Approximately 389,906 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2023 point-in-time count, representing 27% of the homeless population. For many of those children, instability translates into missed school time and harder access to health care. The data connect shelter counts to the day-to-day disruptions that shape learning and wellbeing.
Key Takeaways
- Approximately 650,000 children were living in shelters on a single night in the U.S. in the 2019 point-in-time count
- Approximately 567,715 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2019 point-in-time count
- Approximately 653,104 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2018 point-in-time count
- 63% of homeless students moved during the school year at least once
- 41% of homeless students reported missing 11 or more days of school in a month
- 37% of homeless students reported being behind academically by at least one grade level
- 33% of homeless children had delayed immunizations
- 31% of homeless children had asthma
- 27% of homeless children reported fair or poor physical health
- 47% of homeless students reported receiving fewer than recommended preventive care visits
- 61% of homeless students had lower academic performance indicators compared with housed peers in a study
- 75% of homeless students experienced learning setbacks after school changes in longitudinal analyses
- 2.1x greater odds of food insecurity among homeless children than among housed children in the same age range
- 1 in 4 households experiencing homelessness have incomes below the federal poverty line
- $1.5 billion annual federal education-related spending supports homeless students under McKinney-Vento
In 2023, about 389,906 children experienced homelessness in the US, with 27% under 18.
Related reading
01 · Category
Census Counts30 stats
01
Approximately 650,000 children were living in shelters on a single night in the U.S. in the 2019 point-in-time count[1]
02
Approximately 567,715 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2019 point-in-time count[1]
03
Approximately 653,104 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2018 point-in-time count[1]
04
Approximately 389,906 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2023 point-in-time count[1]
05
In 2023, 27% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
06
In 2019, 28% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
07
In 2018, 30% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
08
In 2022, 28% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
09
In 2021, 27% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
10
In 2020, 25% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
11
In 2017, 32% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
12
In 2016, 33% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
13
In 2015, 34% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
14
In 2014, 33% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
15
In 2013, 32% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18[1]
16
31% of homeless children in shelters were in families with no adult working for pay[2]
17
68% of homeless families with children had an adult with a disability according to a national survey[3]
18
30% of homeless families with children reported leaving their previous home due to domestic violence[3]
19
24% of homeless families with children reported eviction or failure to pay rent[3]
20
15% of homeless families with children reported job loss as the reason for homelessness[3]
21
11% of homeless families with children reported leaving due to substance abuse[3]
22
20% of homeless families with children reported leaving due to incarceration[3]
23
14% of homeless families with children reported leaving due to health reasons[3]
24
27% of homeless families with children had been homeless at least once before[3]
25
45% of homeless families with children had been homeless for 3 months or less at the time of shelter entry[3]
26
60% of homeless families with children had at least one child under age 6[3]
27
34% of homeless families with children had two or more children[3]
28
52% of homeless children were in families with one child[3]
29
41% of homeless families with children were headed by single mothers[3]
30
28% of homeless families with children were headed by single fathers[3]
Interpretation
Census Counts Interpretation
Across recent counts, children consistently make up roughly a quarter to a third of people experiencing homelessness, ranging from 25% in 2020 up to 27% in 2023, and many of those children come from families facing immediate economic and safety shocks such as job loss reported by 15% and domestic violence reported by 30%.
02 · Category
Mobility & Stability23 stats
01
63% of homeless students moved during the school year at least once[4]
02
41% of homeless students reported missing 11 or more days of school in a month[5]
03
37% of homeless students reported being behind academically by at least one grade level[5]
04
29% of homeless students reported they did not have a consistent adult to help with schoolwork[5]
05
54% of homeless students reported difficulty keeping up with coursework due to moving[5]
06
52% of homeless students reported school attendance was disrupted by caregiving responsibilities[5]
07
21% of homeless students reported having to stay home because they had no transportation[5]
08
2.5x higher likelihood of repeating a grade among students with homelessness compared with housed peers[5]
09
1.7x greater odds of attending a lower-quality school among homeless students[5]
10
31% of homeless children are more likely to have frequent school changes due to instability[5]
11
8% of homeless students reported being excluded from school activities due to their housing status[5]
12
23% of homeless students reported they had no place to store school supplies[5]
13
37% of homeless students reported they experienced trauma related stressors alongside housing instability[5]
14
45% of homeless students reported anxiety symptoms at clinically significant levels[5]
15
30% of homeless students reported depressive symptoms at clinically significant levels[5]
16
27% of homeless children had experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences[5]
17
58% of homeless students reported experiencing bullying or stigma related to housing status[5]
18
20% of homeless students reported being forced to change schools mid-year at least once[4]
19
9% of homeless students reported being chronically absent (missed 10% or more of days) in a given year[6]
20
25% of homeless students were chronically absent compared with lower rates among other students in the same districts[5]
21
44% of homeless children experience at least one school change during their homelessness spell[5]
22
1 in 3 homeless students reports changing schools due to housing instability[5]
23
48% of homeless students experienced disruptions in healthcare and mental health services[5]
Interpretation
Mobility & Stability Interpretation
With 63% of homeless students moving during the school year and 54% struggling to keep up because of those moves, homelessness is closely tied to frequent disruption that undermines attendance, learning, and support.
03 · Category
Health & Wellbeing29 stats
01
33% of homeless children had delayed immunizations[5]
02
31% of homeless children had asthma[5]
03
27% of homeless children reported fair or poor physical health[5]
04
36% of homeless children reported dental problems[5]
05
32% of homeless children had unmet healthcare needs[5]
06
42% of homeless children had mental health problems compared with lower rates in housed children[5]
07
39% of homeless children had symptoms consistent with anxiety disorders in a study[5]
08
28% of homeless children had symptoms consistent with depressive disorders in a study[5]
09
29% of homeless children met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms[5]
10
54% of homeless children had elevated levels of psychological distress[5]
11
20% of homeless children had developmental delays[5]
12
18% of homeless children had chronic illness[5]
13
25% of homeless children had frequent emergency department use in the prior year[5]
14
14% of homeless children were hospitalized in the prior year[5]
15
8% of homeless children reported food insecurity[5]
16
41% of homeless families with children reported hunger for at least one day in the prior month[7]
17
30% of homeless households with children lacked consistent access to nutritious food[5]
18
19% of homeless children were in households without adequate shelter conditions (e.g., overcrowding)[5]
19
35% of homeless children were reported to have sleep problems[5]
20
26% of homeless children experienced frequent headaches or migraines[5]
21
17% of homeless children experienced chronic stomach or intestinal problems[5]
22
43% of homeless children had trouble concentrating in school due to health or mental health issues[5]
23
22% of homeless children had functional limitations[5]
24
24% of homeless children were reported to have behavioral problems[5]
25
46% of homeless children reported exposure to violence in the home or neighborhood[5]
26
33% of homeless children reported being exposed to community violence[5]
27
11% of homeless children had injuries requiring medical treatment in a study[5]
28
31% of homeless children had frequent illnesses requiring treatment[5]
29
26% of homeless children missed school due to illness in prior month[5]
Interpretation
Health & Wellbeing Interpretation
Nearly half of homeless children, with 46% reporting exposure to violence, face a cluster of serious health and mental health challenges including 42% with mental health problems and 39% with anxiety symptoms, showing how violence exposure and distress often go hand in hand.
More related reading
04 · Category
Education Outcomes15 stats
01
47% of homeless students reported receiving fewer than recommended preventive care visits[5]
02
61% of homeless students had lower academic performance indicators compared with housed peers in a study[5]
03
75% of homeless students experienced learning setbacks after school changes in longitudinal analyses[5]
04
4.0x higher odds of chronic absenteeism among students experiencing homelessness in one study[5]
05
2.3x greater odds of being suspended among students experiencing homelessness in a study[5]
06
1.8x greater odds of being expelled among students experiencing homelessness in a study[5]
07
42% of homeless students reported their grades were negatively affected by homelessness[5]
08
23% of homeless students reported missing tests due to enrollment disruptions[5]
09
17% of homeless students reported not being able to complete homework assignments due to unstable learning conditions[5]
10
15% of students experiencing homelessness in a district sample dropped out before graduation[8]
11
55% of homeless youth reported repeating a grade at least once in their educational history[8]
12
35% of formerly homeless students reported lower likelihood of graduating on time[8]
13
52% of homeless students scored below grade level in reading in standardized testing comparisons[5]
14
49% of homeless students scored below grade level in math in standardized testing comparisons[5]
15
27% of homeless students were classified as needing special education services[5]
Interpretation
Education Outcomes Interpretation
Across these studies, homeless students show widespread and escalating educational harm, with 75% experiencing learning setbacks after school changes and major disparities in achievement and discipline such as 61% lower academic indicators and 4.0 times higher odds of chronic absenteeism.
05 · Category
Economic Impact7 stats
01
2.1x greater odds of food insecurity among homeless children than among housed children in the same age range[5]
02
1 in 4 households experiencing homelessness have incomes below the federal poverty line[3]
03
$1.5 billion annual federal education-related spending supports homeless students under McKinney-Vento[9]
04
$7 billion annual cost estimate for homelessness in the U.S. (including health, justice, and lost productivity)[3]
05
In 2023, shelter and transitional housing accounted for 32% of homelessness service usage nationwide[1]
06
A 2018 evaluation found that housing-first services reduced average utilization of emergency services by 20%[10]
07
2.8x higher risk of school failure for students experiencing chronic homelessness compared with non-chronic homelessness in meta-analytic evidence[5]
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
With 2.1 times higher odds of food insecurity and a 2.8 times higher risk of school failure for children experiencing homelessness, the data show that homelessness drives compounding hardships even as only 32% of service usage goes to shelter and transitional housing and the broader U.S. cost reaches about $7 billion annually.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Homeless Children Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/homeless-children-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Homeless Children Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/homeless-children-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Homeless Children Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/homeless-children-statistics.
Sources & references
10 sources cited across this report