One in three children in Virginia is living in poverty or near-poverty, according to a study from the University of Virginia.

Researchers at UVa began a statewide poverty report last year, using a wider range of data than just the federal poverty line. UVa researcher Annie Rorem, who co-authored the report with Megan Juelfs-Swanson, doctoral candidate in sociology, said the Virginia Poverty Measure looks not only at family income, but tax liabilities and social welfare benefits. The study also counts income from cohabiting partners, not just married parents.

The study factors for different costs of living in different parts of the state.

“We account for all kinds of income but we also account for necessary expenses,” Rorem said. “The cost of living in Northern Virginia is pretty different from the cost of living in Southwest Virginia.”

Rorem and Juelfs-Swanson found that after you take these factors into account, the poverty rate is lower — the study found 13 percent of the state’s children live in poverty, compared with the federal rate of 15 percent. They also examined an overlooked demographic: children whose families are living just above the poverty line.