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MARYLAND
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Maryland:

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

Rankings
The following shows Maryland'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: 17 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 49 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 17 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 23 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 Maryland in 2011, 22.2 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 44.6 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Maryland in 2011, 6.5 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; 31.1 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 17.7 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 44.6 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 4.1 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 20.2 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 18.9 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 56.9 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 $46,299 compared to $40,874 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Maryland in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $40,874 for women and $46,299 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $31,243 and those of noncitizen men were $35,798. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $50,696 and naturalized-citizen men $58,337. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $50,190 for women and $60,431 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 Maryland living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 77.1 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 52,501 to 93,001, representing a change of 77.1 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 27,155 to 52,501 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 93.3 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, 11.6 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 11.6 percent of Maryland's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 10.2 percent in 2000 and 8.9 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 9.8 percent of the native-born population in Maryland 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 Maryland, 15.7 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 6.8 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Maryland in 2011, 15.7 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 6.8 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 Maryland, 9.1 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 9.1 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 11.5 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 (6.5 versus 26.2 percent).

In comparison, 6.6 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 10.8 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 (2.6 versus 26.3 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 Maryland, 15.3 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 7.3 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 9.8 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Maryland in 2011, 9.3 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 15.3 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 9.8 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 7.3 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 11.6 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 Maryland, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Maryland for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 4,666,963 100.0 5,185,895 100.0 5,685,412 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 383,628 8.2 444,195 8.6 571,887 10.1
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 243,076 5.2 291,087 5.6 360,268 6.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 4,040,259 86.6 4,450,613 85.8 4,753,257 83.6
Native Born 4,362,018 100.0 4,672,886 100.0 4,882,593 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 356,473 8.2 391,694 8.4 478,886 9.8
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 221,876 5.1 255,135 5.5 293,296 6.0
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 3,783,669 86.7 4,026,057 86.2 4,110,411 84.2
Foreign Born 304,945 100.0 513,009 100.0 802,819 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 27,155 8.9 52,501 10.2 93,001 11.6
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 21,200 7.0 35,952 7.0 66,972 8.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 256,590 84.1 424,556 82.8 642,846 80.1
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Maryland for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 518,932 11.1 1,018,449 21.8 499,517 9.6
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 60,567 15.8 188,259 49.1 127,692 28.7
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 48,011 19.8 117,192 48.2 69,181 23.8
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 410,354 10.2 712,998 17.6 302,644 6.8
Native Born 310,868 7.1 520,575 11.9 209,707 4.5
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 35,221 9.9 122,413 34.3 87,192 22.3
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 33,259 15.0 71,420 32.2 38,161 15.0
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 242,388 6.4 326,742 8.6 84,354 2.1
Foreign Born 208,064 68.2 497,874 163.3 289,810 56.5
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 25,346 93.3 65,846 242.5 40,500 77.1
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 14,752 69.6 45,772 215.9 31,020 86.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 167,966 65.5 386,256 150.5 218,290 51.4
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 Maryland, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Maryland for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 5,685,412
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10.1
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 13.3
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 76.6
Native Born 4,882,593
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 9.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 12.6
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 77.6
Foreign Born 802,819
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 11.6
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 18.1
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 70.3
Noncitizen 433,475
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15.7
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 23.5
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 60.8
Naturalized Citizen 369,344
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 11.7
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 81.5
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Maryland Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 2,117,469
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 2.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 9.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 12.5
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 18.7
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 24.1
Earned $75,000 or more 30.6
Native Born 1,744,503
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 2.5
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 8.3
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 11.9
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 18.9
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 24.9
Earned $75,000 or more 32
Foreign Born 372,966
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.1
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.4
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 15.7
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 15.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 17.7
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 20.3
Earned $75,000 or more 24.3
Noncitizen 180,548
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.7
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 6.2
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 23.2
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 18.6
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 18.2
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 15.9
Earned $75,000 or more 15.1
Naturalized Citizen 192,418
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 1.5
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 2.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 8.5
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 12.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 17.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 24.4
Earned $75,000 or more 33
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Maryland, 2011  
Male $56,708
Female $48,748
Native Born  
Male $60,431
Female $50,190
Foreign Born  
Male $46,299
Female $40,874
Noncitizen  
Male $35,798
Female $31,243
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $58,337
Female $50,696
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 7.1
With related children under age 18 11.0
With related children under age 5 only 10.3
Married-couple families 2.6
With related children under age 18 3.5
With related children under age 5 only 3.2
Families with female householder, no husband present 20.0
With related children under age 18 26.3
With related children under age 5 only 25.9
Native-Born Families 6.6
With related children under age 18 10.8
With related children under age 5 only 9.8
Married-couple families 1.9
With related children under age 18 2.6
With related children under age 5 only 1.8
Families with female householder, no husband present 20.0
With related children under age 18 26.3
With related children under age 5 only 27.0
Foreign-Born Families 9.1
With related children under age 18 11.5
With related children under age 5 only 11.9
Married-couple families 5.9
With related children under age 18 6.5
With related children under age 5 only 7.6
Families with female householder, no husband present 19.5
With related children under age 18 26.2
With related children under age 5 only 18.4
Noncitizen 13.4
With related children under age 18 16.1
With related children under age 5 only 17.3
Married-couple families 9.1
With related children under age 18 10.3
With related children under age 5 only 11.0
Families with female householder, no husband present 26.5
With related children under age 18 34.8
With related children under age 5 only 29.5
Naturalized Citizen 5.8
With related children under age 18 6.7
With related children under age 5 only 3.8
Married-couple families 3.8
With related children under age 18 3.0
With related children under age 5 only 2.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 13.7
With related children under age 18 17.3
With related children under 5 age only 8.1
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Maryland, 2011  
Male $46,299
Female $40,874
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $35,275
Female $30,295
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $45,950
Female $41,518
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $61,896
Female $50,845
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia 260,985
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 7.6
Born in Europe 82,410
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 8.1
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) 322,879
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15.9
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 Maryland by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Maryland for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 5,330,007 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 515,966 9.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 4,814,041 90.3
Speaks Only English 4,432,903 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 410,680 9.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 4,022,223 90.7
Speaks Spanish 370,943 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 56,796 15.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 314,147 84.7
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 241,475 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 23,679 9.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 217,796 90.2
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 191,750 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13,994 7.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 177,756 92.7
Speaks Other Languages 92,936 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 10,817 11.6
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 82,119 88.4
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: