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Maine
Statistics on children, youth and families in Maine from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Maine Children's Alliance
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Why This Indicator Matters
In the United States, there is significant income inequality based on race and ethnicity. Our history, systems, structures and policies constitute the root causes of this economic inequality. Poverty plays a key role in children's well-being and is related to every KIDS COUNT indicator. Children who live in poverty, especially those who live in poverty for long periods of time, are at an increased risk for poor health, cognitive, social, and educational outcomes. They are more likely to have physical, behavioral, and emotional health problems; to have difficulty in school; to become teen parents; and to earn less as adults.
What the data shows
Due to systemic racism, the rate of poverty for Maine children who were identified in the survey as "American Indian or Alaskan Native", "Black or African American", "Asian", or "Two or More Races" have higher poverty rates than the state child poverty rate. The Black alone child poverty rate in Maine for 2020-2024 was estimated to be 35.2%. This rate for Black children is an improvement from the 53% rate for the 5-year non-overlapping period of 2013-2017.
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What the data shows
Due to systemic racism, the rate of poverty for Maine children who were identified in the survey as "American Indian or Alaskan Native", "Black or African American", "Asian", or "Two or More Races" have higher poverty rates than the state child poverty rate. The Black alone child poverty rate in Maine for 2020-2024 was estimated to be 35.2%. This rate for Black children is an improvement from the 53% rate for the 5-year non-overlapping period of 2013-2017.
Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
The percent of Maine children under age 18 who live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. In 2024, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $31,200. This data is based on 5-year averages, so 2024 represents 2020-2024. Race is from the US Census American Community Survey categories. "Non-Hispanic White" appears instead of "White alone".
The race category of "Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander " and the category, "Some other race" are not included, as the numbers surveyed were too small to produce reliable estimates for these groups.
The race category of "Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander " and the category, "Some other race" are not included, as the numbers surveyed were too small to produce reliable estimates for these groups.
Data Source
Notes
For populations such as race and ethnicities in Maine that have fewer than 8,000 children caution must be used in interpreting the results since the number of households surveyed in the American Community Survey make the data less accurate and precise for these smaller populations.
In 2024, this applies to the categories of American Indian or Alaska Native (n=1,263), Black or African American (n=7,967), and Asian (n=2,329).
In 2024, this applies to the categories of American Indian or Alaska Native (n=1,263), Black or African American (n=7,967), and Asian (n=2,329).
Last Updated
February 2026