The U.S. Census Bureau has released its 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), providing updated statistics on income and poverty for all 3,143 counties and 13,126 school districts across the United States.
According to the new data, the median estimated poverty rate for children ages 5 to 17 in U.S. school districts was 12.5% in 2024. The SAIPE program offers the only single-year income and poverty statistics at this detailed geographic level.
The data are important for federal funding decisions. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act allocates funds to school districts based on their number and percentage of children from low-income families. The U.S. Department of Education will use these estimates to determine fiscal year 2027 funding for states and school districts during the 2026-2027 academic year under Title I and other federal education programs.
In terms of household income, county-level median figures ranged from $34,802 to $177,457 in 2024, with a national median of $66,757 across all counties. Compared to the previous year, median household income increased in 10.1% of counties and decreased in 1.8%.
County-level poverty rates varied widely as well, ranging from 3.8% to 55.7%, with a median rate of 13.2%. From 2023 to 2024, poverty rates decreased in 4.5% of counties but increased in 1.9%. For school-age children specifically (ages 5 to 17), county-level poverty rates ranged from 2.4% up to as high as 76.7%, with a median rate of 16.1%.
Additional tables published by the Census Bureau provide more detailed breakdowns at both state and district levels—covering statistics such as total population, numbers of people or children in various age groups living in poverty, and household incomes.
The SAIPE estimates are generated using statistical model-based methods that combine sample survey data with information from decennial censuses and administrative records.
For more details about how these estimates are produced, interested readers can review the SAIPE methodology on the Census Bureau’s website.
