Children and Families






After a slow increase over the course of two decades, the child poverty rate in the MetroWest region has returned to the year 2000 level and remains 50% below the state level and less than half the rate of the national level. Despite this achievement, significant racial and ethnic disparities continue to be evident, which reflect current and historic differences in socioeconomic status and access to resources, as well as public policies with discriminatory or inequitable outcomes. Poverty, domestic violence and single-parent families are all conditions that can impact children’s ability to thrive, and in our region, children have different burdens to bear depending, in part, on where they live.

Socioeconomic status also plays a critical role in shaping a child’s future. Children raised in poverty are at higher risk for various health and social problems, including difficulty in school, which can diminish their chances for successful adult lives. In 2018-22, about 52,600 children in MetroWest were living in poverty, or 8% of all children under 18. While in some communities in our region very few children are living in poverty, other areas have especially high rates, such as the 15% child poverty rate in Framingham. Across the region, poverty rates were much higher among Hispanic (20%) and African American (16%) children than among white (6%) and Asian (7%) children.

Whether a young person is in school or working also is an indicator of future success. In 2018-22, 4% of MetroWest youth between the ages of 16 and 19 were not in school nor working, similar to the state rate and less than the national rate of 7%.

Children in single-parent families are far more likely to grow up in low-income households than those living with two parents. In 2018-22, 25% of families with children under 18 in the MetroWest region were headed by one parent, well below the national rate of 34% and the statewide rate of 32%. In MetroWest, the share was highest among Black or African American (57%) and Hispanic families (51%), followed by white (30%) and Asian (19%) families. Rates were higher for all racial and ethnic groups at the state level.

A healthy pregnancy is one of the earliest factors that shapes a child’s future. Early, high-quality prenatal care can improve chances that pregnancy results in a healthy, full-term baby. In 2021, MetroWest women initiated prenatal care in the first trimester at modestly higher rates than Massachusetts as a whole, but at significantly better rates than the nation as a whole. Rates varied by race and ethnicity: early prenatal care was initiated in 78% of births to Black or African American mothers, 80% of Hispanic or Latina births, 89% of Asian and 88% of white births. These differences mirrored racial and ethnic disparities at the state and national level. These rates have increased slightly except for Hispanic or Latina Mother’s since 2016.

Domestic violence has uniquely negative effects on victims and families. There were 2.8 reported victims per 1,000 residents in the region in 2022, or 8,800 reported victims. While this represents an increase from 1.7 per 1,000 in 2000, it also represents a steady decline from a high of 3.7 per 1,000 in 2010. The region’s 2022 rate was lower than Massachusetts’ rate (4.6). The rate was highest in Marlborough (7.6) and lowest in Medfield and Weston (0.5). Often, domestic violence still goes unreported.





INDICATORS REGIONAL TREND
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families Increasing
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Decreasing
Reports of Domestic Violence Increasing
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Increasing
Households Without Vehicles Maintaining
Means of Transportation to Work Not Applicable
Households With Internet Access Increasing
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Average Charitable Contribution Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Drug Poisoning Mortality Rate Increasing
Crimes Against People Decreasing
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Total Population Increasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Population by Age Not Applicable
Change in Population by Age/Gender Not Applicable
Seniors Living Alone Decreasing
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Change in Total Jobs by Sector Not Applicable
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Maintaining
Share of Workers who are Professionals, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
High-Tech Jobs Decreasing
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Maintaining
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Group Not Applicable
School Spending Per Student Maintaining
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students Increasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults Not Applicable
College Admission Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance Maintaining
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income Maintaining
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
80/20 Income Ratio Maintaining
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates Maintaining
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership Increasing
Cost of Homeownership, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Rent Not Applicable
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homelessness Increasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Share of Workers who are Professionals, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
College Admission Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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