Facts and Figures About Rural Student Poverty


Last Updated: March 29, 2012
 

This article appeared in the March 2012 Rural Policy Matters.

Question: Which state has the highest rate of poverty (as measured by eligibility for federally funded subsidized meals) among rural students?

Answer: New Mexico, with 80%. Other states where over half of rural students are living in poverty are: Louisiana (69%), Mississippi (63%), Arkansas (58%), Oklahoma (57%), Kentucky (57%), South Carolina (57%), West Virginia (53%), Alabama (52%) and Georgia (52%).

(Why Rural Matters, 2011–12. Data source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, Public School Universe, 2008–09.)

Read more from the March 2012 Rural Policy Matters.



Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters

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