By Alanna Anderson and James Lee

Montgomery Planning’s Research and Strategic Projects Division periodically develops demographic profiles of Montgomery County population groups by analyzing the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources. These profiles provide important information to planners and decision makers to help them understand a population’s characteristics and create equitable and inclusive communities for current and future generations. In April 2026, the division released its Children in Montgomery County Profile, and this blog summarizes several key findings.

A big change in population share

The Census Bureau’s latest American Community Survey (ACS) data show there were more than 243,000 children (ages 17 years and younger) in Montgomery County in 2024—that’s 54,471 more than in 1970. However, children comprised a much smaller share of the county’s total population (22%) than they did in 1970 when they were 36% of the population as birth rates declined across the decades in combination with an aging baby boomer population.

Change in total and share of child population, Montgomery County, 1970-2024

Racial and ethnic diversity

No single racial or ethnic group comprised the majority of the county’s child population. Children who identified as White remained the largest group, but their share fell from 51% to 32% between 2010 and 2024. Over the same period, the share of children identifying as two or more races grew from 7% to 19%, and those identifying as Hispanic increased from 21% to 29%.

Racial and ethnic distribution of children, Montgomery County, 2010-2024

Further reflecting the child population’s racial and ethnic diversity, 39% of children spoke a language other than English at home in 2024, and a majority of this subgroup spoke Spanish at home.

Housing and economic characteristics

Nearly one-third of all households in the county had children within them (124,391 households). Nearly half (46%) of these households earned $200,000 or more annually. Further, 68% of these households were homeowners, while 78% lived in single-family homes.

Although the income and housing indicators generally point to economic prosperity among households with children, specific household types within this group are more likely to be economically disadvantaged. Households with children headed solely by a female had a median annual income of $56,475 and a poverty rate of 25%. In contrast, the median income of married-couple households with children was nearly four times greater ($218,338), and their poverty rate was only 3%.

Median annual household income by household type, Montgomery County, 2024

Poverty rate by household type, Montgomery County, 2024

Similarly, 24% of female-headed households with children participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), compared to just 6% of married-couple households with children. These disparities in income, poverty, and public assistance participation mirror broader gender-based economic inequities in the county, as highlighted in Montgomery Planning’s Profile of Women in Montgomery County and accompanying blog post, which document lower earnings, higher poverty rates, and greater caregiving burdens among women.

As another indicator of need for public assistance among families with children, nearly 64,000 children, or 40% of public-school students, were enrolled in the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS) program in the 2024 school year, according to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) data. The FARMS enrollment rate has risen steadily for all school levels since 2010, with the largest increase at the high school level – from 24% to 38% between 2010 and 2024.

Finally, housing costs represent a significant financial burden on many households, particularly renters. Among renter households with children, the median monthly gross rent was $2,288, and more than half (52%) were burdened by housing costs, defined as spending more than 30% of household income on housing. Households with children who own their homes had a median monthly housing cost of $3,420 (including mortgage), but only 18% of these households were cost burdened.

What’s next?

The profile’s analysis serves as a starting point for exploring additional questions about the characteristics of children in Montgomery County that may inform future Montgomery Planning research. For example, how do the characteristics of the child population and households with children vary in different parts of the county? Are rising housing costs influencing where families with children choose to live within the county and in what type of housing?

Check out the full profile for more information on the demographic characteristics of children in Montgomery County.

About the authors
Alanna Anderson is a graduate research assistant in Montgomery Planning’s Research and Strategic Projects Division. Alanna is a master’s candidate in community planning and information management at the University of Maryland, College Park. She earned a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an associate’s degree in computer science from Hagerstown Community College.

James Lee is the forecaster and demographic research specialist in Montgomery Planning’s Research and Strategic Projects Division. His areas of expertise include demographic analysis, census statistics, GIS data analysis, and immigration. James has a master’s degree in geography from University of Georgia and, prior to joining Montgomery Planning, was an immigration analyst for the federal government and a GIS analyst for Gwinnett County, Georgia’s planning department.