(Baltimore, MD, Tuesday, September 24, 2019) – New research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that living in a high-poverty neighborhood puts young people at risk.

On Tuesday, September 24, the Foundation will release a KIDS COUNT data snapshot on concentrated poverty that will provide a detailed picture of how children and families living in concentrated poverty are faring in the United States.

Though 29 states and the District of Columbia saw decreases in the share of children in concentrated poverty from the 2008–2012 estimate to 2013–2017, the other 11 states experienced no progress and 10 states and Puerto Rico actually saw increases in the share of children living in concentrated poverty.

Children that live in neighborhoods with quality schools, abundant job opportunities, reliable transportation and safe places for recreation are better positioned for success in adulthood. Yet millions of children live in high-poverty neighborhoods that lack these assets.

African American and American Indian children are seven times more likely to live in poor neighborhoods than white children, and Latino children are nearly four times more likely. Legacies of racial and ethnic oppression as well as and present-day laws, practices and stereotypes that disproportionately affect people of color are the root causes of these disparities.

People in high-poverty neighborhoods tend to lack access to healthy food and quality medical care, and they often face greater exposure to environmental hazards, such as poor air quality and toxins such as lead. Financial hardships and fear of violence also can cause chronic stress linked to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.