A Profile of the Rural Poor in the Coastal Plain of Northeastern South Carolina

This report presents a profile of poverty groups, based on characteristics of household heads, which could be useful in formulating and evaluating assistance programs for the poor. Rural households in the Coastal Plain of Northeastern South Carolina were grouped into five mutually exclusive categories determined by the age, disability, and sex of the household head: (1) Households with heads 65 years of age and older. (2) Households with disabled heads less than 65 years of age. (3) Households with able-bodied male heads 45-64 years of age. (4) Households with able-bodied male heads less than 45 years of age. (5) Households with able-bodied female heads less than 65 years of age. The resulting categories of the poor were examined for purposes of evaluating their needs and determining their potential for income improvement through self-help programs of public assistance. Half of the poor households, containing two-thirds of all income-deprived youth in the study area, were headed by able-bodied, working males. Assistance programs designed to lessen the impact of poverty among rural youth must be oriented to this target group. Most heads, particularly the younger ones, were willing to train, change jobs, and move from the area, if necessary, to get better pay. The remaining productive years of this group warrants public investment to improve their skills and other income producing resources.