Percentage of Minnesota kids in poverty climbs

A new U.S. Census report shows the percentage of Minnesota residents under age 17 growing. The report finds the number grew one full point to 15 percent.
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The number of young Minnesotans under age 18 continues to grow. A new report by the U.S. Census Bureau shows the percentage grew from 14 percent in 2009 to 15 percent last year. That's about 190,000 children living below the poverty line.

That backs up numbers reported previously by MinnPost that show the growing number of children in poverty since 2000, when the rate was still in the single digits.

If there's any good news, it's that Minnesota is among a handful of states with relatively lower child poverty rates. Some states like Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana see a quarter or more of their children in poverty.

And it's not just kids. MPR reported earlier this month that seniors show the fastest increase in poverty for any group, mainly because of out-of-pocket medical expenses.

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