Maryland
State Government
Governor
Wes Moore (D)
State Senate
33
Democrats,
13
Republicans
State House
102
Democrats,
39
Republicans
Economic well-being - Maryland
Extreme poverty rate
0.1
Food insecurity
0.1
Minimum wage
15.0
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.2
Poverty rate
9.1%
Unemployment rate
3.6
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
6.3
Poverty by demographic - Maryland
Child poverty rate
0.1
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
12000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
138000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
104000
Senior poverty rate
9.5 %
Women in poverty
3,167,176
The Washington Post, October 07, 2012: Montgomery County education leaders aim to boost college enrollment of minorities
"Students who go through the program will attend Montgomery College after high school. After earning an associate degree from the college, they then transfer to the Universities at Shady Grove to earn a bachelor's degree through the University System of Maryland. The coaches provide one-on-one support for students through the years, with mentoring, campus visits and tutoring help from start to finish. The program is geared toward African American, Hispanic and low-income students - groups typically underrepresented on college campuses."
The Baltimore Sun, May 27, 2012: Seniors crumple under debt burden
"Low-income seniors with excessive debt are having a hard time digging out in an environment in which "job growth is slow and salary increases are minimal," said Craig Copeland, a senior research associate at EBRI, who wrote the study on debt among the elderly."
The Baltimore Sun, May 3, 2012: Mixing incomes is the key; Poor students perform better when integrated in schools with their more-affluent peers
"But as one teacher, Rebecca Sayler of Atlanta, wrote to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, 'If you get rid of all of the bad teachers ... we will still have students who are reading below grade level and unable to demonstrate even basic skills in other areas. That's because the main problem in education isn't teachers. The main problem is poverty.'"
The Baltimore Sun, April 3, 2012: The right help for students
"The Maryland General Assembly is currently considering legislation that would require school districts across the state to spend millions of dollars a year on private tutors for students in their lowest-performing schools -- regardless of whether the tutoring actually helps kids achieve more in the classroom."
Daily Times, February 14, 2012: Student hunger a rising concern
"'I believe there has always been a need, but because of the economy there is a greater need,' said Bill Curtis, principal of Chipman Elementary. 'We see it in our high rate of students eligible for Free and Reduced Meals, and our number of students who are homeless. Thanks to this community partnership, the children will no longer have to be hungry and tired.'"
The Capital, February 3, 2012: Closer to a center for 'hope'; Schools' lease helps health, community center clear hurdle
"It is a Federally Qualified Health Center, which allows it to receive higher reimbursement rates for Medicaid patients and compete for additional grant funding. To earn FQHC status, a clinic must prove that it provides health care to a medically underserved area. More than half of the residents along Pioneer Drive, the area's main street, live below the federal poverty level. A new facility will allow for health education on ways to manage and prevent disorders, such as diabetes and heart disease, that are prevalent in the low-income area, Smith said.