For more information, visit MN Public Health Data Access: Poverty & Income.
Data Notes
- The indicator mapped here (percent in poverty) describes the proportion of individuals living below
100% poverty threshold. This is presented for three age groups: people of all ages, children under 18 years of age, and
children under 5 years of age. For county level data on 185% and 200% poverty thresholds, see the
population characteristics query.
- The U.S. Census Bureau defines “poverty” by comparing a family’s or household’s annual household
income to a set of federal poverty thresholds. The federal poverty thresholds are calculated using a family's size and
composition, including the number of children. If a family’s household income is less than their poverty threshold, then
every person in that family is considered to be in poverty. To learn more, go to the
U.S. Census Bureau's poverty webpage.
- The official 100% poverty threshold for a two adult, two child family was $25,926 in 2019 for the
U.S. The Census Bureau adjusts the poverty thresholds each year according to the Consumer Price Index, which estimates prices
paid for goods and services and is produced by the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Another way to identify poverty not used here (but used elsewhere on the portal for the free and
reduced price lunch indicator) is to use the poverty guidelines issued annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), which is often used by federal programs to determine financial eligibility. The guidelines are intended for
administrative purposes as opposed to statistical purposes.
- For additional information, see
about the poverty & income data.
Data Sources
- 2019 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (table S1701).