Urban Children Increasingly Low Income

"Nearly one-third of Americans live in urban areas. Although cities offer many social and economic opportunities, children in urban areas are more likely to live in low-income families than are rural or suburban children. Material hardship can have negative, long-term social, emotional, and developmental consequences for children; children in urban areas are disproportionately vulnerable. The majority of children in urban areas live in low-income families, and the percent has risen significantly since 2000. Currently,

• 51% of children in urban areas—8.9 million—live in low-income families—up from 48% in 2000.
• 29% of children in suburban areas—9.1 million—live in low-income families—up from 27% in 2000.
• 46% of children in rural areas—5.1 million—live in low-income families—up from 44% in 2000."

By National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Link to Webpage (last visited 11-23-05 NVS)