Figure G
More than one in five children fall below the poverty line in seven of the 17 Southern states: Child poverty rates by state, 2023
| Southern states plus D.C. and U.S. | Child poverty rate |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 25.0% |
| Mississippi | 23.2% |
| Alabama | 21.1% |
| Kentucky | 21.0% |
| Arkansas | 20.9% |
| Oklahoma | 20.8% |
| West Virginia | 20.1% |
| Tennessee | 19.7% |
| South Carolina | 19.1% |
| Georgia | 18.4% |
| Texas | 18.4% |
| North Carolina | 17.6% |
| District of Columbia | 17.1% |
| United States | 16.0% |
| Florida | 15.7% |
| Delaware | 15.2% |
| Virginia | 12.7% |
| Maryland | 10.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. 2023b. “S1703: Selected Characteristics of People at Specified Levels of Poverty in the Past 12 Months.” Public data series accessed via the Census data tool. Accessed March 2025.
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