Children raised in impoverished environments are at higher risk for a wide variety of health and social problems, including poor performance in school. The challenges they face in childhood can diminish their chances for successful adult lives.

In 2016-20, 6% of both white and Asian children in Westchester County were living in poverty. In contrast, 16% of Hispanic children and 17% of African American children in were living in poverty.

Rates across all racial and ethnic groups in Westchester County were below the statewide and national rates. Among similar counties, rates of poverty among Hispanic children were highest in Rockland at 23%, followed by Westchester at 16%, Nassau at 13% and Putnam at 7%. Rates of poverty among African American children were highest in Rockland (18%), followed by Westchester (17%), Nassau (9%) and Putnam (7%).

Child poverty rates in Westchester County decreased among Hispanic and African American children (down 8 points and 7 points respectively) from 2000 through 2016-20, and increased by 1 point for Asian children. The rate among white children remained unchanged.

As people of color have historically been and continue to be locked out of economic opportunity in many ways, poverty crosses generations, and child poverty rates are higher. Factors include: living in a single-parent household, especially if the single parent is female; having parent(s) who are unemployed, employed and/or underemployed in low-wage jobs or incarcerated; and living in communities that have experienced disinvestment and have ineffective and/or under-resourced schools.

The multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval).

The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Poverty status is not reported for people in institutions, including college dormitories and military barracks, and people in living situations without conventional housing. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.