A Demographic Profile of the Youth Population* (2006)

Montgomery County, Maryland

Pamela Zorich
Lisa Madigan Tate
M-NCPPC Research & Technology Center
October 19, 2007

25 percent of Montgomery County residents are Population by Age Group (2006)

under the age of 18. Montgomery County, Maryland

7% Adults
Montgomery County is home to 230,000 children under the 7% Under 5 years
age of 18. There are 66,000 children under the age of 5, and 7% 5 to 9 years
164,000 school age children (ages 5 to 17). Young people 4%
10 to 14 years
75%
currently make up a slightly smaller share of the total 15 to 17 years
population than in 1980, when 27 percent of County
residents were under the age of 18.
Source: 2006 American Community Survey
The youth population will grow at a slightly slower
pace than the population as a whole over the next 25
years.
Historic and Forecast Population Growth (1980 to 2030)
Youths and Adults in Montgomery County
According to recent forecasts, the County’s youth (thousands of people)
population will grow by an estimated 4.2 percent by 2010. 270
253
239
By 2020, there will be 253,000 residents under the age of 222 230 Youth Population
178
18. Young people will number 270,000 by 2030. The youth
154
share of the population is forecast to decline slightly over 702 735 804
852
Adult Population
the next 25 years to around 24 percent. 579 652
425 (age 18+)

Minorities account for a higher share of youths than 1980 1990 2000 2006 2010 2020 2030

adults living in Montgomery County

Source: 2006 American Community Survey; M-NCPPC
Research & Technology Center Round 7.1 COG forecast

51 percent of Montgomery County children (118,000) are

minorities, compared to 43 percent of adults. Black/African-
Americans account for the largest share of young minorities
(19 percent). Hispanic youths—who may
Race & Ethnicity (2006), Montgomery County, Maryland
be of any race—number nearly 40,000
(17 percent). Youth Adults Total
number percent number percent number percent
Population 229,743 100% 702,388 100% 932,131 100%
* All data are from the U.S. Census 2006 American Whi te 131,762 57% 444,391 63% 576,153 62%
Community Survey, unless otherwise noted. Bl a ck/Afri ca n Ameri ca n 43,289 19% 109,380 16% 152,669 16%
As i a n 27,281 12% 97,324 14% 124,605 13%
Other 27,411 12% 51,293 7% 78,704 8%

Hispanic* 39,556 17% 88,809 13% 128,365 14%

* may be any race
Source: 2006 American Community Survey
There are 120,000 families with children in Married Couple Households (1970 to 2006)
Montgomery County.
100,000
90,000
22 percent of families with children in Montgomery 80,000
70,000
County are headed by a single parent. Mothers head 60,000 With children
most single-parent families (80 percent). Empty 50,000 under age 18
40,000
nesters and childless young couples account for a 30,000 No children
rising share of the County’s married-couple 20,000 under age 18
10,000
households. Half of all families have no children living 0
at home. 1970 1980 1990 2000 2006

Source: 2006 American Community Survey

9,600 children in Montgomery County are
living in poverty, with poverty rates highest
among children living in single-parent
families. Children Living in Poverty, by family type (2006)
Montgomery County, Maryland

45 percent of all families living in poverty in

Montgomery County are headed by single-mothers 20%
with children under the age of 18. Married parents

10% Single dad

Single mom
While the concentration of impoverished children is in 70%
single-parent families (7,500 or 78 percent of all
children), the majority of all single-parent families in
the County (87 percent) are living above the poverty
Source: 2006 American Community Survey
level.

More than half of children living in poverty (5,300) have

foreign-born parents. Of these, 68 percent are living with a
single parent.

Poverty by family type (2006) Montgomery County, Maryland

Two-parent family Single-parent family Total
number percent number percent number percent
Children under 18 living in families 176,506 100% 44,503 100% 221,009 100%
Bel ow poverty l evel 2,083 1% 7,494 17% 9,577 4%
Above poverty l evel 174,423 99% 37,009 83% 211,432 96%
Single-fathers Single-mothers Total
number percent number percent number percent
Single-parent families 6,176 100% 24,024 100% 30,200 100%
Bel ow poverty l evel 485 8% 3,484 15% 3,969 13%

Source: 2006 American Community Survey

M-NCPPC Research & Technology Center Demographic Profile of the Youth Population Page | 2
 Young foreign-language
The great majority of young people living in speakers are more likely than
Montgomery County (90 percent) were born in adults to be English-proficient.
the United States.
32 percent of school-age children
In households with a foreign-born head or spouse, the (53,000) in Montgomery County speak a
majority of children were born in the United States. language other than English at home,
Children in these households often serve as a bridge compared to 36 percent of adults.
between cultures—acting as translators of language and However, 81 percent of these children
customs. While 36 percent of adults in the County are speak English “very well,” compared to
foreign-born, only 10 percent of children were born outside 56 percent of the adults.
the United States.

As in the adult population, Spanish is

Of the 23,000 children who are foreign-born, 20,000 are the most commonly spoken foreign
ages 5 to 17, accounting for 12 percent of the County’s language among youth in the County.
school age population. 26 percent of foreign-born children 15 percent of school-age children
(5,900) are naturalized citizens. In comparison, 52 percent (24,000) speak Spanish at home, with
of foreign-born adults have become U.S. citizens. 84 percent proficient in English
compared to 49 percent of Spanish-
speaking adults.
Foreign born share of the population, by age group
Montgomery County, Maryland
The next most commonly spoken
languages among County youth include
other Indo-European (12,500) and Asian
(12,400) languages. English proficiency
64% also is higher among youths than adults
90% Native born
in these language groups—84 percent
Foreign-born for Indo-European language speakers
36%
10% (compared to 67 percent of adults) and
71 percent for young Asian language
Youths Adults (18+)
speakers (compared to 47 percent of
Source: 2006 American Community Survey adults).

Language Spoken at Home (2006)

Youth ages 5 to 17

English only
15%
Spanish

8% Other Indo-European
68% languages
8% Asian and Pacific Island
languages
3% Other languages

Source: 2006 American Community Survey

M-NCPPC Research & Technology Center Demographic Profile of the Youth Population Page | 3
M-NCPPC Research & Technology Center Demographic Profile of the Youth Population Page | 4