New census data: Some of state’s poorest counties in northwestern Minn., By Tom Robertson, June 21, 2011, Minnesota Public Radio: “New census data shows some of the state’s poorest counties are in northwestern Minnesota, where living wage jobs are limited and geography isolates rural residents. Beltrami County is one region with concentrated poverty where officials are examining the future challenges. About one in five people in Beltrami live in poverty – nearly a quarter of all children. The poverty rate in Beltrami County is nearly 21 percent and need is increasing, but resources are shrinking. Since the recession, the number of people getting some type of public assistance has climbed to approximately 6,000, up from around 5,000…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty