Young adults living below the poverty line booms in NJ

About 12 percent of New Jersey young people aged 18-to-24 lived below the poverty line in 2006, a new report says.

That’s up 20 percent from 2002, says the New Jersey Kids Count 2008 report released Monday by the Association for Children of New Jersey.

The nonprofit advocacy group also noted that 28 percent of this age group lacked health insurance in 2006, including many who had jobs.

This annual report noted that many young adults reach legal adulthood before they develop emotional maturity and financial self-sufficiency. “Problems may be most severe for young people from low-income families,” said ACNJ Executive Director Cecilia Zalkind. “They may be less likely to get financial support from parents as they move into adulthood.”

Other highlights:


A disturbingly high rate of children – 28 percent – live in families where no parent has stable employment.


New Jersey’s high housing costs place a tremendous burden on families. Among families that rent, almost half spend more than the recommended 30 percent of their income on rent checks, leaving little for other essentials.


One the positive side, the state’s public schools are narrowing the achievement gap between low-income elementary students and their more affluent peers. The group of low-income third-graders passing the state math test rose from 58 percent in 2004 to 76 percent in 2007.

For more information, see acnj.org.