The U.S. Census Bureau recently released the results of the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS), a reliable, annual source for up-to-date information on social, economic, and housing data and trends every year. This 1-year ACS data snapshot provides local statistics on a broad range of demographic and economic topics, including health insurance coverage, household income, educational attainment, and more.
Here are some data points most relevant to the well-being of Pennsylvania children compared to the prior year:
Poverty
- The number of Pennsylvania children under age 18 living in families below the federal poverty level (less than 100% FPL) decreased from 404,000 to almost 396,000, or from 16% to15%.
- Stark racial gaps remain for children living in poverty. Approximately 31% of Black or African American children live in poverty, as well as 26% of Hispanic or Latino children; 10% of Non-Hispanic White children, and 20% of children with two or more races. The largest percentage increase was for Asian and Pacific Islander children living in poverty, which increased from 10% to 13%.
- The number of Pennsylvania children under age18 living in low-income families (less than 200% FPL) fell from 913,000 to 879,000, decreasing from 35% to 34%.
Early Learning
- The rate of Pennsylvania children under age 6 who have all available parents in the labor force remained at 72%.
- Pennsylvania children under age 6 eligible for Pre-K Counts (less than 300% FPL) decreased from 54% to 51%.
Child Welfare
- More than 63,700 grandparents (a decrease of more than 15%) are responsible for nearly 80,300 grandchildren (a decrease of 15%).
Like last year, Pennsylvania’s rates in the latest release of the ACS remain in line with national averages. The 2024 ACS shows that Pennsylvania was one of 23 states with a statistically significant decrease in Medicaid coverage for children under age 19. However, child uninsured rate remains below the national average of 6%. The Medicaid unwinding process, spurred by the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, impacted the first few months of 2024. The relatively small change in the child uninsured rate is directly related to advocates working with government to streamline the process.
Stay tuned for additional context provided in our annual State of Children’s Health report to be released later this year about why the increase in uninsured children could be a warning sign for years to come.
Check out our data webpage to access these updates and more within the Pennsylvania KIDS COUNT® Data Center.