Perhaps this perception comes from the reasoning that a homeschooling family needs at least one parents spending time at home teaching. After all, how could the income of a homeschooling family, with one or both parents spending much more time at home compare to a typical dual-income family of today?
According to the US Census Bureau, “Real median household income in the United States climbed 1.3 percent between 2006 and 2007, reaching $50,233”
Let’s compare this will the an article I found that highlights “The California Home=Education Conference exhibitor brochure provided the following demographics on homeschool conference attendees:”
Annual Homeschool Household Income:
30% earn from $20,000-$40,000
18% earn from $40,000-$50,000
26% earn from $50,000-$70,000
10% earn from $70,000-$90,000
16% earn $90,000 or more
As you can see, Homeschool families make up an average cross section of the population with respect to income. Therefore, an average homeschool family income is very similar to the general population. This is not to say that there are some homeschool families that live in poverty, just as there are some with very high incomes – perhaps the families of Doctors and Engineers.
Homeschool families do tend to be more frugal with their money than the average family, but that is not the same has living on less income.
Poverty Mentality
Occasionally I hear a homeschool parent say something like, "Well, that's fine for you - you can afford it," or "It must be nice to have money," or "You're not really homeschooling - you're just buying an education for your kids" or “we cannot afford that program with our income”. These comments can lead to false impressions of homeschool incomes. The reality is that these comments are just as common in the general public. Don’t be fooled, homeschool families are just as affluent as anyone else.
If you are trying to sell a product or service or run a support group or a co-op or a field trip within your homeschooling community, don’t be discouraged by a few cheapskates within the homeschool community that try to nickle-and-dime you. Show them these statistics and remind them that there is plenty of money in the average homeschool family and they don’t need to use your service or product to continue homeschooling. If they want the extra value of the service or product you provide, than they should pay for it. If they still persist that their money problems are different, than ask them if they have a budget or if they have attended a personal finance class to learn how to better manage their money. Almost every city has a few churches offering personal financial classes. Encourage them to attend these classes.
I will say that homeschool families are much more conscious about what they spend their money on. But, this is a good thing, because they are trying to live within their means and want to get the best value for their money. Many live on a budget, have little consumer debt and have a savings account. These financial standards of homeschool families allow them to better prepare for the future.
I hope this article helps explain why serving homeschoolers can be different than serving the general public, even though their incomes are generally the same.