A national data center says children living in poverty in North Dakota has increased

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Kids Count, a data center through the Annie E. Casey Foundation, provided current data on child and family well-being in each state. This year, North Dakota was ranked at 14th, a change from their previous year’s rating of 7th.

“The numbers are increasing, I mean, poverty. We’ve seen a massive so many places contact us. Schools, whether it be shelters or schools, but food, non-perishables, food, we’re big on that,” said Sue Baron, Golden Drive Homeless Kids.

According to data released by the 2026 Kids Count Data Book, 23,000 children were living below the poverty line in North Dakota in 2024. That number has increased since 2019 with a 30 percent spike.

“The increase over the years, especially for food, it has just increased in just volumes. I mean it’s just, even at our last Christmas event. We had more of a need in asking us for food,” said Baron.

In 2024, 37,000 children in North Dakota live in a household spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs. The state has seen an improvement from 2019 in the number of children having parents who are employed.

“Everyone needs food, it affects your learning, it affects so much. Your health, everything. But above all, it gives them hope too,” said Baron.

This year, the data set also ranked North Dakota for its economic, education, health, family, and community.

North Dakota received a score of 636, above the national score of 547.