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
02
Approximately 567,715 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2019 point-in-time count
03
Approximately 653,104 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2018 point-in-time count
04
Approximately 389,906 children were counted among people experiencing homelessness in the 2023 point-in-time count
05
In 2023, 27% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
06
In 2019, 28% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
07
In 2018, 30% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
08
In 2022, 28% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
09
In 2021, 27% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
10
In 2020, 25% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
11
In 2017, 32% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
12
In 2016, 33% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
13
In 2015, 34% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
14
In 2014, 33% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
15
In 2013, 32% of people experiencing homelessness were children under 18
16
31% of homeless children in shelters were in families with no adult working for pay
17
68% of homeless families with children had an adult with a disability according to a national survey
18
30% of homeless families with children reported leaving their previous home due to domestic violence
19
24% of homeless families with children reported eviction or failure to pay rent
20
15% of homeless families with children reported job loss as the reason for homelessness
21
11% of homeless families with children reported leaving due to substance abuse
22
20% of homeless families with children reported leaving due to incarceration
23
14% of homeless families with children reported leaving due to health reasons
24
27% of homeless families with children had been homeless at least once before
25
45% of homeless families with children had been homeless for 3 months or less at the time of shelter entry
26
60% of homeless families with children had at least one child under age 6
27
34% of homeless families with children had two or more children
28
52% of homeless children were in families with one child
29
41% of homeless families with children were headed by single mothers
30
28% of homeless families with children were headed by single fathers
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
02
41% of homeless students reported missing 11 or more days of school in a month
03
37% of homeless students reported being behind academically by at least one grade level
04
29% of homeless students reported they did not have a consistent adult to help with schoolwork
05
54% of homeless students reported difficulty keeping up with coursework due to moving
06
52% of homeless students reported school attendance was disrupted by caregiving responsibilities
07
21% of homeless students reported having to stay home because they had no transportation
08
2.5x higher likelihood of repeating a grade among students with homelessness compared with housed peers
09
1.7x greater odds of attending a lower-quality school among homeless students
10
31% of homeless children are more likely to have frequent school changes due to instability
11
8% of homeless students reported being excluded from school activities due to their housing status
12
23% of homeless students reported they had no place to store school supplies
13
37% of homeless students reported they experienced trauma related stressors alongside housing instability
14
45% of homeless students reported anxiety symptoms at clinically significant levels
15
30% of homeless students reported depressive symptoms at clinically significant levels
16
27% of homeless children had experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences
17
58% of homeless students reported experiencing bullying or stigma related to housing status
18
20% of homeless students reported being forced to change schools mid-year at least once
19
9% of homeless students reported being chronically absent (missed 10% or more of days) in a given year
20
25% of homeless students were chronically absent compared with lower rates among other students in the same districts
21
44% of homeless children experience at least one school change during their homelessness spell
22
1 in 3 homeless students reports changing schools due to housing instability
23
48% of homeless students experienced disruptions in healthcare and mental health services
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
02
31% of homeless children had asthma
03
27% of homeless children reported fair or poor physical health
04
36% of homeless children reported dental problems
05
32% of homeless children had unmet healthcare needs
06
42% of homeless children had mental health problems compared with lower rates in housed children
07
39% of homeless children had symptoms consistent with anxiety disorders in a study
08
28% of homeless children had symptoms consistent with depressive disorders in a study
09
29% of homeless children met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms
10
54% of homeless children had elevated levels of psychological distress
11
20% of homeless children had developmental delays
12
18% of homeless children had chronic illness
13
25% of homeless children had frequent emergency department use in the prior year
14
14% of homeless children were hospitalized in the prior year
15
8% of homeless children reported food insecurity
16
41% of homeless families with children reported hunger for at least one day in the prior month
17
30% of homeless households with children lacked consistent access to nutritious food
18
19% of homeless children were in households without adequate shelter conditions (e.g., overcrowding)
19
35% of homeless children were reported to have sleep problems
20
26% of homeless children experienced frequent headaches or migraines
21
17% of homeless children experienced chronic stomach or intestinal problems
22
43% of homeless children had trouble concentrating in school due to health or mental health issues
23
22% of homeless children had functional limitations
24
24% of homeless children were reported to have behavioral problems
25
46% of homeless children reported exposure to violence in the home or neighborhood
26
33% of homeless children reported being exposed to community violence
27
11% of homeless children had injuries requiring medical treatment in a study
28
31% of homeless children had frequent illnesses requiring treatment
29
26% of homeless children missed school due to illness in prior month
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
02
61% of homeless students had lower academic performance indicators compared with housed peers in a study
03
75% of homeless students experienced learning setbacks after school changes in longitudinal analyses
04
4.0x higher odds of chronic absenteeism among students experiencing homelessness in one study
05
2.3x greater odds of being suspended among students experiencing homelessness in a study
06
1.8x greater odds of being expelled among students experiencing homelessness in a study
07
42% of homeless students reported their grades were negatively affected by homelessness
08
23% of homeless students reported missing tests due to enrollment disruptions
09
17% of homeless students reported not being able to complete homework assignments due to unstable learning conditions
10
15% of students experiencing homelessness in a district sample dropped out before graduation
11
55% of homeless youth reported repeating a grade at least once in their educational history
12
35% of formerly homeless students reported lower likelihood of graduating on time
13
52% of homeless students scored below grade level in reading in standardized testing comparisons
14
49% of homeless students scored below grade level in math in standardized testing comparisons
15
27% of homeless students were classified as needing special education services
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
02
1 in 4 households experiencing homelessness have incomes below the federal poverty line
03
$1.5 billion annual federal education-related spending supports homeless students under McKinney-Vento
04
$7 billion annual cost estimate for homelessness in the U.S. (including health, justice, and lost productivity)
05
In 2023, shelter and transitional housing accounted for 32% of homelessness service usage nationwide
06
A 2018 evaluation found that housing-first services reduced average utilization of emergency services by 20%
07
2.8x higher risk of school failure for students experiencing chronic homelessness compared with non-chronic homelessness in meta-analytic evidence
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
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
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
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)