Child Poverty
13% of Delaware children live in poverty. The federal poverty level for a family of three is $17,600 (2008). 33% of Delaware children live in families classified as low-income.

Family Finances
19% of Delaware’s children live in families where no parent held full-time, year-round employment.

Delawareans Without Health Insurance
101,000 Delawareans do not have health insurance, which is a 30% increase over the past five years.

Academic Proficiency
Nearly one-fourth of Delaware’s 10th-grade students failed to meet the state’s reading proficiency standards; more than 40% of 10th-grade students failed to meet the state’s math proficiency standards.

Youth Risky Behavior
22% of Delaware 11th graders admit using marijuana in the past 30 days; 41% admit consuming alcohol, and 17% admit smoking cigarettes.

Families with Children
Nearly one-third of Delaware’s children live in single-parent families.

Youth in Foster Care
In a given month, nearly 934 Delaware children are in foster care.

Income
The median income for single, female-headed families is $23,737.

Housing Affordability
47% of renters are considered “rent-burdened” (pay more than 30% of their income on gross rent). 4,478 housing foreclosures were filed in 2008 (16% increase over 2007).

Disability and Poverty
Nearly one-fourth of adults living in poverty have a “severe work disability.” An estimated 70% of adults with developmental disabilities are unemployed.

Incarceration and Recidivism
Delaware has the 4th highest state incarceration rate in the country.

Substance Abuse
An estimated 50,000 Delawareans are thought to be abusing or dependent on alcohol or other drugs. Less than one-in-five will receive treatment.

Growing Older
18% of Delaware’s population will be over 60 years old in 2010, which is a 34% increase over the past 10 years. Delaware’s population aged 85 and over will have increased by 70% over the same 10 years.