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MAINE
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Maine:

The data below describe the state rankings and selected characteristics of the immigrant and native-born populations in Maine in 2011.

Rankings
The following shows Maine's rankings in several categories. All rankings include the 50 states and the District of Columbia and are ranked highest to lowest.
  Rankings
Number of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 44 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 22 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 42 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 20 out of 51

Data Highlights
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Who are the foreign born?
The term foreign born refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the census who were not US citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent immigrants, refugees and asylees, legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization. By comparison, the term native refers to people residing in the United States who were US citizens in one of three categories: 1) people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; 2) people born in United States Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or 3) people who were born abroad to at least one US citizen parent.

We use the terms immigrants and foreign born interchangeably.

Earnings of Full-Time Workers
(This sheet describes earnings of civilian employed workers)

In Maine in 2011, 24.7 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 34.5 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Maine in 2011, 8.4 percent of full-time, year-round, immigrant workers (those working more than 50 weeks a year and more than 35 hours per week) earned less than $15,000 a year; 37.4 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 19.8 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 34.5 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 5.6 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 35.5 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 23.3 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 35.6 percent earned $50,000 or more.

At the national level, 9.8 percent of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 40.9 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 16.6 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 32.6 percent earned $50,000 or more.

Median Earnings by Nativity and Gender

Male immigrant workers had average annual earnings of $41,165 compared to $34,484 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Maine in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $34,484 for women and $41,165 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $35,921 and those of noncitizen men were $36,505. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $32,659 and naturalized-citizen men $45,430. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $34,487 for women and $44,398 for men.

At the national level, median earnings of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers were $31,749 for women and $35,918 for men. The median earnings for noncitizen workers were $24,347 for women and $28,507 for men. Among naturalized-citizen workers, women had median earnings of $38,419 and men of $47,547. Among native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $38,044 for women and $50,056 for men.

What Was the Poverty Threshold in 2011?
Whether any family is considered below the poverty threshold depends on the family's total income before taxes, not including any capital gains or noncash benefits, such as food stamps or housing subsidies.

The Census Bureau's poverty threshold varies depending on the number of adults and children in a family. The threshold is adjusted each month to account for inflation. Because respondents filled out the American Community Survey in different months, the poverty threshold that is applied to each family depends on the month in which the survey was taken.

To give a general idea of poverty levels, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2011 was $23,021; for a family of three, $17,916; for a family of two, $ 14,657; and for an unrelated individual, $11,484. All members of a family are assigned the same poverty status. Poverty thresholds are the same for the entire United States, despite differences in the cost of living across US communities.
Population in Poverty

The immigrant population in Maine living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 77.6 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 5,087 to 9,034, representing a change of 77.6 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 3,703 to 5,087 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 37.4 percent.

At the national level, the immigrant population below the poverty threshold increased from 3,435,394 to 5,473,300 between 1990 and 2000, representing a change of 59.3 percent, and grew from 5,473,300 to 7,797,199 (42.5 percent) between 2000 and 2011.

In 2011, 21.5 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 21.5 percent of Maine's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 14.2 percent in 2000 and 10.6 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 13.9 percent of the native-born population in Maine lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

At the national level, 19.6 percent of the immigrants population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011, compared to 17.7 percent in 2000 and 17.9 percent in 1990. Nationally, 15.4 percent of the native-born population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

In Maine, 25.0 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 12.8 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Maine in 2011, 25.0 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 12.8 percent of naturalized citizens.

Nationally, 26.3 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 11.5 percent of naturalized citizens.

Families with Children in Poverty

In Maine, 13.1 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 13.1 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 19.8 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than families consisting of a female and children under 18 with no husband present (13.1 versus 45.7 percent).

In comparison, 8.6 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 15.4 percent of native families with children under 18. As with foreign-born families, native families consisting of a married couple with children under 18 were less likely to be living in poverty than families headed by a female and children under 18 with no husband present (5.7 versus 37.8 percent).

At the national level, 18.5 percent of families headed by a foreign-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold in 2011, while 24.6 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than foreign-born families consisting of a female and children under 18 (17.9 versus 45.2 percent).

Language Groupings

Indo-European languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Yiddish, other West Germanic languages, Scandinavian languages, Greek, Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, other Slavic languages, Armenian, Persian, Gujarathi, Hindi, and Urdu.

Asian and Pacific Island languages include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mon-Khmer/Cambodian, Miao/Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

Other languages include Navajo, other Native North American languages, Hungarian, Arabic, Hebrew, and African languages.

Population in Poverty by Language Spoken at Home

In Maine, 26.1 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 11.2 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 10.7 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Maine in 2011, 13.4 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 26.1 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 10.7 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 11.2 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 61.3 percent who spoke other languages.

Nationally, 13.6 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 25.4 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 13.7 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 14.2 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 26.7 percent who spoke other languages.




Table 1. Population by Poverty Status in Maine, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Maine for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 1,189,760 100.0 1,247,286 100.0 1,291,650 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 132,038 11.1 138,795 11.1 182,448 14.1
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 110,330 9.3 114,793 9.2 134,392 10.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 947,392 79.6 993,698 79.7 974,810 75.5
Native Born 1,154,876 100.0 1,211,508 100.0 1,249,699 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 128,335 11.1 133,708 11.0 173,414 13.9
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 106,003 9.2 111,385 9.2 129,952 10.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 920,538 79.7 966,415 79.8 946,333 75.7
Foreign Born 34,884 100.0 35,778 100.0 41,951 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 3,703 10.6 5,087 14.2 9,034 21.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 4,327 12.4 3,408 9.5 4,440 10.6
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 26,854 77.0 27,283 76.3 28,477 67.9
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Maine for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 57,526 4.8 101,890 8.6 44,364 3.6
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6,757 5.1 50,410 38.2 43,653 31.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 4,463 4.0 24,062 21.8 19,599 17.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 46,306 4.9 27,418 2.9 -18,888 -1.9
Native Born 56,632 4.9 94,823 8.2 38,191 3.2
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 5,373 4.2 45,079 35.1 39,706 29.7
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 5,382 5.1 23,949 22.6 18,567 16.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 45,877 5.0 25,795 2.8 -20,082 -2.1
Foreign Born 894 2.6 7,067 20.3 6,173 17.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,384 37.4 5,331 144.0 3,947 77.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level -919 -21.2 113 2.6 1,032 30.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 429 1.6 1,623 6.0 1,194 4.4
Notes: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing. 2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.
Sources: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), various years (see Note 2 above); 2000 Decennial Census; Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew Sobek. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2011.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 2. Income and Poverty Characteristics of the Population in Maine, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Maine for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 1,293,001
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.0
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 19.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 67.2
Native Born 1,249,081
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 19.8
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 67.3
Foreign Born 43,920
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 18.1
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.5
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 63.5
Noncitizen 18,819
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 25.0
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 21.1
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 53.8
Naturalized Citizen 25,101
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 12.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 16.5
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 70.7
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Maine Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 427,823
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.7
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.8
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.8
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 23.2
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.1
Earned $75,000 or more 13.4
Native Born 413,400
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.6
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 14.7
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.8
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 23.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 22.3
Earned $75,000 or more 13.3
Foreign Born 14,423
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.4
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 16.3
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 21.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 19.8
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 17.8
Earned $75,000 or more 16.7
Noncitizen 5,978
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 4.1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 6.2
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 16.7
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.5
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 19.7
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 16.3
Earned $75,000 or more 16.7
Naturalized Citizen 8,445
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.9
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 16
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 21.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 19.8
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 18.9
Earned $75,000 or more 16.7
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Maine, 2011  
Male $44,274
Female $34,487
Native Born  
Male $44,398
Female $34,487
Foreign Born  
Male $41,165
Female $34,484
Noncitizen  
Male $36,505
Female $35,921
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $45,430
Female $32,659
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 8.8
With related children under age 18 15.5
With related children under age 5 only 20.7
Married-couple families 3.9
With related children under age 18 6.0
With related children under age 5 only 7.1
Families with female householder, no husband present 29.6
With related children under age 18 38.0
With related children under age 5 only 58.6
Native-Born Families 8.6
With related children under age 18 15.4
With related children under age 5 only 20.9
Married-couple families 3.8
With related children under age 18 5.7
With related children under age 5 only 7.0
Families with female householder, no husband present 29.4
With related children under age 18 37.8
With related children under age 5 only 58.9
Foreign-Born Families 13.1
With related children under age 18 19.8
With related children under age 5 only 14.9
Married-couple families 8.9
With related children under age 18 13.1
With related children under age 5 only 9.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 33.8
With related children under age 18 45.7
With related children under age 5 only 44.4
Noncitizen 17.4
With related children under age 18 20.4
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 10.8
With related children under age 18 10.4
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 45.5
With related children under age 18 53.4
With related children under age 5 only N
Naturalized Citizen 10.4
With related children under age 18 19.3
With related children under age 5 only 23.9
Married-couple families 7.9
With related children under age 18 15.6
With related children under age 5 only 17.6
Families with female householder, no husband present 24.5
With related children under age 18 37.3
With related children under 5 age only N
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Maine, 2009  
Male $41,165
Female $34,484
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $26,908
Female $32,315
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $37,572
Female $33,415
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $51,189
Female $36,274
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 11,574
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.6
Born in Europe 11,278
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11.5
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Northern America (Canada, Bermuda, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Oceania N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Note: 1. Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), different years.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 3. Poverty Status of Residents in Maine by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Maine for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 1,227,319 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 166,837 13.6
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 1,060,482 86.4
Speaks Only English 1,147,425 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 153,787 13.4
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 993,638 86.6
Speaks Spanish 11,608 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 3,027 26.1
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 8,581 73.9
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 54,102 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 5,787 10.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 48,315 89.3
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 8,896 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 994 11.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 7,902 88.8
Speaks Other Languages 5,288 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 3,242 61.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 2,046 38.7
Note: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under the age of 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey.
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

For data on these topics, click on the link: