Virginia
State Government
Governor
Glenn Youngkin (R)
State Senate
21
Democrats,
19
Republicans
State House
49
Democrats,
51
Republicans
Economic well-being - Virginia
Extreme poverty rate
0.06
Food insecurity
0.121
Minimum wage
12.4
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.241
Poverty rate
9.7%
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
6.9
Poverty by demographic - Virginia
Child poverty rate
0.12
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
18000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
164000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
121000
Senior poverty rate
9.5 %
Women in poverty
4,360,482
The Roanoke Times, April 09, 2013: (Op-Ed) High cost of college hits poor harder
"The greatest increases in enrollment have occurred among the lowest-income groups over the 2006-11 period; income groups that fall below the median household income threshold not only make up the majority share of the total enrollment, but account for the greatest percentage increase in enrollment at Virginia's public higher education institutions. Lower-income groups are disproportionately affected by changes in costs."
The Washington Post, March 12, 2013: Latino students attending increasingly segregated schools in Virginia
"Nearly four out of five Latino students were enrolled in predominantly minority schools in 2010, according to the Civil Rights Project, based at the University of California at Los Angeles. About 7 percent of those students went to intensely segregated minority schools' - ones where less than 10 percent of students were white and a large majority of students lived in poverty."
The Virginian-Pilot, January 28, 2013: In Norfolk, newest teachers face tougher tasks
"Board member Rodney Jordan agreed that a child's zip code should not be the primary determinant of how many experienced teachers he or she encounters.' But Jordan said reducing concentrations of poverty in schools and improving education may be a better strategy than reassigning teachers within the division. He said research shows that high-poverty schools have more difficulty attracting experienced teachers."
The Washington Post, January 13, 2013: (Editorial) Teach for Virginia
"More than 300 of Virginia's best and brightest college graduates are on today's front lines of bringing quality education to disadvantaged students, teaching in hard-to-staff schools as part of the innovative Teach for America (TFA) program. That none of these teachers is in a classroom in the commonwealth is due to the state's antiquated mode of teacher certification."
The Virginian-Pilot, December 11, 2012: Education program after layoffs gave people hope""
"It's one of five Virginia institutions to receive a $1.25 million Department of Education 'Upward Bound' grant, which targets high school students from low-income families or families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The Virginia Community Colleges Association has recognized several of the school's professors for their work this year."
Richmond Times-Dispatch, October 28, 2012: Help for the homeless
"Deborah W. Reed, education specialist and homeless education liaison for the school system, said the number of children living in hotels grows steadily during each school year as family circumstances change and the county gathers information. Reed said she expects that by the end of the school year, the number will be close to the 2011-12 total of 173. The year before that, it was 182."