Camden County Ranks 14th in Education, 19th in Safety and Well‐Being 

Camden County received its highest ranking – 14th – in the area of education and its lowest ranking –
19th – in safety and well‐being among all 21 counties, according to the annual New Jersey Kids Count
county profiles and pocket guide released today.

The rankings, which compare counties on 12 measures of child well‐being, and across four domains –
economics, health, safety and well‐being, and education – provide a closer look at how children are
faring in various parts of the state, often revealing a range of outcomes depending on where they live.
The pocket guide, NJ Kids Count 2017: The State of Our Counties provides county‐by‐county child trend
data across 40 measures of child well‐being.

“Some counties have seen encouraging progress, but the reality is that nearly 24,000 Camden County
children live in families struggling to make ends meet,” said Cecilia Zalkind, president and CEO of
Advocates for Children New Jersey, , which produces the state Kids Count reports. “It’s critical that these
children have access to vital safety‐net programs. The good news is that the county ranks within the top
10 for school breakfast participation and rate of uninsured children.”

Zalkind said that she hopes community leaders can use the data to recognize areas of concern and
target resources to improve the lives of children in their county.

Camden County Ranks:
15th in Child and Family Economics: With 20 percent of children living in poverty and unemployment at 5.5 percent, Camden shows room for improvement in these indicators. In addition, the percentage of
Camden households paying 30 percent or more of their income on rental costs mirror the state average
of 50 percent.

18th in Child Health: Camden has the eighth lowest rate of uninsured children among the 21 counties at
2.5 percent; the state average is 3.7 percent. However, roughly 14 percent of all Camden children under
age 6 received a blood lead test in 2015, ranking 14th on this indicator. Camden ranked 18th in the
percentage of babies born with a low birthweight – 9 percent compared to the New Jersey average of
8.1.

19th in Safety and Well‐Being: Eight percent of Camden teens are not in school and not working,
compared to the state average of 6 percent. In addition, 13.4 percent of reported cases of child abuse or
neglect were substantiated or established in 2015, up from 12.1 in 2011. Despite a drop in juvenile
arrests from roughly 30 arrests per 1,000 in 2011 to 24.4 in 2015, Camden placed nearly last on this
indicator.

14th in Education: Camden ranks 15th among all 21 counties for its graduation rate and percentage of
chronically absent students at 89 percent and 13 percent, respectively. The good news is that 49 percent
of eligible Camden County students start the day with school breakfast, slightly above the state average
of 47 percent.

In addition to the county profiles and pocket guide, Advocates for Children of New Jersey also released
New Jersey Kids Count 2017: The State of Our Children, in May, which provides state‐level data in all
areas of child well‐being.

To read the reports, visit www.acnj.org.
###
KIDS COUNT is a national and state‐by‐state statistical effort to track the state of children in the United
States, sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Advocates for Children of New Jersey is a statewide
child research and action organization and the New Jersey Kids Count grantee.