Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
Michigan Value:
Ratio of the childhood poverty rate of the racial/ethnic group with the highest rate (varies by state) to the non-Hispanic white rate
Michigan Rank:
Additional Measures:
Explore Population Data:
Appears In:
Ratio of the childhood poverty rate of the racial/ethnic group with the highest rate (varies by state) to the non-Hispanic white rate
US Value: 3.0
Top State(s): Kentucky: 1.9
Bottom State(s): Rhode Island: 8.8
Definition: Ratio of the childhood poverty rate of the racial/ethnic group with the highest rate (varies by state) to the non-Hispanic white rate
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2017-2021
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Large and persistent racial/ethnic disparities exist among children living in poverty in the United States. Approximately 9% of American children under the age of 9 live in deep poverty (below 50% of the federal poverty level). Significant variation exists among different racial/ethnic groups living in deep poverty, ranging from 5% of non-Hispanic white children to 18% of non-Hispanic Black children. Families with incomes below the federal poverty level may struggle to meet the basic needs of their children.
Across all age groups, Black and Hispanic populations have remained consistently overrepresented in poverty. The persistence of poverty across generations is more common among Black than white families. Studies show that Black children who experience a year or more of childhood poverty are twice as likely as their white counterparts to experience adulthood poverty.
The prevalence of childhood poverty is higher among:
Recent innovations to mitigate the adverse effects of childhood poverty use the two-generation approach, which promotes family resilience by combining support and education programs for parents with early childhood intervention programs to create a stronger whole-family experience.
Many government programs and community interventions exist to help reduce the number of children in poverty and support low-income families:
The earned income tax credit (EITC), the largest U.S. poverty-alleviation program, provides a tax credit to employed families and individuals living in poverty. Research shows the benefits of the program include decreased prevalence of low birth weight and preterm birth infants and increased prevalence of breastfeeding. One study calculated that an annual $3,000 from the EITC for a family with a child younger than 5 will cause an average 19% increase in future earnings for the child.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps, provides nutrition benefits to families in need.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides food and nutritional support specifically to pregnant and postpartum women and children. WIC has been associated with a lower prevalence of low birth weight infants, with greater gains among women with low education.
Child First is a comprehensive program that provides financial, housing and food help and early childhood interventions for low-income families.
Medicaid provides health care to low-income adults, pregnant women and children.
Universal basic income programs can provide those living in poverty with regular cash transfers to meet basic needs regardless of employment status, age or other restrictive conditions.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine proposed four policy packages that would reduce child poverty by 24%-52% while using existing policy options to maximize effectiveness.
While not specific to children, reducing the proportion of people living in poverty is a Healthy People 2030 economic stability objective.
Duncan, Greg J., Kathleen M. Ziol-Guest, and Ariel Kalil. “Early-Childhood Poverty and Adult Attainment, Behavior, and Health.” Child Development 81, no. 1 (January 2010): 306–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01396.x.
Hamad, Rita, and David H. Rehkopf. “Poverty, Pregnancy, and Birth Outcomes: A Study of the Earned Income Tax Credit.” Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 29, no. 5 (September 2015): 444–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppe.12211.
Hoynes, Hilary, Marianne Page, and Ann Huff Stevens. “Can Targeted Transfers Improve Birth Outcomes?: Evidence from the Introduction of the WIC Program.” Journal of Public Economics 95, no. 7 (August 1, 2011): 813–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.12.006.
Hoynes, Hilary W., and Ankur J. Patel. “Effective Policy for Reducing Inequality? The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Distribution of Income.” Working Paper 21340. National Bureau of Economic Research, July 2015. https://doi.org/10.3386/w21340.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty. Edited by Greg Duncan and Suzanne Le Menestrel. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.17226/25246.
Nguyen, Uyen Sophie, Sheila Smith, and Maribel R. Granja. “Young Children in Deep Poverty: Racial/Ethnic Disparities and Child Well-Being Compared to Other Income Groups.” New York: National Center for Children in Poverty, Bank Street Graduate School of Education, 2020. https://www.nccp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Deep-Poverty-Report-11.11.20_Final.pdf.
Sandel, Megan, Elena Faugno, Angela Mingo, Jessie Cannon, Kymberly Byrd, Dolores Acevedo Garcia, Sheena Collier, Elizabeth McClure, and Renée Boynton Jarrett. “Neighborhood-Level Interventions to Improve Childhood Opportunity and Lift Children Out of Poverty.” Academic Pediatrics 16, no. 3 (April 2016): S128–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.01.013.
Wilson-Simmons, Renée, Yang Jiang, and Yumiko Aratani. “Strong at the Broken Places: The Resiliency of Low-Income Parents.” New York: National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, April 2017. https://www.nccp.org/publication/strong-at-the-broken-places/.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.