TOPIC AREA
Children and Family Health, Safety and Well-being

INDICATOR:

Percent of married couple families with
less than six children under the age of 18 earning below
the Family Self-Sufficiency Standard

Why is this indicator important in Baltimore City?

The percent of married couple families earning below the Family Self-Sufficiency Standard is an indicator of the economic situation of families in Baltimore City.

The Family Self-Sufficiency Standard is the amount of income needed for families of various types to meet the costs of sustaining that family without added income supports. Costs factored in the analysis include health care, day care, transportation, food, and other everyday expenses.

The indicator was first introduced by Wider Opportunities for Women, Maryland Advocates for Children and Youth, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The initial analysis was conducted for eight states, including Maryland. Many of those states are adopting this Standard formally as a way to make policy decisions about family and economic support.

The analysis included here is based on costs for Baltimore City only.

This indicator describes the economic situation with families earning both below and above the federal poverty level.

What has been happening in Baltimore City?

In Baltimore, 41.13 percent of married couple families earn below the Family Self-Sufficiency Standard.

Definition:

This indicator reflects the number of married couple families with less than six children who earn below the Family Self-Sufficiency Standard out of all married couple families with less than six children.

Calculation considerations:

Data for this indicator come from U.S. Census Special Tabulations. A Special Tabulation analysis was needed because earnings by family type, (data necessary to understand how many families earn below the Standard), is not made public by the U.S. Census.

The wage levels used for the Standard are not meant as entry-level wages, but as a way to understand what families need to earn without income supports in order to be self-sustaining.

-For instance, a married couple with one toddler and one infant should earn $48,384 without income supports in order to meet the needs of the family. A single head of household family with one toddler and one infant should earn $40,284 without income supports in order to meet the needs of the family.

Data source:

U.S. Census 2000 Special Tabulations

Analysis:

Edwin Quiambao, Baltimore City Data Collaborative/Family League of Baltimore
U.S. Census Special Tabulations

Years tracked:

2000

Geography:

Citywide, CSA

To access the Indicator:

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For more information about the Alliance and the Vital Signs, go to the website www.bnia.org.

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