Census Data: Household Income for Minnesota Blacks Plunged

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show household income for blacks in Minnesota plunged in the past year.

The median income for black households in Minnesota fell 14 percent from 2013 to 2014. Meanwhile, the statewide poverty rate for blacks rose from 33 percent to 38 percent, compared with a stable overall rate of 11 percent.

Steven Belton of the Minneapolis Urban League calls the trend alarming. He says it reflects a deepening of income disparities not only across the state but across the nation.

Income and poverty remained stable for other racial groups in Minnesota - whites, Hispanics and Asians.

Steve Hine of the state Department of Employment and Economic Development says it's clear that economic security for Minnesota's black families remains an unachieved goal.