The Economic Well-Being of Nonmetro Children

Twenty-four percent of children residing in nonmetro areas are in families below the official poverty line, 12 percent are near poor (above the official poverty line, but with family incomes less than 1-1/2 times the poverty level), and 64 percent are in families of at least modest means (at least 1-1/2 times the official poverty line). Children residing in metro areas are in a somewhat better financial position, with 20 percent poor, less than 10 percent near poor, and almost 71 percent of at least modest means. Poverty rates for children in nonmetro areas have historically been higher than rates for children in metro areas. Children in mother-only families are more likely to be poor than are children in married-couple families. For example, 61 percent of nonmetro children living with a single female householder are below the poverty level, but only 14 percent of those living in married-couple families are below the poverty line. Other things being equal, the strongest predictors of the economic status of children are parental education, the number of siblings in the family, and family type (either married-couple or mother-only family). Nonmetro residence increases the likelihood that a child will live in a family below the official poverty line.