Wastewater service rates charged by Metropolitan Council Environmental Services will be cut by 15 percent over the next three years. On the minus side, highway congestion is worsening, and regional transit services lack a stable, long-term source of funding. People and Community. The robust economy has buoyed the quality of life for the regions people and communities. Personal income per capita remains high compared with other major metro areas.
Population growth remains steady, fueled in part by newcomers attracted to new jobs.
Food shelf use is down. Rates of serious and property crimes have edged downward. The Twin Cities area continues to rank high in health indices among the nations large metro areas. On the other hand, the percentage of women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester is declining, and infant mortality rates remain high among racial and ethnic minorities. On the education front, student scores on standardized tests show a wide disparity in performance between urban and suburban schools.