Massachusetts
State Government
Governor
Maura Healey (D)
State Senate
36
Democrats,
4
Republicans
State House
133
Democrats,
25
Republicans
Economic well-being - Massachusetts
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
9.7%
Unemployment rate
4.8
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
2.8
Poverty by demographic - Massachusetts
Child poverty rate
0.1
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
19000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
53000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
139000
Senior poverty rate
10.8 %
Women in poverty
3,531,015
Lowell Sun, May 31, 2012: State wants longer days, new leaders for Lawrence schools
"The state officially took over the schools in January. Jeffrey Riley, a former Boston school administrator, was named as the receiver and convened a stakeholder group to consider ways to change the direction of the impoverished city's schools."
The Boston Globe, April 25, 2012: With college-loan pledge, president courts youth vote
"Obama also called on Congress to extend a tuition tax credit he pushed when he first took office to safeguard financial aid for low-income students, such as the Pell Grant program, and to double the number of work-study jobs available over the next five years."
The Boston Globe, April 23, 2012: Special education policies reviewed; Contrary to belief, poor districts more likely to use program
"Low-income school districts are most likely to place students in special-education programs for mild and sometimes questionable disabilities, a practice that has swelled the state s special-education population to one of the highest rates in the nation, according to a first-of-a-kind study commissioned by the state."
The Berkshire Eagle, March 31, 2012: Dwindling lottery dollars 'lifeline' for cities, towns
"In Lynn, where 2010 census data show that nearly 20 percent of residents live in poverty, two years of cuts in "unrestricted aid" totaling more than $2 million have delayed paving projects and municipal building repairs and required the careful scrutiny of all nonsalary spending, said Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy. "
The Boston Globe, March 9, 2012: In era of cuts, students in Somerville play on; City builds on music education program
"He says more than half the collective Somerville student body participates in music programs, a significant feat considering `60 percent of our kids are living close to or at the poverty line. So for many of them, for their families, even $50 a month for an instrument was cost prohibitive.'"
The Boston Globe, February 19, 2012: Residents voice outrage at MBTA plans; Poor, elderly would bear the brunt of route cuts
"Reduced fares currently offered to senior citizens could increase by at least 50 percent under the proposals. The cost of using The Ride, a door-to-door service for disabled people, also would increase under both proposals."