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Poverty in Maine -
2003
County Profiles: Sagadahoc County
People
Sagadahoc County's people have higher levels of educational
attainment and higher incomes than the state averages. There is a lower
overall poverty rate, and the types of households and age distribution
of those below poverty differ somewhat from the state pattern. As
reported in Census 2000:
- Per-capita income is 4.3% above the state average and median
household income is 12.5% above.
- The household poverty rate is lower than in the state as a whole,
and is the second lowest of any county. Compared with the statewide
totals, a higher proportion of below-poverty households in Sagadahoc
County consists of households headed by women with no spouse.
- Younger persons (age 18 and below) represent a considerably higher
proportion of those under poverty compared with the state as a
whole.
- A greater proportion of Sagadahoc's population has college degrees
(Associate or Bachelor's) than in the state as a whole, and a
smaller proportion has less than a high school education.
| Population
Poverty Status, by Age |
| |
Below Poverty |
Above Poverty |
(Number) |
County
(3,014) |
State
(135,501) |
County
(31,895) |
State
(1,105,392) |
| Age |
|
| Under 18 |
37.5% |
29.6% |
24.4% |
23.0% |
| 18-64 |
53.6% |
57.2% |
63.3% |
62.8% |
| 65 and over |
8.9% |
13.2% |
12.3% |
14.2% |
| Education Levels |
| |
County |
State |
| (Population age 25 and over) |
(23,862) |
(869,893) |
| Less that high school |
12.0% |
14.6% |
| High school |
35.8% |
36.2% |
| Some college, no degree |
19.3% |
19.0% |
| Associate degree |
7.9% |
7.4% |
| Bachelor's or higher |
25.0% |
22.9% |
| Household
Poverty Status, by Household Type (as percent of all
households) |
(Number households) |
County
(14,159)
|
State
(518,372) |
| Poverty Status |
Below |
Above |
Below |
Above |
| Family Households |
|
|
Married-couple |
1.4% |
53.8% |
2.1% |
51.3% |
| Female
householder, no spouse |
3.0% |
6.6% |
2.6% |
6.6% |
| Male
householder, no spouse |
0.4% |
3.3% |
0.5% |
3.0% |
| Other Households |
|
| Single
person, under age 65 |
1.8% |
14.1% |
3.0% |
13.1% |
| Single
person, age 65 or over |
1.1% |
8.3% |
2.1% |
8.7% |
| Other
non-family |
1.2% |
5.7% |
1.2% |
5.8% |
| Total households |
8.2% |
91.8% |
11.5% |
88.5% |
Income and Employment
Employment figures for the county are better than state averages, but
there is a higher proportion of "working poor."
- The average unemployment rate as reported by the Maine Department
of Labor for 2002 was 3.5% in Sagadahoc County, compared with the
state average of 4.4%.
- Almost three quarters of households below poverty (Census 2000)
reported having one or more members working part- or full-time,
compared with just under 60% of below-poverty households statewide.
| Income |
| |
County |
State |
| Median Household Income |
$41,908 |
$37,240 |
| Per-capita Income |
$20,378 |
$19,533 |
| (Number households) |
(14,159) |
(518,372) |
| Household Income, by ranges |
| Under $20,000 |
19.7% |
25.0% |
| $20,000 - $29,999 |
12.8% |
14.9% |
| $30,000 and above |
67.5% |
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 |
19.9% |
55.4% |
24.7% |
72.8% |
15.4% |
11.8% |
| Other Households |
3.6% |
37.8% |
58.7% |
52.0% |
23.9% |
24.2% |
| Unemployment Rate (2002 monthly
average) |
|
County |
State |
| Labor force |
16,000 |
686,200 |
| Percent unemployed |
3.5% |
4.4% |
Housing and Transportation
Until fairly recently, housing was more affordable in Sagadahoc
County than in neighboring Cumberland and Lincoln counties, although it
was less-affordable than in the state as a whole. Rapidly rising housing
costs, especially in Cumberland County, are leading to increased growth
in Sagadahoc, with a subsequent decrease in availability of affordable
housing for those with low- to moderate-incomes.
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 |
67.3% |
66.8% |
67.2% |
68.6% |
75.5% |
70.7% |
| $10,000 - $19,999 |
55.4% |
46.4% |
51.5% |
52.1% |
39.6% |
46.4% |
| $20,000 - $34,999 |
14.7% |
29.7% |
22.9% |
12.9% |
23.6% |
19.1% |
| Households
Lacking Access to Vehicle |
| |
County |
State |
(Number) |
Renters
(3,948) |
Owners
(10,169) |
All Households
(14,117) |
Renters
(147,280) |
Owners
(370,920) |
All Households
(518,200) |
|
%
|
11.0% |
2.7% |
5.1% |
18.5% |
3.3% |
7.6% |
Benefits and Assistance
Sagadahoc County residents were considerably below the state average
in participation in DHS benefits programs (TANF and food stamps) and in
participation in the LIHEAP program in the last fiscal year (October 1,
2001- September 30, 2002).
- Sagadahoc was the second lowest county in the state in the
proportion of households and individuals receiving TANF and food
stamps, and was also second lowest in the proportion of households
receiving LIHEAP benefits.
- Compared with LIHEAP households statewide, a larger proportion of
households in Sagadahoc had income from wages, and a smaller
proportion had social security or supplemental security income (SSI).
- The LIHEAP program served a smaller proportion of total county
households with older persons (9%), compared with 13.2% of such
households statewide.
| TANF/Food Stamps
and LIHEAP Benefits* |
| |
County |
State |
TANF &/or Food Stamps
(monthly avg. unduplicated count) |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
| Cases |
967 |
6.9% |
55,445 |
10.7% |
| Recipients |
2,003 |
5.7% |
108,767 |
8.5% |
| LIHEAP |
|
| Households |
889 |
6.3% |
46,994 |
9.1% |
| Recipients |
1,948 |
5.5% |
98,825 |
7.8% |
| Hslds age 65 and over |
275 |
9.0% |
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) |
(889) |
(46,994) |
| Average household income |
$11,613 |
$11,209 |
| % Single person households |
44.1% |
45.5% |
| % Receiving food stamps |
48.1% |
49.7% |
| % Medicaid |
57.3% |
57.5% |
| % SSI |
18.8% |
22.9% |
| % SS/SSD |
48.0% |
52.8% |
| % With wages or self-employment |
11.1% |
8.6% |
| % LIHEAP applicants age 65 and over |
30.9% |
36.0% |
| *Percentage is % of
LIHEAP households |
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