Table 203.75.

Enrollment and percentage distribution of enrollment in public schools, by family poverty rate of 5- to 17-year-olds living in the school district, student race/ethnicity, region, and school locale: School year 2020-21

Student race/ethnicity, region, and school locale	Enrollment					Percentage distribution of enrollment
	Total	By district poverty level1				Total	By district poverty level1
		Low	Middle-low	Middle-high	High		Low	Middle-low	Middle-high	High
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Total	49,256,684	12,302,990	12,324,786	12,310,025	12,318,883	100.0	25.0	25.0	25.0	25.0
American Indian/Alaska Native	457,150	51,676	95,022	105,510	204,942	100.0	11.3	20.8	23.1	44.8
Asian	2,674,587	1,135,547	682,376	428,780	427,884	100.0	42.5	25.5	16.0	16.0
Black	7,395,686	768,677	1,408,759	1,807,339	3,410,911	100.0	10.4	19.0	24.4	46.1
Hispanic	13,798,130	1,934,061	3,141,515	4,361,174	4,361,380	100.0	14.0	22.8	31.6	31.6
Pacific Islander	180,284	31,583	89,330	37,156	22,215	100.0	17.5	49.5	20.6	12.3
White	22,533,712	7,748,002	6,282,745	5,033,784	3,469,181	100.0	34.4	27.9	22.3	15.4
Two or more races	2,211,202	631,023	623,704	535,350	421,125	100.0	28.5	28.2	24.2	19.0
Race unknown	5,933	2,421	1,335	932	1,245	100.0	40.8	22.5	15.7	21.0
Region
Northeast	7,667,427	2,808,362	1,586,775	1,020,797	2,251,493	100.0	36.6	20.7	13.3	29.4
American Indian/Alaska Native	30,585	4,840	5,112	3,553	17,080	100.0	15.8	16.7	11.6	55.8
Asian	579,507	268,164	57,335	33,267	220,741	100.0	46.3	9.9	5.7	38.1
Black	1,060,920	139,448	177,175	144,250	600,047	100.0	13.1	16.7	13.6	56.6
Hispanic	1,791,055	306,298	306,509	281,854	896,394	100.0	17.1	17.1	15.7	50.0
Pacific Islander	12,548	3,297	1,894	930	6,427	100.0	26.3	15.1	7.4	51.2
White	3,920,807	1,982,874	975,682	517,931	444,320	100.0	50.6	24.9	13.2	11.3
Two or more races	271,108	103,135	62,925	38,965	66,083	100.0	38.0	23.2	14.4	24.4
Race unknown	897	306	143	47	401	100.0	34.1	15.9	5.2	44.7
Midwest	10,148,655	3,533,664	2,925,017	1,748,598	1,941,376	100.0	34.8	28.8	17.2	19.1
American Indian/Alaska Native	75,727	13,068	23,347	15,072	24,240	100.0	17.3	30.8	19.9	32.0
Asian	379,360	189,019	96,695	35,620	58,026	100.0	49.8	25.5	9.4	15.3
Black	1,382,217	188,687	225,812	281,036	686,682	100.0	13.7	16.3	20.3	49.7
Hispanic	1,372,596	303,786	410,415	259,755	398,640	100.0	22.1	29.9	18.9	29.0
Pacific Islander	14,133	3,592	4,428	3,583	2,530	100.0	25.4	31.3	25.4	17.9
White	6,425,461	2,673,031	2,023,548	1,058,913	669,969	100.0	41.6	31.5	16.5	10.4
Two or more races	498,316	161,637	140,771	94,619	101,289	100.0	32.4	28.2	19.0	20.3
Race unknown	845	844	1	0	0	100.0	99.9	0.1	0	0
South	19,465,523	2,609,196	4,212,905	6,023,233	6,620,189	100.0	13.4	21.6	30.9	34.0
American Indian/Alaska Native	155,109	12,279	25,501	44,113	73,216	100.0	7.9	16.4	28.4	47.2
Asian	724,007	272,985	192,347	157,658	101,017	100.0	37.7	26.6	21.8	14.0
Black	4,395,000	352,119	847,937	1,146,914	2,048,030	100.0	8.0	19.3	26.1	46.6
Hispanic	5,439,510	536,348	999,584	1,820,819	2,082,759	100.0	9.9	18.4	33.5	38.3
Pacific Islander	32,533	3,646	6,964	13,101	8,822	100.0	11.2	21.4	40.3	27.1
White	7,919,284	1,294,392	1,946,174	2,585,257	2,093,461	100.0	16.3	24.6	32.6	26.4
Two or more races	799,781	137,394	194,397	255,138	212,852	100.0	17.2	24.3	31.9	26.6
Race unknown	299	33	1	233	32	100.0	11.0	0.3	77.9	10.7
West	11,975,079	3,351,768	3,600,089	3,517,397	1,505,825	100.0	28.0	30.1	29.4	12.6
American Indian/Alaska Native	195,729	21,489	41,062	42,772	90,406	100.0	11.0	21.0	21.9	46.2
Asian	991,713	405,379	335,999	202,235	48,100	100.0	40.9	33.9	20.4	4.9
Black	557,549	88,423	157,835	235,139	76,152	100.0	15.9	28.3	42.2	13.7
Hispanic	5,194,969	787,629	1,425,007	1,998,746	983,587	100.0	15.2	27.4	38.5	18.9
Pacific Islander	121,070	21,048	76,044	19,542	4,436	100.0	17.4	62.8	16.1	3.7
White	4,268,160	1,797,705	1,337,341	871,683	261,431	100.0	42.1	31.3	20.4	6.1
Two or more races	641,997	228,857	225,611	146,628	40,901	100.0	35.6	35.1	22.8	6.4
Race unknown	3,892	1,238	1,190	652	812	100.0	31.8	30.6	16.8	20.9
School locale
City	15,958,697	2,072,498	2,738,586	4,604,929	6,542,684	100.0	13.0	17.2	28.9	41.0
American Indian/Alaska Native	108,916	11,915	25,267	30,715	41,019	100.0	10.9	23.2	28.2	37.7
Asian	1,088,832	305,794	219,858	213,094	350,086	100.0	28.1	20.2	19.6	32.2
Black	3,408,688	154,477	276,949	817,191	2,160,071	100.0	4.5	8.1	24.0	63.4
Hispanic	5,959,307	460,645	881,659	1,960,329	2,656,674	100.0	7.7	14.8	32.9	44.6
Pacific Islander	62,693	6,871	19,288	21,981	14,553	100.0	11.0	30.8	35.1	23.2
White	4,581,987	998,045	1,144,083	1,336,236	1,103,623	100.0	21.8	25.0	29.2	24.1
Two or more races	746,208	134,057	170,680	224,917	216,554	100.0	18.0	22.9	30.1	29.0
Race unknown	2,066	694	802	466	104	100.0	33.6	38.8	22.6	5.0
Suburban	20,576,838	8,141,165	5,985,748	4,321,606	2,128,319	100.0	39.6	29.1	21.0	10.3
American Indian/Alaska Native	82,908	26,209	27,195	19,785	9,719	100.0	31.6	32.8	23.9	11.7
Asian	1,433,505	782,545	419,950	180,750	50,260	100.0	54.6	29.3	12.6	3.5
Black	2,883,066	560,647	969,621	779,441	573,357	100.0	19.4	33.6	27.0	19.9
Hispanic	5,670,504	1,250,512	1,714,673	1,768,882	936,437	100.0	22.1	30.2	31.2	16.5
Pacific Islander	98,041	21,930	64,186	8,742	3,183	100.0	22.4	65.5	8.9	3.2
White	9,433,504	5,079,462	2,476,207	1,393,586	484,249	100.0	53.8	26.2	14.8	5.1
Two or more races	972,688	418,257	313,582	170,181	70,668	100.0	43.0	32.2	17.5	7.3
Race unknown	2,622	1,603	334	239	446	100.0	61.1	12.7	9.1	17.0
Town	5,267,943	715,969	1,437,546	1,449,243	1,665,185	100.0	13.6	27.3	27.5	31.6
American Indian/Alaska Native	117,552	6,291	18,583	23,659	69,019	100.0	5.4	15.8	20.1	58.7
Asian	60,196	10,668	18,183	16,599	14,746	100.0	17.7	30.2	27.6	24.5
Black	440,819	16,201	34,090	72,898	317,630	100.0	3.7	7.7	16.5	72.1
Hispanic	1,152,540	88,784	271,816	334,347	457,593	100.0	7.7	23.6	29.0	39.7
Pacific Islander	10,759	1,337	3,022	4,006	2,394	100.0	12.4	28.1	37.2	22.3
White	3,266,213	563,134	1,034,088	932,962	736,029	100.0	17.2	31.7	28.6	22.5
Two or more races	218,896	29,498	57,647	64,630	67,121	100.0	13.5	26.3	29.5	30.7
Race unknown	968	56	117	142	653	100.0	5.8	12.1	14.7	67.5
Rural	7,453,206	1,373,358	2,162,906	1,934,247	1,982,695	100.0	18.4	29.0	26.0	26.6
American Indian/Alaska Native	147,774	7,261	23,977	31,351	85,185	100.0	4.9	16.2	21.2	57.6
Asian	92,054	36,540	24,385	18,337	12,792	100.0	39.7	26.5	19.9	13.9
Black	663,113	37,352	128,099	137,809	359,853	100.0	5.6	19.3	20.8	54.3
Hispanic	1,015,779	134,120	273,367	297,616	310,676	100.0	13.2	26.9	29.3	30.6
Pacific Islander	8,791	1,445	2,834	2,427	2,085	100.0	16.4	32.2	27.6	23.7
White	5,252,008	1,107,361	1,628,367	1,371,000	1,145,280	100.0	21.1	31.0	26.1	21.8
Two or more races	273,410	49,211	81,795	75,622	66,782	100.0	18.0	29.9	27.7	24.4
Race unknown	277	68	82	85	42	100.0	24.5	29.6	30.7	15.2

1To create the school district categories, public school districts were ranked and divided into quarters based on the family poverty rate of their 5- to 17-year-old population; the cut points between the four quarters were chosen so that, at the national level, each quarter contains approximately the same number of students. The low-poverty level consists of districts with the lowest percentages of poor 5- to 17-year-olds (8.1 percent or less); the middle-low-poverty level consists of districts with 8.1 percent to 13.6 percent of poor 5- to 17-year-olds; the middle-high-poverty level consists of districts with 13.6 percent to 19.1 percent of poor 5- to 17-year-olds; and the high-poverty level consists of districts with the highest percentages of poor 5- to 17-year-olds (19.1 percent or more). A family is in poverty if its income falls below the Census Bureau's poverty threshold, which is a dollar amount that varies depending on a family's size and composition and is updated annually to account for inflation. In 2021, for example, the poverty threshold for a family of four with two children was $27,479. The family poverty rate of 5- to 17-year-olds is the percentage of children in this age group whose families are in poverty. Includes only children classified as "related" and "relevant" (see NOTE). For additional information about poverty status, see https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Includes only those children who live in households and meet both of the following conditions: (1) The children are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption (except a child who is the spouse of the householder). The householder is the person (or one of the people) who owns or rents (maintains) the housing unit. (2) The children are relevant to the school district. Children are relevant if they reside within the geographical boundaries of the district and are at a grade level served by the district, even if they do not attend a school in the district. School enrollment data were obtained from the Common Core of Data and poverty rate data were obtained from the Census Bureau. For the approximately 6 percent of public school students whose school district's family poverty rate data were not available, the rate for their district was imputed to be the same as the rate for the county containing the zip code listed for their superintendent's location. This table excludes 3,258 enrolled children (based on author’s calculations) whose poverty status could not be determined. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Local Education Agency Universe Survey," 2020-21; and Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE), "Public School File," 2020-21. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program, 2020 Poverty Estimates for School Districts and 2020 Poverty Estimates for States and Counties. (This table was prepared March 2023.)