Report: 1 in 10 San Diego kids live in poverty
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
More than one in 10 children live in poverty in San Diego County, the most expensive place to live in the U.S., per one recent ranking. The numbers rise for Black and Latino children.
Driving the news: That's nearly 86,000 kids, enough to fill Petco Park twice, according to an economic equity report released Wednesday by the San Diego Foundation.
- These children's families live below the federal poverty line, which is $30,000 a year for a family of four in 2023.
Why it matters: By showing the extent of economic insecurity and equity gaps in the San Diego region, the foundation hopes this report can guide investments by philanthropists, potential donors and government funding at the state and national level to help close the gaps.
By the numbers: The report, which uses 2021 data, shows substantial racial disparities in youth poverty.
- Black children were 2.5 times as likely as white children to live in poverty.
- Latino children were twice as likely.
Between the lines: The poverty threshold is set at the federal level and does not take into account the local cost of living.
- That means the number of children and families living in poverty by the federal definition is much smaller than the number of people who can't afford basic needs like housing, food and child care.
What they're saying: "Growing up poor can have a substantial negative impact on the educational, economic and health outcomes of children early in life," the report says.
The big picture: The percentage of U.S. Hispanics living in poverty has dropped significantly in the last decade. While that's also true in California, the figure remains well above the national average.
Context: San Diego is a "majority-minority" county, meaning most residents are people of color.
- Latinos make up about 35% of San Diego County's population, per the report.
- About 7% are Black or African American.
Zoom out: The U.S. as a whole is set to reach the majority minority distinction by 2045.
- Children of color already make up the majority of children in the U.S. and in California, census data shows.