What is the poverty rate in Minnesota?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 9.3% of Minnesota’s population as of 2024. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2024, 529,398 people in Minnesota were considered in poverty.
9.3%
of the population (2024)
529K
people living under the poverty line (2024)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Minnesota's poverty rate hit a peak in 2011 of 11.9%. Its lowest point was in 2019 at 9%. The state's poverty rate was 9.3% in 2024, 0.1 percentage point higher than the previous year.
In 2024, 9.3% of Minnesota's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2024
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2024, 529,398 people living in Minnesota were in poverty — down 14.9% from the 2011 peak of 621,970.
In 2024, 529,400 people in Minnesota were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2024
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Minnesota?
From 2014 to 2024, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Minnesota decreased from 14.9% to 9.5%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 11% to 9.3%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 7.5% to 9.1%.
In 2024, 9.5% of children in Minnesota were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2014–2024
How does poverty differ by race in Minnesota?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Minnesota during 2024, six had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race), some other race, and two or more races.
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population shifted the most, decreasing from 37.5% in 2014 to 19.9% in 2024.
In Minnesota, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population decreased from 37.5% in 2014 to 19.9% in 2024.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2014–2024
What counties in Minnesota have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Minnesota counties ranged from 4.1% in Scott County to 20.9% in Mahnomen County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Hennepin County — was 10%.
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Minnesota counties ranged from 4.1% to 20.9%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2023)
| 1. | Mahnomen County | 20.9% |
| 2. | Blue Earth County | 16.3% |
| 3. | Beltrami County | 16.0% |
| 4. | Wilkin County | 14.7% |
| 5. | Clay County | 14.4% |
| 6. | Chippewa County | 14.4% |
| 7. | Cottonwood County | 14.2% |
| 8. | St. Louis County | 13.4% |
| 9. | Winona County | 13.4% |
| 10. | Watonwan County | 13.0% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
