|
Poverty in Maine -
2003
County Profiles: Franklin County
People
Franklin County's people are poorer, somewhat younger, and have
somewhat lower levels of educational attainment than the state as a
whole. Income and poverty rates are skewed somewhat by the presence of
the student population at the University of Maine-Farmington. As
reported in Census 2000:
- Per-capita income is 19.1% below the state average, and median
household income is 15.5% below the state's median income.
- The household poverty rate is higher than in the state as a whole.
Compared with the statewide totals, a higher proportion of
below-poverty households consists of family households.
- Younger persons (age 18 and below) represent a somewhat higher
proportion of those under poverty compared with the state as a
whole.
- A lower proportion of the Franklin County population has college
degrees (Associate or Bachelor's) than in the state as a whole,
though a higher proportion has high school degrees.
| Population
Poverty Status, by Age |
| |
Below Poverty |
Above Poverty |
(Number) |
County
(4,121) |
State
(135,501) |
County
(24,147) |
State
(1,105,392) |
| Age |
|
| Under 18 |
30.9% |
29.6% |
23.0% |
23.0% |
| 18-64 |
59.8% |
57.2% |
61.9% |
62.8% |
| 65 and over |
9.3% |
13.2% |
15.1% |
14.2% |
| Education Levels |
| |
County |
State |
| (Population age 25 and over) |
(19,260) |
(869,893) |
| Less that high school |
14.8% |
14.6% |
| High school |
41.0% |
36.2% |
| Some college, no degree |
17.6% |
19.0% |
| Associate degree |
5.7% |
7.4% |
| Bachelor's or higher |
20.9% |
22.9% |
| Household
Poverty Status, by Household Type (as percent of all
households) |
(Number households) |
County
(11,772)
|
State
(518,372) |
| Poverty Status |
Below |
Above |
Below |
Above |
| Family Households |
|
|
Married-couple |
3.1% |
49.8% |
2.1% |
51.3% |
| Female
householder, no spouse |
3.3% |
6.0% |
2.6% |
6.6% |
| Male
householder, no spouse |
0.8% |
3.4% |
0.5% |
3.0% |
| Other Households |
|
| Single
person, under age 65 |
3.6% |
11.5% |
3.0% |
13.1% |
| Single
person, age 65 or over |
2.0% |
8.7% |
2.1% |
8.7% |
| Other
non-family |
1.2% |
5.5% |
1.2% |
5.8% |
| Total households |
15.1% |
84.9% |
11.5% |
88.5% |
Income and Employment
Employment figures for Franklin County are somewhat worse than state
averages, and there is a higher proportion of "working poor."
- The average unemployment rate as reported by the Maine Department
of Labor for 2002 was 5.4%, compared with the state average of 4.4%.
- Among households below poverty in Franklin County (Census 2000),
66% reported having one or more members working part- or full-time
in the past year, compared with 61% statewide.
| Income |
| |
County |
State |
| Median Household Income |
$31,459 |
$37,240 |
| Per-capita Income |
$15,796 |
$19,533 |
| (Number households) |
(11,772) |
(518,372) |
| Household Income, by ranges |
| Under $20,000 |
30.4% |
25.0% |
| $20,000 - $29,999 |
16.8% |
14.9% |
| $30,000 and above |
52.8% |
60.2% |
| Household
Poverty Status and Employment |
| |
Percent
of Households Below Poverty |
Percent
of Households Above Poverty |
| |
Full-time
work |
Less than
full-time |
Did not
work |
Full-time
work |
Less than
full-time |
Did not
work |
| Family Households |
14.2% |
52.0% |
33.9% |
63.7% |
21.2% |
15.1% |
| Other Households |
4.4% |
44.2% |
51.4% |
42.1% |
28.0% |
29.8% |
| Unemployment Rate (2002 monthly
average) |
|
County |
State |
| Labor force |
14,320 |
686,200 |
| Percent unemployed |
5.4% |
4.4% |
Housing and Transportation
Housing is more affordable in Franklin County than in the state as a
whole. However, housing is still a problem for the poorest households,
with three quarters of households with incomes below $10,000 paying more
than 35% of monthly income for housing (Census 2000).
Percent of
Households with Income Below $35,000
Paying More Than 35% of Monthly Income for Housing |
| |
County |
State |
| Income |
Renters |
Owners |
All Households |
Renters |
Owners |
All Households |
| Under $10,000 |
76.2% |
7.2.% |
74.6% |
68.6% |
75.5% |
70.7% |
| $10,000 - $19,999 |
51.0% |
32.1% |
41.0% |
52.1% |
39.6% |
46.4% |
| $20,000 - $34,999 |
5.6% |
20.9% |
15.6% |
12.9% |
23.6% |
19.1% |
| Households
Lacking Access to Vehicle |
| |
County |
State |
(Number) |
Renters
(2,832) |
Owners
(8,974) |
All Households
(11,806) |
Renters
(147,280) |
Owners
(370,920) |
All Households
(518,200) |
|
%
|
18.8% |
2.5% |
6.4% |
18.5% |
3.3% |
7.6% |
Benefits and Assistance
Franklin County residents were above the state average in
participation in DHS benefits programs (TANF and food stamps), and
considerably above the state average in participation in LIHEAP in the
last fiscal year (October 1, 2001-September 30, 2002).
- The LIHEAP program served a higher proportion of total county
households and the total county population than in many other
counties and the state as a whole.
- LIHEAP also served a higher proportion of households with older
persons; almost one-quarter of all county households with persons
age 65 or over received LIHEAP benefits, compared with 13.2% of such
households statewide.
- Compared with LIHEAP households statewide, a smaller proportion
receiving LIHEAP in Franklin had food stamps, Medicaid, or
supplemental security income (SSI).
| TANF/Food Stamps
and LIHEAP Benefits* |
| |
County |
State |
TANF &/or Food Stamps
(monthly avg. unduplicated count) |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
| Cases |
1,507 |
12.8% |
55,445 |
10.7% |
| Recipients |
3,105 |
10.5% |
108,767 |
8.5% |
| LIHEAP |
|
| Households |
1,965 |
16.6% |
46,994 |
9.1% |
| Recipients |
4,314 |
14.6% |
98,825 |
7.8% |
| Hslds age 65 and over |
712 |
24.4% |
16,937 |
13.2% |
| *Percentage cases or
households is % of total county or state households; percentage
recipients is % of county or state population. |
| LIHEAP Client
Household Characteristics* |
| |
County |
State |
| (Number households) |
(1,965) |
(46,994) |
| Average household income |
$11,407 |
$11,209 |
| % Single person households |
42.9% |
45.5% |
| % Receiving food stamps |
42.5% |
49.7% |
| % Medicaid |
50.9% |
57.5% |
| % SSI |
19.6% |
22.9% |
| % SS/SSD |
53.8% |
52.8% |
| % With wages or self-employment |
8.5% |
8.6% |
| % LIHEAP applicants age 65 and over |
36.2% |
36.0% |
| *Percentage is % of
LIHEAP households |
|
