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Complete Health Indicator Report of Utah Population Characteristics: Poverty, Children Age 17 and Under

Definition

Percentage of children age 17 and younger living in households with income at or below the federal poverty threshold.

Numerator

Estimated number of children age 17 and younger living in households with income at or below the federal poverty threshold as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Denominator

Estimated number age 17 and younger in Utah.

Data Interpretation Issues

Poverty status is determined by comparing annual income to a set of dollar values called thresholds that vary by family size, number of children, and age of householder. If a family's before tax money income is less than the dollar value of their threshold, then that family and every individual in it are considered to be in poverty. For people not living in families, poverty status is determined by comparing the individual's income to his or her threshold. The poverty thresholds are updated annually to allow for changes in the cost of living using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). They do not vary geographically. The poverty threshold for a family of four including two children was $27,479 in 2021.

Why Is This Important?

Poverty takes into account both income and family size, and has both immediate and long-lasting effects on health. Income provides an assessment of the financial resources available to individual persons or families for basic necessities (e.g., food, clothing, and health care) to maintain or improve their well-being. Persons living in poverty are worse off than persons in more affluent households for many of the indicators tracked by the Utah Department of Health. Poverty in the early years of a child's life, more than at any other time, has especially harmful effects on continuing healthy development and well-being, including developmental delays and infant mortality. Well-being in later childhood, such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and educational attainment, is also influenced by early childhood poverty.

Healthy People Objective SDOH-3.2:

Proportion of children aged 0-17 years living in poverty
U.S. Target: Not applicable; this measure is being tracked for informational purposes.

Other Objectives

Utah's 42 Community Health Indicators

How Are We Doing?

According to the American Community Survey (ACS), an estimated 9.9% of Utah children aged 17 or under (approximately 91,433 Utah children) were living in poverty in 2019. Children born into poverty are less likely to have regular health care, proper nutrition, and opportunities for mental stimulation and enrichment.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

Utah has a lower percentage of children in poverty than the U.S. as a whole, 9.9% vs. 16.8% in 2019.

What Is Being Done?

While the Utah Department of Health has no program designed to reduce the number of children in poverty, there are programs such as Medicaid and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) that pay for health care for eligible children.

Available Services

For information on the Medicaid program: [[br]] In the Salt Lake City area, call 801-538-6155.[[br]] In Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada, call toll-free 1-800-662-9651.[[br]] From other states, call 1-801-538-6155.[[br]] Medicaid Customer Service staff are available to take inquiries.[[br]] Or visit the Utah Medicaid website:[[br]] [http://www.health.utah.gov/medicaid/][[br]] [[br]] For information on CHIP and the PCN:[[br]] Call the Health Resource Line: 1-888-222-2542[[br]] Or visit the their websites:[[br]] CHIP: Children's Health Insurance Program (for children 0-18) -[[br]] [http://www.health.state.ut.us/chip][[br]] PCN: Utah Primary Care Network (for low-income adults) -[[br]] [http://www.health.utah.gov/pcn/][[br]] [[br]] Voices for Utah Children is a private, not-for-profit organization that advocates for children. Information about their activities may be found on their website - [http://www.utahchildren.org]


Related Indicators

Relevant Population Characteristics

Being a younger or single parent increases the risk of living in poverty.

Related Relevant Population Characteristics Indicators:


Health Care System Factors

Families in poverty are less likely to have private health insurance coverage. Many children living at or near the poverty level are eligible for public health insurance programs, such as Medicaid and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program).

Related Health Care System Factors Indicators:


Risk Factors

One of the best ways for adults to avoid poverty is to get a good education. Adolescents who give birth are more likely to live in poverty since they are more likely to limit their education. The association between poverty and health status is probably bi-directional. That is, persons with chronic mental or physical illness are less able to achieve their educational goals and get good jobs. At the same time, persons who have lower incomes are less able to afford health care and may have less healthy lifestyles. For instance, persons with lower education and income levels are more likely to smoke cigarettes and less likely to get regular exercise.

Related Risk Factors Indicators:


Health Status Outcomes

Low socio-economic status is a risk factor for many diseases and health problems for persons of all ages. Children in poverty are at higher risk for health problems such as asthma and dental disease. Children in poverty are also at increased risk of hunger and poor performance in school. An important goal of services to children in poverty is to break the "cycle of poverty" in which children in poverty are raised in conditions that promote poverty in adulthood.

Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:




Graphical Data Views

Percentage of children in poverty by year, Utah and U.S., 1995-2021

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

The data for this graph come from the Current Population Survey (CPS) for years 1995-2007, from the American Community Survey (ACS) for years 2008-2016 and from Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for years 2017-2021
Utah vs. U.S.YearPercentage of childrenLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 54
Utah199510.5%9.4%11.6%
Utah199611.3%9.3%13.3%
Utah199712.5%10.4%14.5%
Utah199814.0%9.9%18.1%
Utah19997.1%4.2%10.0%
Utah200011.6%8.0%15.2%
Utah200112.5%9.7%15.3%
Utah200212.5%9.9%15.1%
Utah200312.4%10.8%14.0%
Utah200413.2%11.4%15.0%
Utah200511.8%10.1%13.5%
Utah200612.6%10.9%14.3%
Utah200712.6%10.9%14.3%
Utah200810.5%9.7%11.3%
Utah200912.2%11.2%13.2%
Utah201015.7%14.7%16.7%
Utah201115.9%14.7%17.1%
Utah201215.1%13.9%16.3%
Utah201314.8%13.8%15.8%
Utah201413.3%12.2%14.4%
Utah201512.9%10.8%11.8%
Utah201611.1%10.2%12.0%
Utah201710.6%9.9%11.3%
Utah20189.7%9.0%10.4%
Utah20199.6%8.9%10.3%
Utah20207.5%6.8%8.2%
Utah20218.5%7.9%9.1%
U.S.199520.8%20.1%21.5%
U.S.199620.5%19.8%21.1%
U.S.199719.9%19.2%20.6%
U.S.199818.9%18.2%19.6%
U.S.199916.9%16.2%17.6%
U.S.200016.1%15.5%16.7%
U.S.200116.3%15.8%16.8%
U.S.200216.7%16.2%17.2%
U.S.200317.6%17.3%17.9%
U.S.200417.8%17.5%18.1%
U.S.200517.6%17.3%17.9%
U.S.200617.4%17.1%17.7%
U.S.200718.0%17.7%18.3%
U.S.200818.2%18.0%18.4%
U.S.200920.0%19.8%20.2%
U.S.201021.6%21.4%21.8%
U.S.201122.5%22.3%22.7%
U.S.201222.6%22.4%22.8%
U.S.201322.2%22.0%22.4%
U.S.201421.7%21.5%21.9%
U.S.201520.7%20.5%20.9%
U.S.201619.5%19.3%19.7%
U.S.201718.4%18.2%18.6%
U.S.201818.0%17.8%18.2%
U.S.201916.8%16.6%17.0%
U.S.202015.7%15.7%15.7%
U.S.202116.9%16.7%17.1%

Data Notes

Both the ACS and CPS data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value.

Data Sources

  • U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates, Model-based Estimates for States, Counties, & School Districts
  • U.S. Current Population Survey
  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • American Community Survey


Percentage of children in poverty by county, Utah, 2021

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

CountyPercentage of childrenLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 31
Beaver13.0%9.1%16.9%
Box Elder8.1%5.7%10.5%
Cache9.0%6.9%11.1%
Carbon17.8%12.9%22.7%
Daggett11.2%7.7%14.7%
Davis6.4%5.1%7.7%
Duchesne16.3%11.6%21.0%
Emery14.8%10.5%19.1%
Garfield15.0%10.4%19.6%
Grand16.8%11.6%22.0%
Iron14.5%10.4%18.6%
Juab10.8%7.7%13.9%
Kane12.5%8.7%16.3%
Millard13.7%9.4%18.0%
Morgan4.6%3.2%6.0%
Piute25.3%17.4%33.2%
Rich11.3%7.8%14.8%
Salt Lake8.9%7.6%10.2%
San Juan30.4%23.4%37.4%
Sanpete12.0%8.0%16.0%
Sevier12.4%8.4%16.4%
Summit5.8%4.2%7.4%
Tooele6.0%4.0%8.0%
Uintah15.2%10.7%19.7%
Utah6.2%4.9%7.5%
Wasatch6.2%4.3%8.1%
Washington9.9%7.0%12.8%
Wayne15.3%10.5%20.1%
Weber10.4%8.1%12.7%
State8.5%7.9%9.1%
U.S.16.9%16.7%17.1%

Data Notes

For information on how SAIPE estimates are created, please see: [https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/technical-documentation/methodology.html].

Data Source

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates, Model-based Estimates for States, Counties, & School Districts


Child poverty by Local Health District, Utah, 2021

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Local Health DistrictPercentage of childrenLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 15
Bear River8.5%7.9%9.1%
Central8.7%7.1%10.3%
Davis County12.4%10.5%14.3%
Salt Lake County6.4%5.1%7.7%
San Juan8.9%7.6%10.2%
Southeast30.4%23.4%37.4%
Southwest11.3%9.1%13.5%
Summit5.8%4.2%7.4%
Tooele6.0%4.0%8.0%
TriCounty15.5%12.2%18.8%
Utah County6.2%4.9%7.5%
Wasatch6.2%4.3%8.1%
Weber-Morgan10.1%8.0%12.2%
State of Utah8.5%7.9%9.1%
U.S.16.9%16.7%17.1%

Data Notes

The poverty threshold for a family of four including two children was $27,479 in 2021.

Data Source

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates, Model-based Estimates for States, Counties, & School Districts


Percentage of children in poverty by race and age group, Utah, 2017-2021

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Data from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate. Table B17020A-E
RaceEth: Am. Indian, Asian, Black, Pacific Is, Whiteage groupPercentage of childrenLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 15
American IndianUnder 6 years32.7%24.1%41.3%
American Indian6 to 11 years32.0%25.8%38.2%
American Indian12 to 17 years31.0%24.1%37.9%
AsianUnder 6 years8.7%4.4%13.0%
Asian6 to 11 years12.6%7.7%17.5%
Asian12 to 17 years15.5%10.4%20.6%
BlackUnder 6 years20.8%13.9%27.7%
Black6 to 11 years26.5%20.0%33.0%
Black12 to 17 years23.1%17.1%29.1%
Pacific IslanderUnder 6 years8.5%1.6%15.4%
Pacific Islander6 to 11 years10.5%4.6%16.4%
Pacific Islander12 to 17 years12.4%5.5%19.3%
WhiteUnder 6 years9.2%8.5%9.9%
White6 to 11 years8.2%7.7%8.7%
White12 to 17 years6.4%5.9%6.9%

Data Notes

Persons in race categories are only those who selected a single race. The ACS data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value.

Data Sources

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • American Community Survey


Percentage of children in poverty by Hispanic ethnicity and age group, Utah, 2017-2021

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Data from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate. Table B17020H-I
Ethnicity/Raceage groupPercentage of childrenLower LimitUpper Limit
Record Count: 6
Hispanic or LatinoUnder 6 years12.4%9.7%15.1%
Hispanic or Latino6 to 11 years15.0%10.9%19.1%
Hispanic or Latino12 to 17 years16.2%12.3%20.1%
White, Non-HispanicUnder 6 years8.3%6.9%9.7%
White, Non-Hispanic6 to 11 years5.3%4.4%6.2%
White, Non-Hispanic12 to 17 years4.3%3.3%5.3%

Data Notes

Hispanic persons may be of any race. The ACS data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value.

Data Sources

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • American Community Survey


Percentage of children in poverty by Utah Small Area, 2017-2021 ACS 5-year estimate

::chart - missing::
confidence limits

Data from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate. Table S1701
Utah Small AreasPercentage of childrenLower LimitUpper LimitNote
Record Count: 104
Brigham City6.3%3.4%9.2%
Box Elder Co (Other) V27.7%3.9%11.5%
Tremonton7.1%3.8%10.4%
Logan V215.6%11.9%19.3%
North Logan27.1%16.9%37.3%
Cache (Other)/Rich (All) V27.5%4.0%11.0%
Hyrum9.8%2.6%17.0%
Smithfield7.5%3.0%12.0%
Ben Lomond12.7%9.0%16.4%
Weber County (East)5.5%3.5%7.5%
Morgan County1.5%0.1%2.9%*
Ogden (Downtown)11.9%8.9%14.9%
South Ogden8.6%5.7%11.5%
Roy/Hooper7.9%4.5%11.3%
Riverdale8.5%4.5%12.5%
Clearfield Area/Hooper9.2%6.7%11.7%
Layton/South Weber10.4%6.4%14.4%
Kaysville/Fruit Heights4.0%1.5%6.5%
Syracuse9.1%1.8%16.4%
Centerville1.3%0.1%2.5%
Farmington3.3%-0.4%7.0%
North Salt Lake1.6%0.0%3.2%
Woods Cross/West Bountiful8.5%1.5%15.5%
Bountiful5.5%3.3%7.7%
SLC (Rose Park)22.7%16.2%29.2%
SLC (Avenues)6.7%3.0%10.4%
SLC (Foothill/East Bench)4.9%1.4%8.4%
Magna13.1%7.6%18.6%
SLC (Glendale) V224.2%15.0%33.4%
West Valley (Center)17.9%12.3%23.5%
West Valley (West) V28.9%5.5%12.3%
West Valley (East) V220.3%15.2%25.4%
SLC (Downtown) V226.3%14.5%38.1%
SLC (Southeast Liberty)10.4%2.3%18.5%
South Salt Lake24.5%14.6%34.4%
SLC (Sugar House)8.0%4.5%11.5%
Millcreek (South)7.0%3.0%11.0%
Millcreek (East)1.3%0.1%2.5%
Holladay V28.3%3.9%12.7%
Cottonwood5.8%2.5%9.1%
Kearns V213.3%8.7%17.9%
Taylorsville (E)/Murray (W)10.1%5.9%14.3%
Taylorsville (West)14.0%7.6%20.4%
Murray14.3%9.1%19.5%
Midvale9.7%4.0%15.4%
West Jordan (Northeast) V213.1%8.1%18.1%
West Jordan (Southeast)7.5%5.0%10.0%
West Jordan (W)/Copperton5.5%2.4%8.6%
South Jordan V21.3%0.4%2.2%
Daybreak3.7%1.5%5.9%
Sandy (West)5.3%1.4%9.2%
Sandy (Center) V24.0%1.2%6.8%
Sandy (Northeast)4.9%1.6%8.2%
Sandy (Southeast)2.2%0.7%3.7%
Draper4.2%1.7%6.7%
Riverton/Bluffdale2.7%1.3%4.1%
Herriman4.7%1.8%7.6%
Tooele County (Other)6.2%3.1%9.3%
Tooele Valley4.8%3.2%6.4%
Eagle Mountain/Cedar Valley4.8%2.5%7.1%
Lehi6.3%3.8%8.8%
Saratoga Springs4.6%2.4%6.8%
American Fork4.0%2.2%5.8%
Alpine6.4%0.5%12.3%
Pleasant Grove/Lindon7.1%4.5%9.7%
Orem (North)13.1%8.3%17.9%
Orem (West)8.4%5.4%11.4%
Orem (East)7.8%3.5%12.1%
Provo/BYU18.2%12.9%23.5%
Provo (West City Center)16.4%11.9%20.9%
Provo (East City Center)18.7%12.3%25.1%
Salem City5.9%2.0%9.8%
Spanish Fork6.9%5.1%8.7%
Springville7.5%5.1%9.9%
Mapleton3.2%0.5%5.9%
Utah County (South) V27.7%3.7%11.7%
Payson8.1%5.2%11.0%
Park City3.7%1.4%6.0%
Summit County (East)10.8%3.5%18.1%
Wasatch County6.1%3.8%8.4%*
Daggett and Uintah County13.1%8.9%17.3%
Duchesne County18.0%14.2%21.8%*
Nephi/Mona14.4%10.0%18.8%
Delta/Fillmore20.3%13.5%27.1%
Sanpete Valley13.8%8.3%19.3%
Central (Other)13.5%10.0%17.0%
Richfield/Monroe/Salina14.3%8.4%20.2%
Carbon County18.9%14.1%24.7%*
Emery County18.7%13.9%23.5%*
Grand County15.8%8.5%23.1%*
Blanding/Monticello16.6%11.8%21.4%
San Juan County (Other)29.9%18.1%41.7%
St. George10.8%8.0%13.6%
Washington Co (Other) V211.0%-4.8%26.8%
Washington City4.5%0.6%8.4%
Hurricane/La Verkin15.0%7.7%22.3%
Ivins/Santa Clara11.0%4.0%18.0%
Cedar City14.5%10.5%18.5%
Southwest LHD (Other)13.6%5.5%21.7%
State of Utah9.3%8.9%9.7%
U.S.17.0%16.8%17.2%

Data Notes

Confidence intervals are 90%. [[br]] *Small areas that are also counties use the ACS county estimate.[[br]] **The ACS uses 5-digit ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) based on boundaries from the 2010 Census. Some Small Areas consist of ZIP Codes that were introduced after 2010; therefore, data are not available for these Small Areas from the ACS. [[br]] A description of the Utah Small Areas may be found on IBIS at the following URL: [https://ibis.health.utah.gov/resource/Guidelines.html].

Data Sources

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • American Community Survey

More Resources and Links

Evidence-based community health improvement ideas and interventions may be found at the following sites:
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER Database, a system for disseminating public health data and information.
  • United States Census Bureau data dashboard.
  • Utah healthy Places Index, evidence-based and peer-reviewed tool, supports efforts to prioritize equitable community investments, develop critical programs and policies across the state, and much more.
  • County Health Rankings
  • Kaiser Family Foundation's StateHealthFacts.org
  • Medical literature can be queried at PubMed library.



Page Content Updated On 01/20/2023, Published on 02/06/2023
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services IBIS-PH web site (http://ibis.health.state.gov). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Tue, 19 March 2024 0:27:33 from Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.state.gov ".

Content updated: Mon, 6 Feb 2023 10:59:25 MST