Child Poverty Rates Dropped in 8 States While Poverty Rates for Older Population Rose in 10 States

DATA USER NOTE:

On July 17, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics re-released SPM thresholds for 2019-2024 following the discovery of coding errors. The U.S. Census Bureau will publish revised SPM poverty rates using these updated thresholds prior to the release of the annual poverty report in September. Refer to BLS statement and Census statement for more information.

Poverty rates for both the youngest and oldest populations changed in many states in 2023, according to American Community Survey (ACS) data released today.

Child poverty rates decreased in eight states and poverty rates for the 65 and older population increased in 10 states. No state experienced both a decrease in the child poverty rate and an increase in the poverty rate for the 65 and older population in 2023.

While the poverty rate for those age 65 and over remained lower than the poverty rate for children in 2023, it rose 0.3 percentage points while the child poverty rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points from 2022.

The three maps below show the difference in state poverty rates when using the same poverty rate categories for all three age groups.

New Hampshire, Vermont and Utah were in the lowest poverty category for all three age groups. Five other states (North Dakota, Minnesota, Maryland, Colorado and Idaho) were in the lowest poverty map category for two age groups and the next lowest for the third.

While no state was in the highest poverty category for each age group, Mississippi was in the highest poverty category for one age group and the second highest for the other two.

The U.S. poverty rate in the ACS was 12.5% in 2023, but the rate was significantly higher for the nation’s youngest populations and lower for the oldest (Figure 1).

The child (defined as people under age 18) poverty rate was 16.0% in 2023, 3.5 percentage points higher than the overall rate.

But the poverty rate for those age 65 and over was 11.3%, 1.2 percentage points lower than the overall rate. The poverty rate for those ages 18 to 64 was 11.5%, also lower than the overall rate.

While the poverty rate for those age 65 and over remained lower than the poverty rate for children in 2023, it rose 0.3 percentage points while the child poverty rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points from 2022.

This is the second year in a row that the annual poverty rates changed in opposite directions for these two groups at the national level. However, examining state estimates provides important context.

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