Counties in Minnesota by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Mahnomen County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 87 counties in 2017, at 33%. Carver County had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 13% and the figure for Minnesota was 11.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Lowest3.9Carver County
Median1387 counties
Minnesota11.7History

Map of counties, 2017

Aitkin County: 18.8 %Anoka County: 7.3 %Becker County: 17.3 %Beltrami County: 24.8 %Benton County: 10.1 %Big Stone County: 16 %Blue Earth County: 12.4 %Brown County: 9.9 %Carlton County: 9.8 %Carver County: 3.9 %Cass County: 23.5 %Chippewa County: 14 %Chisago County: 6.9 %Clay County: 12.8 %Clearwater County: 18.4 %Cook County: 15.3 %Cottonwood County: 15.8 %Crow Wing County: 12.7 %Dakota County: 6.5 %Dodge County: 6.5 %Douglas County: 8.8 %Faribault County: 18 %Fillmore County: 14.4 %Freeborn County: 15.8 %Goodhue County: 9 %Grant County: 13.1 %Hennepin County: 13.7 %Houston County: 8.9 %Hubbard County: 16.8 %Isanti County: 10.1 %Itasca County: 14.9 %Jackson County: 11.9 %Kanabec County: 16.5 %Kandiyohi County: 14.3 %Kittson County: 11.9 %Koochiching County: 20.4 %Lac qui Parle County: 13 %Lake County: 11.7 %Lake of the Woods County: 13.8 %Le Sueur County: 8.4 %Lincoln County: 12.2 %Lyon County: 13.5 %McLeod County: 8.6 %Mahnomen County: 33 %Marshall County: 10.5 %Martin County: 16.7 %Meeker County: 10.2 %Mille Lacs County: 15.3 %Morrison County: 13.8 %Mower County: 13.7 %Murray County: 10.7 %Nicollet County: 9.5 %Nobles County: 17.8 %Norman County: 17.9 %Olmsted County: 9.9 %Otter Tail County: 14.2 %Pennington County: 12.7 %Pine County: 16.7 %Pipestone County: 13.3 %Polk County: 13.4 %Pope County: 10.6 %Ramsey County: 19.6 %Red Lake County: 12.4 %Redwood County: 13.4 %Renville County: 14.3 %Rice County: 13.8 %Rock County: 11.3 %Roseau County: 11 %St. Louis County: 14.5 %Scott County: 4.7 %Sherburne County: 5.4 %Sibley County: 10.7 %Stearns County: 12.3 %Steele County: 12.4 %Stevens County: 8.8 %Swift County: 14 %Todd County: 17.1 %Traverse County: 19.8 %Wabasha County: 8.8 %Wadena County: 20.7 %Waseca County: 12.8 %Washington County: 4.9 %Watonwan County: 15.7 %Wilkin County: 12.8 %Winona County: 12.7 %Wright County: 5.2 %Yellow Medicine County: 13 %
  • Under 8.9
  • 8.9 to 12
  • 12 to 13
  • 13 to 14
  • 14 to 17
  • 17 and over
%, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2017

Mahnomen County: 33 %Mahnomen County33Beltrami County: 24.8 %Beltrami County24.8Cass County: 23.5 %Cass County23.5Wadena County: 20.7 %Wadena County20.7Koochiching County: 20.4 %Koochiching County20.4Traverse County: 19.8 %Traverse County19.8Ramsey County: 19.6 %Ramsey County19.6Aitkin County: 18.8 %Aitkin County18.8Clearwater County: 18.4 %Clearwater County18.4Faribault County: 18 %Faribault County18Norman County: 17.9 %Norman County17.9Nobles County: 17.8 %Nobles County17.8Becker County: 17.3 %Becker County17.3Todd County: 17.1 %Todd County17.1Hubbard County: 16.8 %Hubbard County16.8Martin County: 16.7 %Martin County16.7Pine County: 16.7 %Pine County16.7Kanabec County: 16.5 %Kanabec County16.5Big Stone County: 16 %Big Stone County16Cottonwood County: 15.8 %Cottonwood County15.8Freeborn County: 15.8 %Freeborn County15.8Watonwan County: 15.7 %Watonwan County15.7Cook County: 15.3 %Cook County15.3Mille Lacs County: 15.3 %Mille Lacs County15.3Itasca County: 14.9 %Itasca County14.9St. Louis County: 14.5 %St. Louis County14.5Fillmore County: 14.4 %Fillmore County14.4Kandiyohi County: 14.3 %Kandiyohi County14.3Renville County: 14.3 %Renville County14.3Otter Tail County: 14.2 %Otter Tail County14.2Chippewa County: 14 %Chippewa County14Swift County: 14 %Swift County14Lake of the Woods County: 13.8 %Lake of the Woods County13.8Morrison County: 13.8 %Morrison County13.8Rice County: 13.8 %Rice County13.8Hennepin County: 13.7 %Hennepin County13.7Mower County: 13.7 %Mower County13.7Lyon County: 13.5 %Lyon County13.5Polk County: 13.4 %Polk County13.4Redwood County: 13.4 %Redwood County13.4Mahnomen County: 33 %Mahnomen County33Beltrami County: 24.8 %Beltrami County24.8Cass County: 23.5 %Cass County23.5Wadena County: 20.7 %Wadena County20.7Koochiching County: 20.4 %Koochiching County20.4Traverse County: 19.8 %Traverse County19.8Ramsey County: 19.6 %Ramsey County19.6Aitkin County: 18.8 %Aitkin County18.8Clearwater County: 18.4 %Clearwater County18.4Faribault County: 18 %Faribault County18Norman County: 17.9 %Norman County17.9Nobles County: 17.8 %Nobles County17.8Becker County: 17.3 %Becker County17.3Todd County: 17.1 %Todd County17.1Hubbard County: 16.8 %Hubbard County16.8Martin County: 16.7 %Martin County16.7Pine County: 16.7 %Pine County16.7Kanabec County: 16.5 %Kanabec County16.5Big Stone County: 16 %Big Stone County16Cottonwood County: 15.8 %Cottonwood County15.8Freeborn County: 15.8 %Freeborn County15.8Watonwan County: 15.7 %Watonwan County15.7Cook County: 15.3 %Cook County15.3Mille Lacs County: 15.3 %Mille Lacs County15.3Itasca County: 14.9 %Itasca County14.9St. Louis County: 14.5 %St. Louis County14.5Fillmore County: 14.4 %Fillmore County14.4Kandiyohi County: 14.3 %Kandiyohi County14.3Renville County: 14.3 %Renville County14.3Otter Tail County: 14.2 %Otter Tail County14.2Chippewa County: 14 %Chippewa County14Swift County: 14 %Swift County14Lake of the Woods County: 13.8 %Lake of the Woods County13.8Morrison County: 13.8 %Morrison County13.8Rice County: 13.8 %Rice County13.8Hennepin County: 13.7 %Hennepin County13.7Mower County: 13.7 %Mower County13.7Lyon County: 13.5 %Lyon County13.5Polk County: 13.4 %Polk County13.4Redwood County: 13.4 %Redwood County13.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Mahnomen County33+3.2 pts
2Beltrami County24.80 pts
3Cass County23.5-2 pts
4Wadena County20.7+1.5 pts
5Koochiching County20.4-2.2 pts
6Traverse County19.8-0.7 pts
7Ramsey County19.6-0.6 pts
8Aitkin County18.8-3.7 pts
9Clearwater County18.4-4.1 pts
10Faribault County18+0.8 pts
11Norman County17.9-1 pts
12Nobles County17.8+2.5 pts
13Becker County17.3-1.4 pts
14Todd County17.1-1.3 pts
15Hubbard County16.8-3.6 pts
16Martin County16.7-0.8 pts
16Pine County16.7-0.4 pts
18Kanabec County16.5-3.5 pts
19Big Stone County16+0.1 pts
20Cottonwood County15.8-0.1 pts
20Freeborn County15.8-0.1 pts
22Watonwan County15.7-0.8 pts
23Cook County15.3+3.1 pts
23Mille Lacs County15.3-2 pts
25Itasca County14.9-3.9 pts
26St. Louis County14.5-2.1 pts
27Fillmore County14.4-4.7 pts
28Kandiyohi County14.3-2.4 pts
28Renville County14.3-0.3 pts
30Otter Tail County14.2+0.2 pts
31Chippewa County14-0.2 pts
31Swift County14-0.7 pts
33Lake of the Woods County13.8-2.1 pts
33Morrison County13.8-2.3 pts
33Rice County13.8+1.4 pts
36Hennepin County13.7-0.3 pts
36Mower County13.7-1.2 pts
38Lyon County13.5-1.4 pts
39Polk County13.4-6.5 pts
39Redwood County13.4-0.3 pts
41Pipestone County13.3-1.8 pts
42Grant County13.1-5.6 pts
43Lac qui Parle County13-0.8 pts
43Yellow Medicine County13-1.1 pts
45Clay County12.8-0.5 pts
45Waseca County12.8+0.3 pts
45Wilkin County12.8+0.9 pts
48Crow Wing County12.7-2.5 pts
48Pennington County12.7+0.9 pts
48Winona County12.7+1 pts
51Blue Earth County12.4-0.6 pts
51Red Lake County12.4+0.5 pts
51Steele County12.4+0.2 pts
54Stearns County12.3-0.3 pts
55Lincoln County12.2-6.2 pts
56Jackson County11.9-0.2 pts
56Kittson County11.9-2.9 pts
58Lake County11.7-1.4 pts
59Rock County11.3-0.1 pts
60Roseau County110 pts
61Murray County10.7-2 pts
61Sibley County10.7-1.5 pts
63Pope County10.6-1.5 pts
64Marshall County10.5-2.3 pts
65Meeker County10.2+0.2 pts
66Benton County10.1-1.3 pts
66Isanti County10.1-0.5 pts
68Brown County9.9-1 pts
68Olmsted County9.90 pts
70Carlton County9.8-2.6 pts
71Nicollet County9.5-1.2 pts
72Goodhue County9-0.7 pts
73Houston County8.9-1.6 pts
74Douglas County8.8-1.6 pts
74Stevens County8.8-0.9 pts
74Wabasha County8.8-1.1 pts
77McLeod County8.6-0.9 pts
78Le Sueur County8.4-2.3 pts
79Anoka County7.3-1.9 pts
80Chisago County6.9-0.9 pts
81Dakota County6.5-0.7 pts
81Dodge County6.5-1.6 pts
83Sherburne County5.4-1.9 pts
84Wright County5.2-0.5 pts
85Washington County4.9-0.4 pts
86Scott County4.7-1.9 pts
87Carver County3.90 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in Minnesota by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Minnesota by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/minnesota-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in Minnesota by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/minnesota-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Minnesota by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/minnesota-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_minnesota_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Minnesota by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/minnesota-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Minnesota by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/minnesota-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/minnesota-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Mahnomen County, with 33% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Carver County, with 3.9% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Minnesota: more rankings