Family Poverty Rate Increases Slightly After Several Years of Decline
Poverty can have many negative impacts. Both children and adults can suffer from poorer health and, for children, growing up in an impoverished household increases their risk for lower cognitive abilities, lower school achievement, and poorer development. Tracking poverty can assist with targeting interventions to mitigate these negative impacts. The poverty rate is also an important tool to determine eligibility for health and human services, including health insurance and supplemental food programs, which can lessen the negative impacts of poverty. This indicator provides detailed information about the percentage and makeup of San Bernardino County families that are living in poverty. A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption residing in the same housing unit.
TREND
Overall, the percentage of families in San Bernardino County living in poverty increased slightly from 10.5% in 2019 to 10.9% in 2021. The poverty rate for families whose head of household does not have a high school diploma is declining, but these families continue to have the highest rate of poverty (19.2%).
PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY INCREASED SLIGHTLY FOLLOWING YEARS OF DECLINE
Percentage of Families Living in Poverty by Educational Attainment in San Bernardino County, 2012-2021
RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL
Black families have the highest rate of poverty (17.9%), while White families have the lowest rate (7.2%). Among Latino families, 12.2% are living in poverty. This variation in family poverty contributes to an Equity Gap Score of 2.5. This score means that the group of families with the highest rate of poverty (Black families) is two and a half times higher than the group of families with the lowest rate (White families).
POVERTY RATES VARY BY ETHNICITY
Percent of Families Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2021
POVERTY RATES VARY BY ETHNICITY
Percent of Families Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2021
| Race/Ethnicity | Percent in Poverty |
|---|---|
| White | 7.2% |
| Native American | 8.0% |
| Asian | 8.7% |
| Average | 10.9% |
| Two+ | 11.7% |
| Latino | 12.2% |
| Black | 17.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates (Table S1702)
Note: Percentages based on race/ethnicity of householder. White is non-Hispanic. Latino is of any race. Data for Pacific Islander families was suppressed due to low sample size.
SOCIOECONOMIC DETAIL
Looking at poverty by family structure, families led by single women (female-headed households where there is no spouse living in the house) have the highest rates of poverty. More than one-fifth (23.3%) of single women (with or without children) live in poverty and 30.4% of single mothers (female-headed households where there is no spouse with children under 18 years of age) live in poverty. The rate is highest (34.4%) for single mothers with young children (children under age 5). In comparison, married-couple families (with or without children) have a lower poverty rate (6.2%). For those married-couple families with children under 18 years of age, the rate increases to 7.1%.
FAMILIES WITH YOUNGER CHILDREN HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF POVERTY
Poverty Level by Family Structure and Ages of Children in San Bernardino, 2021
GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Residents in the city of Hesperia had the highest rate of families living in poverty (16.9%), while Chino Hills had the lowest rate (4.8%). San Bernardino County’s rate of family poverty is higher than the state (9.0%) and national (9.1%) averages and it is the highest among the counties compared, except for Miami-Dade and Clark (11.7% each).
POVERTY RATES VARY SUBSTANTIALLY BY CITY
Percentage of Families Living in Poverty by City in San Bernardino County, 2021
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY HAS A HIGHER RATE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY THAN MOST COUNTIES COMPARED
County Comparison of Percentage of Families Living Poverty, 2021
Low-Income Family Eligibility for Free or Reduced-Price School Meals
The percentage of children eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals decreased in 2021/22. In 2021/22, 67.2% of K-12 public school students lived in families with incomes low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. This is about five percentage points lower than 71.7% in 2017/18. A child is eligible if their family’s income is below 185% of the poverty level (e.g., $51,338 for a family of four in 2022).
MORE THAN 2-IN-3 SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FAMILIES WITH SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN ARE LOW INCOME
Children Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Meals in San Bernardino County and California, 2013-2022