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Poverty in Maine -
2003
County Profiles: York County
People
York County's people have higher incomes and higher levels of
educational attainment than the state average. There is a lower overall
poverty rate, and the age distribution of those below poverty differs
somewhat from the statewide pattern. As reported in Census 2000:
- Per-capita income is 8.7% above the state's average and median
income is 17.2% above.
- The household poverty rate is lower than in the state as a whole.
Compared with the statewide totals, a somewhat higher proportion of
below-poverty households in York County consists of households
headed by women with no spouse.
- Younger persons (age 18 and below) represent a higher proportion
of those under poverty compared with the state as a whole.
- Levels of educational attainment are comparable to the statewide
pattern, but there is a slightly higher proportion of the population
with Associate degrees, and a slightly lower proportion with less
than a high school education.
| Population
Poverty Status, by Age |
| |
Below Poverty |
Above Poverty |
(Number) |
County
(15,003) |
State
(135,501) |
County
(169,066) |
State
(1,105,392) |
| Age |
|
| Under 18 |
31.2% |
29.6% |
24.0% |
23.0% |
| 18-64 |
55.0% |
57.2% |
62.7% |
62.8% |
| 65 and over |
13.8% |
13.2% |
13.2% |
14.2% |
| Education Levels |
| |
County |
State |
| (Population age 25 and over) |
(127,591) |
(869,893) |
| Less that high school |
13.5% |
14.6% |
| High school |
35.0% |
36.2% |
| Some college, no degree |
20.4% |
19.0% |
| Associate degree |
8.2% |
7.4% |
| Bachelor's or higher |
22.9% |
22.9% |
| Household
Poverty Status, by Household Type (as percent of all
households) |
(Number households) |
County
(74,527)
|
State
(518,372) |
| Poverty Status |
Below |
Above |
Below |
Above |
| Family Households |
|
|
Married-couple |
1.6% |
54.8% |
2.1% |
51.3% |
| Female
householder, no spouse |
2.1% |
6.7% |
2.6% |
6.6% |
| Male
householder, no spouse |
0.3% |
2.7% |
0.5% |
3.0% |
| Other Households |
|
| Single
person, under age 65 |
2.2% |
12.8% |
3.0% |
13.1% |
| Single
person, age 65 or over |
1.6% |
8.3% |
2.1% |
8.7% |
| Other
non-family |
1.2% |
5.8% |
1.2% |
5.8% |
| Total households |
8.7% |
91.3% |
11.5% |
88.5% |
Income and Employment
Employment figures for the county are similar to the state as a
whole.
- The average unemployment rate as reported by the Maine Department
of Labor for 2002 was 4.6% in York County, compared with the state
average of 4.4%.
| Income |
| |
County |
State |
| Median Household Income |
$43,630 |
$37,240 |
| Per-capita Income |
$21,225 |
$19,533 |
| (Number households) |
(74,527) |
(518,372) |
| Household Income, by ranges |
| Under $20,000 |
19.4% |
25.0% |
| $20,000 - $29,999 |
13.5% |
14.9% |
| $30,000 and above |
67.1% |
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 |
16.1% |
48.8% |
35.1% |
70.3% |
16.9% |
12.8% |
| Other Households |
2.6% |
33.2% |
64.2% |
51.0% |
23.5% |
25.5% |
| Unemployment Rate (2002 monthly
average) |
|
County |
State |
| Labor force |
102,080 |
686,200 |
| Percent unemployed |
4.6% |
4.4% |
Housing and Transportation
York County has a fast-growing population, with increasing pressure
on housing availability. This is especially true for the Kittery-York
area, which has seen an influx of people who live in Maine and commute
to work in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Housing is considerably less
affordable than in the state as a whole for low- to moderate-income
households, with a high proportion paying more than 35% of their monthly
income for housing.
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 |
73.6% |
80.9% |
75.8% |
68.6% |
75.5% |
70.7% |
| $10,000 - $19,999 |
62.5% |
48.5% |
56.1% |
52.1% |
39.6% |
46.4% |
| $20,000 - $34,999 |
17.6% |
31.5% |
25.6% |
12.9% |
23.6% |
19.1% |
| Households
Lacking Access to Vehicle |
| |
County |
State |
(Number) |
Renters
(20,393) |
Owners
(10,957) |
All Households
(74,563) |
Renters
(147,280) |
Owners
(370,920) |
All Households
(518,200) |
|
%
|
14.6% |
2.6% |
5.8% |
18.5% |
3.3% |
7.6% |
Benefits and Assistance
York County residents were 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).
- Compared with LIHEAP households statewide, a smaller proportion of
households receiving LIHEAP in York County had food stamps,
Medicaid, or supplemental security income (SSI). A higher proportion
had social security or social security disability income, and a
somewhat higher proportion had income from wages.
- The LIHEAP program served a smaller proportion of total county
households with older persons (7.1%) 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 |
5,399 |
7.2% |
55,445 |
10.7% |
| Recipients |
10,836 |
5.8% |
108,767 |
8.5% |
| LIHEAP |
|
| Households |
3,306 |
4.4% |
46,994 |
9.1% |
| Recipients |
7,071 |
3.8% |
98,825 |
7.8% |
| Hslds age 65 and over |
1,257 |
7.1% |
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) |
(3,306) |
(46,994) |
| Average household income |
$11,889 |
$11,209 |
| % Single person households |
46.6% |
45.5% |
| % Receiving food stamps |
37.4% |
49.7% |
| % Medicaid |
41.1% |
57.5% |
| % SSI |
14.1% |
22.9% |
| % SS/SSD |
59.0% |
52.8% |
| % With wages or self-employment |
11.9% |
8.6% |
| % LIHEAP applicants age 65 and over |
38.0% |
36.0% |
| *Percentage is % of
LIHEAP households |
|
