Minnesota Is Quietly Leading the Way in Helping Those in Need

I've always loved Minnesota, and I'm pretty happy to say this is where I was born and raised. There are so many good things about the Land of 10,000 Lakes! Now, there's another thing to add to the list, according to a recent study.

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The Poverty Rate is Really High in the US

A site called Smile Hub did a study to find which states are the most supportive of people in poverty.

Citing the US Census Bureau, Smile Hub says that almost 37 million Americans live in poverty. That's crazy and also really sad. In a country where there seem to be so many opportunities, we shouldn't also be a country where tens of millions are struggling to meet their basic needs.

Pew Research Center says that "the U.S. has one of the most unequal income distributions in the developed world". That's nuts!

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Thankfully, there are some states that are trying to do something about it and help those who are in poverty.

The States That Give the Most Support to People in Poverty

To determine which states are the most helpful to those in poverty, Smile Hub looked at "20 key metrics," including "the share of residents living in poverty, ... the number of charities for reducing poverty per capita, [and] the cost of living."

I'm really happy to say that Minnesota is the second-best in the country at supporting those in poverty. That's awesome!

We ranked as the 11th best for education and transportation availability, 3rd for income and benefits, and 1st for housing, healthcare, and food for those in poverty.

Minnesota is doing some great work to help our neighbors, which I'm really proud of.

As for the other states in the top 5, Massachusetts took the top spot overall, Washington is number 3, New Jersey is number 4, and Maryland is number 5.