PORTLAND – Despite gains made during the economic boom of the 1990s, the poverty rate in Washington County remains more than twice that of some southern Maine counties, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Data being released Thursday indicate that 5,931 people in Washington County – or 17 percent – lived in poverty in 1998, down from 20.3 percent in 1989.

At 7.6 percent, Sagadahoc County had the lowest poverty rate in 1998, up from 6.4 percent in 1989. Cumberland and York counties followed with rates of 7.8 percent, down slightly from 7.9 percent in 1989.

The data show that 10.3 percent of Mainers – or 128,682 – lived in poverty in 1998, down from 10.7 percent in 1989. Nationally, 12.7 percent of the population lived in poverty in 1998, slightly down from 12.8 percent in 1989.

“In general, the economy was better for everybody in the ’90s, and that showed up here as well,” said Jon Reisman, a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Maine at Machias.

Some of the improvements in Washington County can be attributed to increased employment in aquaculture and on large projects such as the Maritimes & Northeast natural gas pipeline and improvements to Route 9, Reisman said.

“For people in the construction trade, there were some pretty good times for a while,” he said.

But the prosperity enjoyed by most of Maine’s southern and coastal areas has so far eluded Maine’s easternmost county, he said.

Although the new numbers are nearly 4 years old, the Census Bureau says they provide the most comprehensive look at poverty and income on the county level. The data come from a variety of sources, not the 2000 headcount administered by the bureau, and are used for administering various federal programs.

The bureau released high, low and middle estimates of poverty in each county. The Associated Press analyzed the middle estimates. Because the estimates are built from survey data and statistical models, there are large margins of error that make it difficult to make comparisons to other data.

Median household income in Washington County jumped 36.8 percent from $19,004 in 1989 to $25,997 in 1998.

During that time, the median household income rose in all 16 counties. The fastest rate, 48.8 percent, was in Knox County, where income rose from $23,460 to $34,909.

Statewide, income rose 32.8 percent, from $26,777 to $35,560.

The percentage of Washington County children living in poverty dropped from 30.6 percent to 21.5 percent. But with 1,821 of its children under 18 living in poverty, the county still had the state’s highest rate.

Five counties – Cumberland, Kennebec, Lincoln, Penobscot and Sagadahoc – saw slight increases in child poverty levels. Statewide, 41,750 children – or 14.2 percent -were estimated to live in poverty, down from 15.6 percent.

Maine, county poverty estimates

The Associated Press

Estimate of percentage of people in poverty in 1998, followed by percentage in 1989.

. Maine: 10.3 percent; 10.7 percent.

. Androscoggin: 10.6 percent; 10.9 percent.

. Aroostook: 14.1 percent; 14.9 percent.

. Cumberland: 7.8 percent; 7.9 percent.

. Franklin: 12.1 percent; 12 percent.

. Hancock: 9.8 percent; 11.3 percent.

. Kennebec: 10.3 percent; 10 percent.

. Knox: 10.6 percent; 12 percent.

. Lincoln: 9.7 percent; 9.1 percent.

. Oxford: 12 percent; 11.8 percent.

. Penobscot: 11.8 percent; 11.8 percent.

. Piscataquis: 12.7 percent; 12.2 percent.

. Sagadahoc: 7.6 percent; 6.4 percent.

. Somerset: 13.7 percent; 14 percent.

. Waldo: 13.5 percent; 15.3 percent.

. Washington: 17 percent; 20.3 percent.

. York: 7.8 percent; 7.9 percent.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.