Family Poverty Status in South Carolina
At 10.7 percent, the percentage of families in South Carolina who lived below poverty was slightly higher than the national rate (9.2 percent) in 1999.
Poverty Status of Families: 1999
| South Carolina | United States | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | |
| All Families | 1,078,736 | 100.0 | 72,261,780 | 100.0 |
| Families Below Poverty | 115,899 | 10.7 | 6,620,945 | 9.2 |
| Families Above Poverty | 962,837 | 89.3 | 65,640,835 | 90.8 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000. SF3, Table P90.
Poverty Status by Type of Family and Presence of Own Children
Married-couple families are less likely to live in poverty than single-householder families. In South Carolina in 1999, 5.0 percent of married couple-families lived below the poverty level, compared with 14.4 percent of single male householder families and 30.6 percent of single female householder families.
Poverty Status of Married-Couple Families: 1999
| South Carolina | United States | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | |
| All Married-Couple Families | 797,922 | 100.0 | 55,458,451 | 100.0 |
| Married-Couple Families Below Poverty | 39,839 | 5.0 | 2,719,059 | 4.9 |
| With Children Under 18 Years | 22,865 | 2.9 | 1,767,368 | 3.2 |
| With Only Children Under 5 Years | 4,023 | 0.5 | 329,946 | 0.6 |
| Married-Couple Families Above Poverty | 758,083 | 95.0 | 52,739,392 | 95.1 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000. SF3, Table P90.
Poverty Status of Families with Single Male Householder: 1999
| South Carolina | United States | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | |
| All Families with Male Householder, No Wife Present | 61,055 | 100.0 | 4,302,568 | 100.0 |
| Single Male Householder Families Below Poverty | 8,811 | 14.4 | 585,970 | 13.6 |
| With Children Under 18 Years | 6,263 | 10.3 | 448,039 | 10.4 |
| With Only Children Under 5 Years | 1,594 | 2.6 | 113,215 | 2.6 |
| Single Male Householder Families Above Poverty | 52,244 | 85.6 | 3,716,598 | 86.4 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000. SF3, Table P90.
Poverty Status of Families with Single Female Householder: 1999
| South Carolina | United States | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | |
| All Families with Female Householder, No Husband Present | 219,759 | 100.0 | 12,500,761 | 100.0 |
| Single Male Householder Families Below Poverty | 67,249 | 30.6 | 3,315,916 | 26.5 |
| With Children Under 18 Years | 58,503 | 26.6 | 2,940,459 | 23.5 |
| With Only Children Under 5 Years | 11,221 | 5.1 | 589,201 | 4.7 |
| Single Female Householder Families Above Poverty | 152,510 | 69.4 | 9,184,845 | 73.5 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000. SF3, Table P90.
Poverty Status of Families by Race
Families with a householder who is White alone are less likely to live in poverty than families with householders of other races. In South Carolina in 1999:
- 5.6 percent of families with a householder who is White alone lived below poverty.
- 23.5 percent of families with a householder who is African American alone lived below poverty.
- 15.7 percent of families with a householder who is some other race lived below poverty.
Poverty Status of Families by Race: 1999
| South Carolina | United States | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | |
| Families with a White Alone Householder | 758,876 | 100.0 | 56,470,094 | 100.0 |
| White Alone Families Below Poverty | 42,838 | 5.6 | 3,548,532 | 6.3 |
| White Alone Families Above Poverty | 716,038 | 94.4 | 52,921,562 | 93.7 |
| Families with an African American Alone Householder | 292,777 | 100.0 | 8,209,432 | 100.0 |
| African American Alone Families Below Poverty | 68,805 | 23.5 | 1,777,105 | 21.6 |
| African American Alone Families Above Poverty | 223,972 | 76.5 | 6,432,327 | 78.4 |
| Families with an Other Race Householder | 27,083 | 100.0 | 7,582,254 | 100.0 |
| Other Race Families Below Poverty | 4,256 | 15.7 | 1,295,308 | 17.1 |
| Other Race Families Above Poverty | 22,827 | 84.3 | 6,286,946 | 82.9 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000. SF3, Table P160A-G.