Minnesota
Minnesota became the 32nd state when it joined the union in 1858. It is home to 5,639,632 residents and is the 22nd most populous state. With a population increase of 6.6% over the past 10 years, it is growing faster than most states. Because the state ranks highly in many of the factors that contribute to the well-being of residents, Minnesota is one of the best states to live in.
One reason Minnesota is a great place to live is its success in educational attainment. Statewide, 93.4% of adults have graduated high school, compared to just 88.3% nationwide. Also, while 36.7% of Minnesota adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree, this is true of just 32.6% of adults nationwide.
Serious financial hardship is also much less common in Minnesota. Less than 10% of residents live below the poverty line, one of only seven states where this is true. Minnesota’s 2018 annual unemployment rate of 2.9% is the eighth lowest of all states and well below the national rate of 3.9%.
Arguably the most impressive metric about Minnesota is that its residents are the most likely to live to old age. Only 266 per 100,000 state residents die before turning 75, the lowest rate of any state.
Crime in Minnesota
With the 10th lowest violent crime rate in America, Minnesota is one of the least dangerous states. While violent crime is falling nationwide, Minnesota is improving even faster, with a 7.3% decline between 2017 and 2018. This is more than twice as fast as the nationwide drop of 3.0% over the same period.
Minnesota’s Economy
The economy in Minnesota is among the strongest in the country. With a gross domestic product (GDP) of $331.4 billion, Minnesota’s economy is the 17th largest in the nation. Ambulatory health care services is the largest industry in Minnesota. It employs 155,995 people and accounts for 4.7% of the state’s GDP. Minnesota’s GDP growth between 2017 and 2018 of 2.2% is also faster than the majority of states, with the manufacturing industry driving the largest share of this growth.
It is easier to find full-time employment in Minnesota than in almost every other state. As of the first quarter of 2019, the underemployment rate was only 5.5%, the fifth lowest rate in the country. Based on median household incomes, Minnesota is richer than most states. The typical household there outearns most households nationwide, with a median income of $70,315, compared to $61,937 nationwide.
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