Poverty in MinnesotaThe story of poverty in Minnesota is one of good news and bad news. Minnesota has traditionally done much better than most other states in fighting poverty. However, the trend in recent years has taken a significant turn for the worse.
Even though Minnesota still ranks ahead of the national average on key indicators, the levels of poverty, unemployment and homelessness remain at intolerable levels.
Minnesota has the fifth lowest poverty rate among the 50 states. The rate of poverty in our state is 9.2 percent, with New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut and New Jersey being the only states reporting lower rates of poverty.
Children in Poverty in Minnesota
- In 2000, Minnesota had an estimated 114,000 children younger than 18 living in poverty. By 2007, that number had swelled to 148,000 (12.2 percent)
- The number of Minnesota children living in extreme poverty, less than half the poverty threshold, nearly doubled between 2000 and 2006
- Minnesota's children of color are far more likely to be poor than are white children:
- 7 percent of all white children in Minnesota are poor (82,500)
- 44 percent of black children (36,500)
- 32 percent of Native American children (4,900)
- 20 percent of Asian children (11,600)
- 26 percent of Hispanic children (18,300)
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