Large Numbers of Bay Area Kids Live in Families Earning Under $20K Annually

March 05, 2008

Contact: Andy Krackov, senior director of public information, at (650) 736-0677 or andy.krackov@lpfch.org, if you have questions about these data.

Families in high-cost regions such as the Bay Area can earn above the federal poverty level and still be in poverty. Kidsdata.org, a comprehensive data website provided by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, has expanded to include more facts about Bay Area children whose families live in poverty. The new data, which are available by race/ethnicity and county, indicate that:

• In the Bay Area in 2006, an estimated 70,000 Latino/Hispanic children ages 0-17 lived in families earning below the federal poverty level of $20,000 in annual household income.

• In California in 2006, 1.1 million Latino children ages 0-17 lived in families earning below the federal poverty level.

• In the Bay Area in 2006, Latino/Hispanic and African American kids were more likely to live below the federal poverty level than children from other racial/ethnic groups.

• Statewide in 2006, about one-quarter of African American and Latino/Hispanic children lived below the federal poverty level, more than other racial/ethnic groups.