Literacy Month Reveals Surprising Statistics In Minnesota

September is National Literacy Month. It was created to encourage people to read and explore new worlds. It's estimated that 1 in 5 adults in the United States is illiterate, and over 50% of adults read below a 6th-grade level.

Literacy varies greatly by state. Factors that contribute to how well a person reads include poverty, access to education, immigration, and other factors.

How Literacy Scores Are Determined

The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) determines literacy scores. Scores are based on the number of points a person surveyed gets from completing tasks. Those tasks get more difficult as they are completed.

Six levels of reading, ranging from 0 to level 5, are scored. Below level 5 is functionally illiterate, meaning the respondent doesn't understand the meaning of the sentence read.

Read More: Two Minnesota Towns Named Most Expensive Places To Live

Minnesota Among Top States For Literacy

Minnesota is quite a literate state. Out of all 50 states in the US, Minnesota is ranked second, narrowly missing the top spot. The national average literacy score is 263.5. Minnesota's literacy score tops that at 279.

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Midwest Does Well In Literacy

Compared to the national average, the Midwest does pretty well. Wisconsin's literacy score is just behind Minnesota at 273. North Dakota scored 276, South Dakota scored 271, and Iowa scored 274.

The Most Literate State Is New Hampshire

New Hampshire barely beats Minnesota in literacy, with an average score of 278.9, while Minnesota's score is 278.8.

You can read more about the methodology and other state scores from USAFacts. 

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