Distressed neighborhoods are everywhere

Kids growing up in distressed neighborhoods are less likely to perform well in school, more likely to become pregnant as teens, and less likely to have a smooth transition to the workforce. Distressed neighborhoods are defined as census tracts, or block numbering areas in rural places, with 4 of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American demographics 1994-11, Vol.16 (11), p.19
Main Author: O Hare, William
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Censuses
Children & youth
Demographics
Neighborhoods
Poverty
School dropouts
Social classes
Standard of living
Statistical data
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Kids growing up in distressed neighborhoods are less likely to perform well in school, more likely to become pregnant as teens, and less likely to have a smooth transition to the workforce. Distressed neighborhoods are defined as census tracts, or block numbering areas in rural places, with 4 of the 5 following characteristics: 1. a 1989 poverty rate of 28% or higher, 2. a high share of female-headed families, 3. a large share of high school dropouts, 4. a large share of men unattached to the labor force, and 5. more than 17% of families receiving public assistance. Half of the top 10 states with the highest shares of children in distressed neighborhoods are more rural - Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, and Kentucky. While assisting these neighborhoods is often viewed as someone else's responsibility - namely, the government's - many private organizations are starting to invest in them as well.
ISSN:0163-4089
2163-5897