The number of poor school-age children in the Washington suburbs grew three times faster from 1990 to 1994 than the national rate, new U.S. Census Bureau figures show.

In the 12 suburban counties closest to the nation's capital, the bureau reports that the number of children ages 5 to 17 living in households with incomes below the federal poverty level increased from 31,038 in 1990 to 57,349 in 1994 - a rise of about 85 percent.Nationwide, the number of school-age children below the poverty line increased by 28 percent during the four-year period.

The federal poverty line for a family of four is $16,000 a year.

The District of Columbia also had more poor children in 1994 than in 1990, despite a declining population. The increase of 28 percent was the smallest rise of any Washington-area jurisdiction, but the district had a higher percentage of poor children, 31 percent, than any of its neighbors.

Demographers attributed the increase to an influx of immigrant families, a continuing rise in the number of single-parent households and a recession that cost the region 90,000 retail and construction jobs from 1990 to 1992.

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Fairfax County, Va., had the largest increase in poor children, with 134 percent. Virginia counties rounded out the top four: Prince William, 108 percent; Arlington, 103 percent; and Alexandria, 101 percent. Loudoun County, Va., had an increase of 78 percent.

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