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Mercer County Public Health Profile Report

Children Under Five Years of Age Living in Poverty: Estimated Percent, 2016-2020

  • Mercer
    18.5%
    95% Confidence Interval NA
    State
    14.2%
    U.S.NA
    NA=Data not available.
  • Mercer Compared to State

    gauge ranking
    Description of Gauge

    Description of the Gauge

    This graphic is based on the county data to the left. It compares the county value of this indicator to the state overall value.
    • Excellent = The county's value on this indicator is BETTER than the state value, and the difference IS statistically significant.
    • Watch = The county's value is BETTER than state value, but the difference IS NOT statistically significant.
    • Improvement Needed = The county's value on this indicator is WORSE than the state value, but the difference IS NOT statistically significant.
    • Reason for Concern = The county's value on this indicator is WORSE than the state value, and the difference IS statistically significant.

    The county value is considered statistically significantly different from the state value if the state value is outside the range of the county's 95% confidence interval. If the county's data or 95% confidence interval information is not available, a blank gauge image will be displayed with the message, "missing information."
    NOTE: The labels used on the gauge graphic are meant to describe the county's status in plain language. The placement of the gauge needle is based solely on the statistical difference between the county and state values. When selecting priority health issues to work on, a county should take into account additional factors such as how much improvement could be made, the U.S. value, the statistical stability of the county number, the severity of the health condition, and whether the difference is clinically significant.

Why Is This Important?

Poverty affects a wide range of resources that can enhance or diminish quality of life and thus have a significant influence on health outcomes. These resources include safe and affordable housing, access to education, public safety, availability of healthy foods, local emergency/health services, and environments free of life-threatening toxins.[https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health ^1^]

How Are We Doing?

Based upon 2020 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census data, there were wide variations in the county rates of poverty among New Jersey children less than 5 years of age. Counties with the highest percentages of children under 5 years of age living in poverty were Passaic, Salem, Atlantic and Essex Counties. The lowest percentages of poverty among children less than 5 years were in Hunterdon and Morris Counties. In New Jersey, approximately a quarter of Black and Hispanic children under 5 years of age are living in poverty. The rates for White and Asian children under age 5 are 11.4% and 4.5%, respectively.

Data Sources

American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, [https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/]  

Measure Description for Children Under Five Years of Age Living in Poverty

Definition: Number or percent of children under 5 years of age living in poverty
Numerator: Number of children less than 5 years of age living in poverty in a geographic area
Denominator: Number of children less than 5 years of age living in a geographic area

Indicator Profile Report

Children Under Age 5 Living in Poverty (exits this report)

Date Content Last Updated

03/24/2022
The information provided above is from the Department of Health's NJSHAD web site (https://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Thu, 28 March 2024 10:06:31 from Department of Health, New Jersey State Health Assessment Data Web site: https://nj.gov/health/shad ".

Content updated: no date