Since well before it publicly launched in February 2008, Compass has been committed to looking at disparities of race, income and gender whenever possible. In many instances, the state and its regions may appear to be doing well until looked at through these lenses. Susan Brower shares her thoughts on the impact of income disparities in our state.
As you have worked with the data, are there any trends in disparities in the state that have caught your attention?
As I looked across the income breakdowns that we feature on the site, I am struck by the powerful impact of poverty across the life span. In Minnesota we see poorer outcomes for those with lower incomes starting in early childhood, continuing through grade school and high school, and into adulthood and old age.
Our data show that economically disadvantaged residents in our state are:
- Less likely to be proficient readers as early as 3rd grade.
- Less likely to meet state math standards in 11th grade.
- Less likely to graduate on time from high school.
- Less likely to go to college and complete a bachelor's degree.
- More likely to be obese and have diabetes as adults.
- More likely to have a disability at all ages, including older adulthood.
This pattern of undesirable outcomes for low-income Minnesotans across a range of life stages demonstrates how poverty alters all aspects of life. I am particularly concerned for children born into poverty when I see the range of barriers they are likely to face over the course of their lives.
How many children in Minnesota are living in poverty?
In 2008, about 13 percent of all children under age 5 and 10 percent of school-age children in Minnesota were living in poverty. In raw numbers, that is about 140,000 kids across the state.
How do we begin addressing income-based disparities?
It makes sense to start with our youngest residents. Researchers at the University of Chicago estimate that about half the inequality in the present value of Americans' lifetime earnings is due to factors determined by age 18. And economists have repeatedly proven that early interventions in the lives of children will reap enormous long-term returns for everyone.
There is a publication produced by First Focus called "Big Ideas for Children: Investing in our Nation's Future" that I think is tremendously informative to this discussion. In addition to compiling the evidence that supports the claim that early childhood investment pays off, it also addresses the difficult question of how we might afford to pay for these early investments, and proposes specific policies that hold promise in addressing child poverty.
Susan Brower is a research associate on Minnesota Compass. She specializes in demography, survey research and quantitative analysis. She gathers data and presents findings to the community. Susan holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work from St. Olaf College, a master's degree in Public Policy from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, and a master's degree in sociology from the University of Michigan.