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Poverty in Maine -
2003
County Profiles: Washington County
People
Washington County's people are poorer, older, and have lower levels
of educational attainment than the state average. By almost any measure,
it is Maine's poorest county. The county has been steadily losing
population, especially 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:
- Washington County has the highest household poverty rate (21%) of
any county in the state.
- Per-capita and median household income are considerably below the
state's averages, and are the lowest of any county. Per-capita
income is 28% below the state average and median household income is
31% below.
- Older persons (age 65 or over) represent a higher proportion of
those under poverty than in the state as a whole.
- A considerably smaller proportion of Washington County's
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
(6,272) |
State
(135,501) |
County
(26,713) |
State
(1,105,392) |
| Age |
|
| Under 18 |
27.9% |
29.6% |
21.9% |
23.0% |
| 18-64 |
55.0% |
57.2% |
62.8% |
62.8% |
| 65 and over |
17.2% |
13.2% |
17.0% |
14.2% |
| Education Levels |
| |
County |
State |
| (Population age 25 and over) |
(23,488) |
(869,893) |
| Less that high school |
20.1% |
14.6% |
| High school |
41.9% |
36.2% |
| Some college, no degree |
17.8% |
19.0% |
| Associate degree |
5.5% |
7.4% |
| Bachelor's or higher |
14.6% |
22.9% |
| Household
Poverty Status, by Household Type (as percent of all
households) |
(Number households) |
County
(14,119)
|
State
(518,372) |
| Poverty Status |
Below |
Above |
Below |
Above |
| Family Households |
|
|
Married-couple |
4.9% |
47.9% |
2.1% |
51.3% |
| Female
householder, no spouse |
3.6% |
5.5% |
2.6% |
6.6% |
| Male
householder, no spouse |
0.8% |
3.2% |
0.5% |
3.0% |
| Other Households |
|
| Single
person, under age 65 |
4.6% |
10.3% |
3.0% |
13.1% |
| Single
person, age 65 or over |
4.9% |
8.4% |
2.1% |
8.7% |
| Other
non-family |
1.2% |
3.7% |
1.2% |
5.8% |
| Total households |
20.9% |
79.1% |
11.5% |
88.5% |
Income and Employment
Employment figures for the county are much worse than state averages.
- The average unemployment rate as reported by the Maine Department
of Labor for 2002 was 8.8% in Washington County, compared with the
state average of 4.4%. This was the highest rate of any county.
| Income |
| |
County |
State |
| Median Household Income |
$25,869 |
$37,240 |
| Per-capita Income |
$14,119 |
$19,533 |
| (Number households) |
(14,119) |
(518,372) |
| Household Income, by ranges |
| Under $20,000 |
39.4% |
25.0% |
| $20,000 - $29,999 |
17.5% |
14.9% |
| $30,000 and above |
43.1% |
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 |
15.3% |
44.2% |
40.5% |
58.8% |
23.5% |
17.7% |
| Other Households |
3.9% |
31.0% |
65.2% |
40.2% |
25.8% |
34.0% |
| Unemployment Rate (2002 monthly
average) |
|
County |
State |
| Labor force |
16,040 |
686,200 |
| Percent unemployed |
8.8% |
4.4% |
Housing and Transportation
Housing is more affordable than in the state as a whole. Nonetheless,
somewhat over half of the poorest households (incomes under $10,000)
report paying more than 35% of their monthly income for housing
(compared with 71% of such households statewide). A somewhat higher
proportion of Washington County households reported lacking access to a
vehicle.
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 |
49.4% |
62.0% |
55.9% |
68.6% |
75.5% |
70.7% |
| $10,000 - $19,999 |
38.5% |
24.9% |
29.6% |
52.1% |
39.6% |
46.4% |
| $20,000 - $34,999 |
3.2% |
11.9% |
9.7% |
12.9% |
23.6% |
19.1% |
| Households
Lacking Access to Vehicle |
| |
County |
State |
(Number) |
Renters
(3,161) |
Owners
(10,957) |
All Households
(14,118) |
Renters
(147,280) |
Owners
(370,920) |
All Households
(518,200) |
|
%
|
19.0% |
5.4% |
8.5% |
18.5% |
3.3% |
7.6% |
Benefits and Assistance
Washington County residents were considerably above the state average
in participation in DHS benefits programs (TANF and food stamps) and in
overall participation in the LIHEAP program in the last fiscal year
(October 1, 2001- September 30, 2002). Washington County had the highest
rate of participation in these programs of any county in the state.
- One fifth of all county households received LIHEAP (compared with
9.1% of households statewide), and 14.4% of the county's residents
were recipients of TANF or food stamps (compared with 8.5% of
residents statewide).
- The LIHEAP program served a considerably higher proportion of
total county households with older persons (27.3%), compared with
13.2% of such households statewide.
- A higher proportion of LIHEAP households in Washington County had
Medicaid, and a lower proportion had income from wages.
| TANF/Food Stamps
and LIHEAP Benefits* |
| |
County |
State |
TANF &/or Food Stamps
(monthly avg. unduplicated count) |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
| Cases |
2,506 |
17.8% |
55,445 |
10.7% |
| Recipients |
4,878 |
14.4% |
108,767 |
8.5% |
| LIHEAP |
|
| Households |
3,059 |
21.7% |
46,994 |
9.1% |
| Recipients |
6,408 |
18.9% |
98,825 |
7.8% |
| Hslds age 65 and over |
1,142 |
27.3% |
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) |
(3,059) |
(46,994) |
| Average household income |
$10,632 |
$11,209 |
| % Single person households |
44.0% |
45.5% |
| % Receiving food stamps |
48.9% |
49.7% |
| % Medicaid |
60.1% |
57.5% |
| % SSI |
16.1% |
22.9% |
| % SS/SSD |
52.9% |
52.8% |
| % With wages or self-employment |
6.0% |
8.6% |
| % LIHEAP applicants age 65 and over |
37.3% |
36.0% |
| *Percentage is % of
LIHEAP households |
|
