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Poverty in Maine -
2003
County Profiles: Piscataquis County
People
Piscataquis County's people are poorer, older, and have lower levels
of educational attainment than the state average. The county has seen a
decrease in employment opportunities with the closure of a number of
large manufacturing plants, and a decrease in population, especially of
younger people. This out-migration impacts on figures related to
employment, poverty, and the overall demographic profile of the county.
As reported in Census 2000:
- Income is considerably below the state average: per-capita income
is 26% lower, and median household income is 24% lower.
- The household poverty rate is considerably higher than in the
state as a whole. Compared with the statewide totals, a higher
proportion of below-poverty households consists of married-couples.
- Older persons (age 65 and up) represent a higher proportion of the
population, both below and above poverty, than in the state as a
whole.
- A considerably smaller proportion of the Piscataquis population
has college degrees (Associate or Bachelor's) than in the state as a
whole, and a considerably greater proportion has less than a high
school education.
| Population
Poverty Status, by Age |
| |
Below Poverty |
Above Poverty |
(Number) |
County
(2,522) |
State
(135,501) |
County
(14,489) |
State
(1,105,392) |
| Age |
|
| Under 18 |
28.9% |
29.6% |
22.2% |
23.0% |
| 18-64 |
55.3% |
57.2% |
60.8% |
62.8% |
| 65 and over |
15.7% |
13.2% |
17.0% |
14.2% |
| Education Levels |
| |
County |
State |
| (Population age 25 and over) |
(12,240) |
(869,893) |
| Less that high school |
19.7% |
14.6% |
| High school |
43.7% |
36.2% |
| Some college, no degree |
16.6% |
19.0% |
| Associate degree |
6.7% |
7.4% |
| Bachelor's or higher |
13.3% |
22.9% |
| Household
Poverty Status, by Household Type (as percent of all
households) |
(Number households) |
County
(7,272)
|
State
(518,372) |
| Poverty Status |
Below |
Above |
Below |
Above |
| Family Households |
|
|
Married-couple |
3.8% |
49.8% |
2.1% |
51.3% |
| Female
householder, no spouse |
2.7% |
5.8% |
2.6% |
6.6% |
| Male
householder, no spouse |
1.0% |
3.6% |
0.5% |
3.0% |
| Other Households |
|
| Single
person, under age 65 |
3.9% |
10.3% |
3.0% |
13.1% |
| Single
person, age 65 or over |
3.1% |
10.5% |
2.1% |
8.7% |
| Other
non-family |
1.2% |
4.3% |
1.2% |
5.8% |
| Total households |
15.7% |
84.3% |
11.5% |
88.5% |
Income and Employment
Employment figures for the county are worse than state averages.
- The average unemployment rate for 2002 was 7.0% in Piscataquis
County, compared with the state average of 4.4%. This was the third
highest rate of any county.
- Compared to the state as a whole, a higher proportion of
Piscataquis households (Census 2000) reported that no one in the
household worked in the past year. This may be due to the higher
proportion of older persons in the county.
| Income |
| |
County |
State |
| Median Household Income |
$28,250 |
$37,240 |
| Per-capita Income |
$14,374 |
$19,533 |
| (Number households) |
(7,272) |
(518,372) |
| Household Income, by ranges |
| Under $20,000 |
35.7% |
25.0% |
| $20,000 - $29,999 |
16.6% |
14.9% |
| $30,000 and above |
47.7% |
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 |
12.9% |
42.2% |
44.9% |
62.5% |
19.7% |
17.9% |
| Other Households |
3.3% |
22.0% |
74.8% |
39.6% |
21.0% |
39.4% |
| Unemployment Rate (2002 monthly
average) |
|
County |
State |
| Labor force |
8,150 |
686,200 |
| Percent unemployed |
7.0% |
4.4% |
Housing and Transportation
Housing is considerably more affordable than in the state as a whole.
As reported in Census 2000:
- The proportion of people in lower income brackets paying more than
35% of their monthly income for housing is among the lowest in the
state, both for owners and renters.
- There is a higher proportion of home ownership in Piscataquis
County than the state as a whole.
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 |
50.1% |
70.1% |
59.6% |
68.6% |
75.5% |
70.7% |
| $10,000 - $19,999 |
32.8% |
21.1% |
25.0% |
52.1% |
39.6% |
46.4% |
| $20,000 - $34,999 |
7.8% |
6.8% |
7.0% |
12.9% |
23.6% |
19.1% |
| Households
Lacking Access to Vehicle |
| |
County |
State |
(Number) |
Renters
(1,499) |
Owners
(5,779) |
All Households
(7,278) |
Renters
(147,280) |
Owners
(370,920) |
All Households
(518,200) |
|
%
|
17.6% |
3.8% |
6.7% |
18.5% |
3.3% |
7.6% |
Benefits and Assistance
Piscataquis County residents were above the state average in
participation in DHS benefits programs (TANF and food stamps) and
considerably above in overall participation in the LIHEAP program in the
last fiscal year (October 1, 2001 - September 30, 2002).
- The LIHEAP program served a higher proportion of county households
and the overall population than in most other counties and the state
as a whole. It also served a higher proportion of households with
older persons; 21.7% of all households with persons age 65 or over
received LIHEAP benefits in Piscataquis County, compared with 13.2%
of such households statewide.
- Compared with LIHEAP households statewide, a somewhat smaller
proportion in Piscataquis had food stamps or supplemental security
income (SSI), and a higher proportion had social security or social
security disability income.
| TANF/Food Stamps
and LIHEAP Benefits* |
| |
County |
State |
TANF &/or Food Stamps
(monthly avg. unduplicated count) |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
| Cases |
939 |
12.9% |
55,445 |
10.7% |
| Recipients |
1,902 |
11.0% |
108,767 |
8.5% |
| LIHEAP |
|
| Households |
1,258 |
17.3% |
46,994 |
9.1% |
| Recipients |
2,621 |
15.2% |
98,825 |
7.8% |
| Hslds age 65 and over |
475 |
21.7% |
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) |
(1,258) |
(46,994) |
| Average household income |
$10,934 |
$11,209 |
| % Single person households |
46.0% |
45.5% |
| % Receiving food stamps |
47.8% |
49.7% |
| % Medicaid |
57.8% |
57.5% |
| % SSI |
20.3% |
22.9% |
| % SS/SSD |
56.4% |
52.8% |
| % With wages or self-employment |
9.5% |
8.6% |
| % LIHEAP applicants age 65 and over |
37.8% |
36.0% |
| *Percentage is % of
LIHEAP households |
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