Report – Rochester Has Lowest Poverty Rate in U.S.
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A new report singles out Rochester for having the lowest poverty rate in the nation.
The financial news website 247wallst.com looked at Census data from 2018 concerning almost 400 metropolitan areas in the United States and compared the share of residents living in households with incomes below the poverty line. The Rochester area had the lowest at just 6.6-percent.
The report also notes the unemployment rate for the Rochester area averaged 2.5-percent last year and the median household income was nearly $2000 above the state average. The census data also shows the percentage of Rochester households receiving food stamps or SNAP benefits was almost a full percentage point below the statewide average at 6.4-percent.
Rochester is the only Minnesota city to make the report's list of the 10 cities with the lowest poverty rates but 3 cities in Wisconsin are included. Sheboygan is listed 2nd, Appleton is 4th, and Wausau is listed 5th.