Rural

Children

At A 

Glance

Nonmetro child poverty rates, 2000

Less than 

21 percent

21 to 49 percent

50 percent 

or more

United States Department of Agriculture

Economic Research Service

Economic Information Bulletin Number 1 

March 2005

The number of children under age 18 in the United States increased

from 63.6 million in 1990 to 72.1 million in 2000. The number of

children in nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) areas increased by 

3 percent, compared with an increase of 16 percent in metropolitan (metro)

areas. A number of nonmetro counties lost population in the 1990s, and 

the small increase in the number of children may reflect the outmigration 

of young families. 

Child poverty in 21st century America is higher (18 percent in 2003) than

the rate for the general population (12.5 percent), as well as above the rates in

most other industrialized countries. Child poverty is a significant social 

problem that negatively affects children’s development. Although rural child

poverty rates declined in the 1990s, they remain higher than the rates for urban

children (21 percent vs. 18 percent). In 2003, 2.7 million rural children were

poor, representing 36 percent of the rural poor. Nonmetro children are 

more likely than metro children to receive food stamps and free or 

reduced-price school lunches, in part a reflection of higher nonmetro poverty.

The geographic distribution of child poverty—heavily concentrated in the

South—is important for targeting poverty reduction policies and program 

assistance such as child nutrition programs, food stamps, and health insurance

coverage in rural areas.

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) analyzes ongoing changes in

rural areas and assesses Federal, State, and local strategies to enhance 

economic opportunity and quality of life for rural Americans. Following are the

most current indicators of the demographic, social, and economic well-being of

rural children for use in developing rural policies and programs to assist 

children and their families in rural areas.
Diversity Characterizes Today’s 

Child Population in Rural Areas 

The size and

geographic distribution of the child

population determine the demand

for schools, health care, and other

services and facilities that serve 

children and their families. 

The number of children in the

rural United States grew by 

3 percent between 1990 and

2000. Children (under age 18)

represented a smaller and more

diverse—but still substantial—

proportion of the nonmetro 

population in 2000 (17 percent)

than in 1990 (19 percent). 

The largest share of rural children (45 percent) resided in the South, and most of the

increase in this region’s child population occurred among minorities. 

Racial/Ethnic Diversity Increased Between 1990 and 2000

In 2000, 80 percent of nonmetro children were White, a decline of about 

4 percentage points since 1990, due primarily to an increased share of Hispanic 

children. 

The proportion of Hispanic children increased from 5 percent in 1990 to 8 percent

in 2000, a result of high fertility rates and substantial immigration of Hispanics to the

United States. Although Hispanic children and their families are concentrated in the

Southwest, Hispanic children were more dispersed throughout nonmetro America 

in 2000 than in 1990. 

About 10 percent of nonmetro children were Black in 2000, essentially the same 

as in 1990, and concentrated chiefly in the nonmetro South. Children of 

Native American heritage remained at 3 percent of the nonmetro child population 

in 2000. Asian-American children comprise less than one percent of nonmetro

children.

Children Are More Likely To 

Live in Mother-Only Families 

The number of children in mother-only families increased in

the 1990s due to both high rates of divorce and 

out-of-wedlock childbearing, but at a much slower pace than

during the 1970s or 1980s. In 2004, 24 percent of 

nonmetro children under age 18 lived in mother-only 

families, up from 20 percent in 1990, but less than the 

percentage of metro children (26 percent).

Minority children are more likely to

live in mother-only families than

White children. In 2004, half of 

nonmetro Black children and 34 

percent of nonmetro Native

American children were in motheronly families, compared with 18 

percent of nonmetro White 

children. Children in mother-only

families may experience greater 

economic disadvantage than 

children in married-couple families

because their mothers often have

low earnings, their fathers may not 

contribute to their support, and/or

their financial assistance benefits

may not be sufficient to raise them

above poverty. 

Rural Children At A Glance

Northeast Midwest South West

Percent

Distribution of children by region and

metro-nonmetro residence, 2004

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Metro

Nonmetro

Black Hispanic Native

American

White

Percent

Children living with their mother only, by

race-ethnicity and metro-nonmetro

residence, 2004

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Metro

Nonmetro
Child Poverty Declined Between 1990 and 2000 

The percentage of children living in poverty is perhaps the most widely used 

indicator of child well-being, in part because poverty is closely linked to a number of less

desirable outcomes in areas such as health, education, emotional welfare, and 

delinquency. Poverty rates for children in nonmetro areas have historically been higher

than for children in metro areas, partly due to higher rural unemployment and a greater

share of low-wage jobs in rural areas. During the 1990s, child poverty rates declined in

large part due to welfare reform measures and an expanding economy, but the nonmetro

poverty rate continued to exceed the metro rate.

Child poverty rates declined in the late 1980s, increased in the early 1990s in both

metro and nonmetro areas, and peaked in 1993 at 22 percent in metro areas and 

24 percent in nonmetro areas. Beginning in 1994, child poverty rates dropped 

substantially, down to 18 percent in metro areas and 21 percent in nonmetro areas

in 2003. In the late 1990s, child poverty declined more rapidly in metro areas than

in nonmetro areas, widening the residential poverty gap. 

Child poverty rates vary across rural areas, increasing along a continuum of least to

most rural. In 2000, rates ranged from 18 percent in nonmetro counties with 

populations of 20,000 or more and adjacent to an urban (metro) area to 

23 percent in completely rural counties. Proximity to an urban area affected rural

poverty rates, with nonadjacent counties having higher child poverty rates than adjacent counties, regardless of their population size.

Child poverty rates declined between 1990 and 2000. Rates fell the most—

4 percentage points—in completely rural nonadjacent counties, compared with 

2 percentage points in nonmetro counties of 20,000 or more population and 

adjacent to a metro area. The declines resulted in a more even distribution of 

poverty rates across rural areas.

Rural child poverty has been most persistent and severe in Central Appalachia, the

Deep South (including the Mississippi River Delta), the Rio Grande border area, the

Southwest, and the American Indian communities in the Northern Plains. Although

poverty declined between 1990 and 2000, over 750 nonmetro counties (37 percent

of all nonmetro counties) had child poverty rates of 21 percent or more in 2000. 

In addition to the share of nonmetro children who were poor, 14 percent were

classified as near-poor in 2003 (in families with total incomes 100-149 percent of

the official poverty level), a proportion unchanged from 1990. The financial 

standing of the near-poor is precarious at best, with families moving in and 

out of poverty. 

Race/Ethnicity, Family

Structure, and Region Affect

Child Poverty

While most poor children are White,

minority children are overrepresented in the count of poor children 

relative to their share of the population. In nonmetro areas in 2003,

Black children were more than twice

as likely to be poor as White children

(44 percent vs.18 percent). 

Rural Children At A Glance

Percent

Poverty rates of children under 18 years old by rural-urban 

continuum code, 1990-2000

30

25

20

15

10

5

0 250,000

to

999,999

Metro Nonmetro

Less 

than

250,000

Adjacent Not adj. Adjacent Not adj. Adjacent Not adj.

Completely

rural

2,500-19,999

Urban

population

20,000+

Urban

population

1 million+

population

1990 2000
Nonmetro poverty rates for Black

children and Hispanic children

each declined 8 percentage points

between 1990 and 2000, compared with only a 2-percentagepoint decline for White children.

The ratio of Black child poverty to

White declined over the decade,

as did the ratio of Hispanic child

poverty to White, narrowing the

racial/ethnic gap in poverty. 

In the South, 19 percent of 

nonmetro children were poor,

compared with 18 percent in the

nonmetro West and 16 percent in

both the nonmetro Northeast 

and Midwest. 

Nearly 46 percent of nonmetro

children in mother-only families

were poor in 2003, compared

with 10 percent in two-parent families. Minority children in mother-only families

had higher poverty than White children in such families: nonmetro rates were 

59 percent for Black children, 56 percent for Hispanic children, 41 percent for Native

American children, and 42 percent for White children. Children in single-parent

families tend to have more school-related, health, and behavioral problems and to

live in families with lower incomes, complete fewer years of schooling, and earn 

less as adults. 

Other Indicators of Child Well-Being 

Differ by Metro-Nonmetro Status

Nonmetro children are more likely than metro children to have younger and less

educated parents, and children with younger and less educated parents are more likely

to be poor. Many poor and low-income working families do not earn enough money to

provide health care, childcare, and other critical services for their children. 

Rural Children At A Glance

Black Hispanic Native

American

White

Percent

Children below the poverty level by raceethnicity and metro-nonmetro

residence, 2003

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Metro

Nonmetro

1

Indicator Metro Nonmetro

All children

Metro Nonmetro

Poor children

Total, under age 18

Age of child

 Under 6 years

 6-11 years

 12-17 years

Family type

 Married-couple family

 Mother-only family

 Father-only family

Parental age

 18-29 years

 30-44 years

Parental education

 Less than high school

 High school graduate

 College -1 or more years

Parental labor force status

 Employed

 Not in labor force

60, 432

32.7

32.5

34.8

68.8

25.9

5.3

15.7

60.5

15.9

27.5

56.6

75.5

19.8

13,147

31.0

32.7

36.4

69.5

24.1

6.5

19.3

59.6

15.7

37.3

47.0

76.3

19.5

10,709

36.6

33.7

29.7

31.9

59.3

8.8

31.2

53.1

38.8

33.8

27.4

45.0

43.5

2,739

37.9

32.3

29.8

34.0

55.4

10.6

33.6

52.4

34.0

39.8

26.2

50.8

40.7

Number (1,000s)

Percentage

 Based on employment status and family income for the previous year. 1

 1

 1

 

Family and parental characteristics of children

under 18 by residence and poverty status, 2004
Parental Characteristics Have 

Implications for Child Well-Being

Children in families with a parent who did not complete high

school are likely to be worse off economically than children

with highly educated parents who are more marketable in the

labor force. Among all nonmetro children, 16 percent had 

parents who had not completed high school, but 34 percent of

nonmetro poor children had parents who had not completed

high school. 

About three-quarters of nonmetro children had parents who were employed in 2003,

compared with only half of nonmetro poor children. Poverty rates are higher for

children with unemployed parents or parents not in the labor force. The Earned

Income Tax Credit (EITC) may help many low-income working families, especially

those in the most remote rural areas where poverty rates are higher.

Proportionately Fewer Rural Than Urban 

Children Have Some Form of Health Insurance 

In 2001, 9.2 million children (12 percent) were not covered by health insurance—

7.6 million in metro areas and 1.6 million (22 percent) in nonmetro areas—despite

the availability of government health insurance programs for children in 

low-income families.

In 2002, 2.7 percent of nonmetro children and 2.1 percent of metro children had

needed medical care during the prior 12 months but had not received it because the

family could not afford it. A higher share of nonmetro children (8.8 percent) than

metro children (7.1 percent) had two or more emergency room visits in the previous 

12 months. Poor children are more likely than nonpoor children to have unmet 

medical needs, delayed medical care, no usual place of health care, and high use of

emergency room services.

Nonmetro Children Are More Likely Than Metro 

Children To Receive Government Food Assistance

In 2002, about the same share (16 to 17 percent) of nonmetro and metro children

resided in households that were food insecure—that is, lacking consistent access to

enough food for active, healthy living. A family’s ability to provide for children’s 

nutritional needs and secure access to adequate, nutritious food without relying on

emergency feeding programs is linked to family income and other resources.

In 2003, nonmetro children were more likely to receive food stamps (15 percent)

than metro children (12 percent); among poor children, 52 percent in nonmetro

areas received food stamps vs. 48 percent in metro areas. A greater share of 

nonmetro children received free or reduced-price lunches (40 percent) than metro

children (37 percent); about 75 percent of poor children (both metro and nonmetro)

received free or reduced-price lunches. 

The proportion of children receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

was lower for nonmetro than for metro children; in 2003, 10 percent of nonmetro

poor children received TANF, compared with 17 percent of metro poor children.

Similar shares of poor children in nonmetro (15 percent) and metro areas 

(16 percent) lived in public housing projects.

Rural Children At A Glance

1

Indicator Metro Nonmetro

All children

Metro Nonmetro

Poor children

Children receiving:

 Food stamps

 TANF

 Hot lunch

 Free or reduced-price lunch

Children living in public housing

12.0

3.8

66.8

37.3

9.1

15.3

2.8

78.7

40.3

10.0

47.8

17.0

80.0

73.9

16.4

52.2

10.4

84.6

74.7

15.1

Percentage

 Based on family income for the previous year.

Note: Households must meet a low-income threshold to qualify for food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy

Families (TANF), and free or reduced-price lunches.

 1

 1

Indicators of well-being for children under 18

by residence and poverty status, 2004
Economic Research Service

Rural Children At A Glance

General information about rural America can be found at www.ers.

usda.gov/Emphases/Rural . . . and about children in rural America at: 

www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/incomepovertywelfare/ChildPoverty/

For more information, contact Carolyn C. Rogers at crogers@ers.usda.gov

or 202-694-5436.

ERS website and contact person

This report is based on data from the 1990 and 2000 Censuses of

Population; the March 2004 Current Population Survey (CPS) data file, and

selected previous years; and the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. To

gauge the effects of parental characteristics on children’s economic well-being,

the child’s record in the CPS data file was linked to the parent’s data record. 

Data sources

Metro-nonmetro status—Metropolitan (metro) and nonmetropolitan 

(nonmetro) areas are defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Estimates from the Current Population Survey and the National Health

Interview Survey identify metro and nonmetro areas according to OMB’s 1993

designation. Under the 1993 classification, metro areas include central counties

with one or more cities of at least 50,000 residents or with an urbanized area of

50,000 or more and total area population of at least 100,000. Nonmetro 

counties are outside the boundaries of metro areas and have no cities with

50,000 residents or more. Data from the 2000 Census in this report are based

on OMB’s 2003 definition of metro and nonmetro areas. Under the 2003 

classification, metro areas are defined for all urbanized areas regardless of total

area population. Outlying counties are also classified as metro if they are 

economically tied to the central counties, as measured by the share of workers

commuting on a daily basis to the central counties. The rural-urban continuum

code distinguishes metro counties by total metro area size and nonmetro 

counties by degree of urbanization and proximity to metro areas. The 

terms “rural” and “nonmetro” are used interchangeably in this report. 

See http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/rurality/

Poverty rates—Any individual with income less than that deemed sufficient

to purchase basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, and other essential goods and

services is classified as poor. The income necessary to purchase these basic

needs varies by the size and composition of the household. The 2003 poverty

line for a four-person family is $18,810. Poverty lines are adjusted annually 

to correct for inflation. 

Definitions

“Dimensions of Child Poverty in Rural Areas,” Amber Waves, Vol. 1, No. 5,

2003. The proportion of rural children in families with incomes below the 

poverty level declined from 22 percent in 1990 to 19 percent in 2000. With a child

poverty rate much higher than that of the general population, the Nation has much

to gain from improving the economic conditions of children and their families.

www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/November03/Findings/childpoverty.htm

FoodReview: Examining the Well-Being of Children—The theme 

for this issue is ‘’America’s Children.’’ Articles discuss the well-being of 

U.S children, children’s diet quality, the problem of overweight children in 

the U.S., foodborne disease among children, the economics of breastfeeding, 

and food assistance programs that help children and their families.

www.ers.usda.gov/publications/Food Review/may2001

ERS Research on Children . . .

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race,

color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. 

(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication

of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 

(voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 

14th and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.