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Poverty
in Maine - 2006
Cumberland County Profile
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Cumberland County
experienced a population increase of 3.5% from 2000 to 2005,
similar to the statewide increase of 3.7%. Cumberland
continues to have a relatively younger population than most
other Maine counties.
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Cumberland County’s
individual poverty rate in 2003 was lower than the state rate,
both for the population as a whole and for those under 18. It
had the second lowest poverty rate for all individuals, and
was tied with York County for the lowest rate for those under
18.
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Median household
income in Cumberland County in 2003 was second highest of all
Maine counties, 22% above the state’s median household
income, and 26% above the 200% poverty level for a four-person
household.
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Because of the
high cost of living, especially housing and child care, in
Cumberland County the 2004 ‘livable wage’ estimate for a
four-person household (2 parents, both wage earners, and 2
children) was more than 2.7 times higher than the poverty
level for a four-person household, and the gap was even
greater in the Portland metropolitan area. Median household
income was almost $3,000 lower than the livable wage for a
four-person household in the county, and almost $5,500 lower
for those in the Portland metropolitan area.
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The proportion of
per-capita personal income in 2004 from net earnings was
higher than in most counties, and the proportion from transfer
payments was the lowest in the state. This pattern is
consistent with the higher proportion of a younger,
working-age population and with the higher wage rates in the
area. Higher wage rates reduce the numbers of people eligible
for means-tested benefits.
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Cumberland County’s
monthly average unemployment rate for 2005 was more than a
percentage point lower than the state average, and was the
lowest among Maine’s counties.
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Cumberland County
residents were considerably below the state average
participation rate for food stamps in FY05.
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The proportion of
the school-age population eligible for free and reduced school
lunch in FY06 was considerably lower than in the state as a
whole, and was the lowest of any county in the state.
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The proportion of
households receiving LIHEAP benefits in FY05 was considerably
lower than in the state as a whole. Compared with LIHEAP
households statewide, a somewhat larger proportion in
Cumberland County were single person households, and a smaller
proportion received Medicaid, food stamps, or Supplemental
Security Income (SSI).
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A considerably
higher proportion of the Cumberland County population has
college degrees (associate or bachelor’s) than in the state
as a whole, and the county has the highest proportion of any
county in the state with college degrees.
TREND HIGHLIGHTS
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Over the most recent
four-year period for which county-level data are available, the
poverty rate in Cumberland County has risen slightly but
steadily each year from 2000 through 2003. This trend is
somewhat different than the state as a whole which had a slight
decrease in the poverty rate from 2002 to 2003. Cumberland
County’s 2003 poverty rate was more than a percentage point
higher than it was in 2000.
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Over the four-year
period from FY02 to FY05, the number of Cumberland County
households receiving food stamps increased each year; the number
in FY05 was 54.6% greater than in FY02, which was greater than
the statewide increase of 49% in this time period.
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The number of
Cumberland County households receiving LIHEAP benefits decreased
from FY02 to FY04, with a very slight increase from FY04 to
FY05.
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From 2002 to 2005,
Cumberland County’s monthly average unemployment rate
increased slightly each year.
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The percentage of
school-age children eligible for free and reduced school lunch
in Cumberland County increased somewhat from FY03 to FY04, but
stayed relatively stable from FY04 to FY06.
MAPS AND GRAPHS
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