University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign

Poverty Levels: Children Age 5 and Under Living at Various Federal Poverty Levels (FPLs)

Federal poverty levels (FPLs) are often used to determine financial eligibility for federal, state, and local government programs
steps in upward direction
The Census Bureau uses a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. If a family’s total income is less than the family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty. The poverty thresholds are used for statistical purposes.

The poverty guidelines are another version of the federal poverty measure. Each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issues the poverty guidelines, often referred to as federal poverty levels (FPLs).

Source of data: IECAM demographers prepare poverty estimates based on the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program and the American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Data available on IECAM

IECAM presents poverty level numbers for children age 5 and under who are living in families with income below 50%, 100%, 185%, 200%, and 400% of the poverty level.

On the Data Hub, numbers are provided for children age 2 and under, ages 3 and 4, age 5, and age 5 and under by state, county, Birth to Five Illinois region, school district, and Chicago community area for years 2019 and later. On the Excel spreadsheet for 2023 demographic data, data are available for all geographic regions found on the IECAM database.

On the IECAM database, numbers are provided for children under age 1, age 2, age 3, age 4, age 5, and age 5 and under for all geographic areas on the database for years 2022 and earlier.

Additional resources