%***16%**10%***
East Petersburg borough10%***0%***6%***
Elizabethtown borough6%***10%***12%***
Ephrata borough8%***15%*10%***
Lititz borough12%***5%***0%***
Manheim borough20%**14%***22%***
Marietta borough8%***35%**14%***
Millersville borough10%***3%***18%***
Mount Joy borough18%***6%***19%***
Mountville borough0%***41%***2%***
New Holland borough25%***19%***15%***
Quarryville borough9%***26%**25%***
Strasburg borough10%***19%***0%***
Terre Hill borough9%***4%***12%***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township9%***10%***14%**
Brecknock township5%***3%***2%***
Caernarvon township16%**15%**9%***
Clay township18%**11%**4%***
Colerain township8%***21%**25%**
Conestoga township3%***3%***4%***
Conoy township4%***24%**2%***
Drumore township35%*18%***4%***
Earl township29%**14%**17%***
East Cocalico township14%**4%***9%***
East Donegal township4%***9%***4%***
East Drumore township11%***7%***5%***
East Earl township11%**9%***7%***
East Hempfield township5%**12%**7%***
East Lampeter township14%**8%**17%**
Eden township22%**21%**3%***
Elizabeth township15%***8%***3%***
Ephrata township9%**3%***17%**
Fulton township22%**17%**8%***
Lancaster township25%*22%*14%***
Leacock township3%***7%***8%***
Little Britain township2%***2%***4%***
Manheim township7%**7%**7%**
Manor township9%**6%***11%***
Martic township15%***9%***13%***
Mount Joy township23%**14%***1%***
Paradise township14%**31%*11%***
Penn township0%***8%***6%***
Pequea township14%***0%***3%***
Providence township22%**26%***13%***
Rapho township5%***0%***3%***
Sadsbury township13%**12%**16%**
Salisbury township9%**10%***5%***
Strasburg township8%***8%***18%***
Upper Leacock township23%*22%*9%***
Warwick township4%***11%**8%**
West Cocalico township2%***9%***18%**
West Donegal township2%***4%***2%***
West Earl township16%**20%**4%***
West Hempfield township6%***8%***4%***
West Lampeter township5%***4%***1%***
Berks County22%20%17%
Chester County8%8%7%
Cumberland County11%10%10%
Dauphin County20%21%17%
Lebanon County17%16%15%
York County15%15%11%

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
2009-132014-182019-23
Pennsylvania509,623475,463420,291
Lancaster County18,94317,82714,365
Lancaster City6,3605,0363,615
Lancaster County School Districts
School District of Lancaster7,2155,8914,165
Cocalico School District480*428*859*
Columbia Borough School District840*829*359**
Conestoga Valley School District1,516*1,336*1,091*
Donegal School District797*478*495***
Eastern Lancaster County School District1,482*916*882*
Elizabethtown Area School District402**800**307***
Ephrata Area School District794*820*840*
Hempfield School District553*1,211*555**
Lampeter-Strasburg School District334**365**344***
Manheim Central School District311**332***499**
Manheim Township School District621**591**628**
Penn Manor School District793*434***1,041*
Pequea Valley School District610*1,025*505**
Solanco School District1,4511,5441,172*
Warwick School District566**648*380**
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough26***0***123***
Akron borough80***17***76***
Christiana borough35***22***51***
Columbia borough840*829*359**
Denver township44***164**95***
East Petersburg borough96***0***55***
Elizabethtown borough126***191***240***
Ephrata borough210***524*315***
Lititz borough240***97***0***
Manheim borough201**142***302***
Marietta borough43***196**57***
Millersville borough87***28***231***
Mount Joy borough294***92***360***
Mountville borough0***311***13***
New Holland borough319***199***231***
Quarryville borough48***213**180***
Strasburg borough75***143***0***
Terre Hill borough28***14***36***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township118***115***174**
Brecknock township104***45***40***
Caernarvon township238**216**120***
Clay township285**202**62***
Colerain township99***308**337**
Conestoga township24***23***25***
Conoy township26***191**11***
Drumore township337*132***29***
Earl township563**261**361***
East Cocalico township364**94***226***
East Donegal township74***190***78***
East Drumore township92***77***49***
East Earl township230**181***94***
East Hempfield township234**580**355***
East Lampeter township547**334**762**
Eden township149**144**28***
Elizabeth township139***80***34***
Ephrata township219**77***387**
Fulton township183**178**89***
Lancaster township855*855*550***
Leacock township53***119***129***
Little Britain township27***19***43***
Manheim township621**591**628**
Manor township372**267***566***
Martic township176***116***186***
Mount Joy township590**358***27***
Paradise township224**532*201***
Penn township0***182***127***
Pequea township134***0***33***
Providence township398**358***243***
Rapho township110***8***70***
Sadsbury township143**157**192**
Salisbury township333**374***175***
Strasburg township108***103***293***
Upper Leacock township628*563*223***
Warwick township187***471**346**
West Cocalico township46***170***415**
West Donegal township46***60***29***
West Earl township341**439**106***
West Hempfield township223***320***132***
West Lampeter township151***119***51***
Berks County20,43818,43016,305
Chester County9,6839,6968,914
Cumberland County5,3585,0835,242
Dauphin County12,15612,49710,792
Lebanon County5,0804,8774,905
York County14,61514,42010,961

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%.




INDICATORS TREND
Prekindergarten Participation Increasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
Per-Student Spending Maintaining
Students Receiving Special Education Services Increasing
Rate of Foster Care Admissions Maintaining
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Plans of High School Graduates Not Applicable
Enrollment in Local Colleges Decreasing
College Graduation Rates Decreasing
Brain Drain/Gain Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Charitable Giving Maintaining
Voter Registration Rate Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Age of Housing Stock Not Applicable
Violent Crime Rate Maintaining
Incarceration Rate Decreasing
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population Density Increasing
Air Quality Decreasing
Water Use Decreasing
Waterways Impaired by Pollution Not Applicable
Change in Population Increasing
Change in Population by Age and Gender Not Applicable
Population by Age Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Increasing
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Maintaining
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector Not Applicable
Sector Share of Total Jobs Not Applicable
Workers by Occupation Not Applicable
Change in Labor Force Maintaining
People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Since 2000 Increasing
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Maintaining
Employer Size Not Applicable
Change in Number of Businesses by Sector Increasing
Change in Total Agricultural Sales Increasing
Spending for Local Government Maintaining
Spending for School Districts Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty Decreasing
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Decreasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Veterans Living in Poverty Increasing
Working Poor Maintaining
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Median Household Income Maintaining
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance Maintaining
Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch Increasing
Median Home Value Maintaining
Occupied Housing Units Increasing
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Rent Maintaining
Cost of Renting Decreasing
Households Without Vehicles Maintaining
Means of Transportation to Work, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Health Status Decreasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Adults Who are Overweight or Obese Not Applicable
Mortality Rates Decreasing
Mortality Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Fatal Drug Overdoses Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Households With Internet Access Increasing
High-Tech Jobs Increasing
STEM Graduates Increasing
Science and Engineering Research and Development Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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