Counties in Michigan by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2024

Lake County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 83 counties in 2024, at 36.1%. Livingston County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 17.3% and the figure for Michigan was 17.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.1Lake County
Median17.383 counties
Michigan17.7History

Top 40 counties, 2024

Lake County: 36.1 %Lake County36.1Wayne County: 33.2 %Wayne County33.2Clare County: 30.3 %Clare County30.3Roscommon County: 26.9 %Roscommon County26.9Oscoda County: 26.4 %Oscoda County26.4Gogebic County: 25.6 %Gogebic County25.6Genesee County: 24.8 %Genesee County24.8Luce County: 24.4 %Luce County24.4Montmorency County: 24.3 %Montmorency County24.3Muskegon County: 24 %Muskegon County24Saginaw County: 24 %Saginaw County24Mecosta County: 23.8 %Mecosta County23.8Gladwin County: 23.6 %Gladwin County23.6Alcona County: 23.2 %Alcona County23.2Ogemaw County: 23 %Ogemaw County23Schoolcraft County: 22.9 %Schoolcraft County22.9Presque Isle County: 22.7 %Presque Isle County22.7Sanilac County: 22.5 %Sanilac County22.5Alpena County: 22.1 %Alpena County22.1Crawford County: 21.8 %Crawford County21.8Manistee County: 21.1 %Manistee County21.1Ontonagon County: 20.9 %Ontonagon County20.9Osceola County: 20.7 %Osceola County20.7Iosco County: 20.4 %Iosco County20.4Oceana County: 20.3 %Oceana County20.3Calhoun County: 20.1 %Calhoun County20.1Iron County: 20.1 %Iron County20.1Cheboygan County: 19.3 %Cheboygan County19.3Ingham County: 19.2 %Ingham County19.2Montcalm County: 18.9 %Montcalm County18.9Mackinac County: 18.5 %Mackinac County18.5Van Buren County: 18.5 %Van Buren County18.5Baraga County: 18.4 %Baraga County18.4Hillsdale County: 18.3 %Hillsdale County18.3Chippewa County: 18.2 %Chippewa County18.2Berrien County: 18.1 %Berrien County18.1Wexford County: 17.9 %Wexford County17.9Branch County: 17.8 %Branch County17.8St. Joseph County: 17.7 %St. Joseph County17.7Huron County: 17.5 %Huron County17.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Lake County36.1+3.1 pts
2Wayne County33.2+4 pts
3Clare County30.3+1.5 pts
4Roscommon County26.9-0.2 pts
5Oscoda County26.4-1.4 pts
6Gogebic County25.6-0.5 pts
7Genesee County24.80 pts
8Luce County24.4-2.5 pts
9Montmorency County24.3-0.8 pts
10Muskegon County24+7.7 pts
10Saginaw County24+1.4 pts
12Mecosta County23.8-0.3 pts
13Gladwin County23.6+1.5 pts
14Alcona County23.2-2.4 pts
15Ogemaw County23+0.3 pts
16Schoolcraft County22.9+1 pts
17Presque Isle County22.7+3.9 pts
18Sanilac County22.5+2.4 pts
19Alpena County22.1+2.5 pts
20Crawford County21.8-0.1 pts
21Manistee County21.1+0.7 pts
22Ontonagon County20.9-3 pts
23Osceola County20.7-1 pts
24Iosco County20.4-6.8 pts
25Oceana County20.3-0.4 pts
26Calhoun County20.1+0.7 pts
26Iron County20.1-5.4 pts
28Cheboygan County19.3-3.6 pts
29Ingham County19.2+2.5 pts
30Montcalm County18.9+0.5 pts
31Mackinac County18.5-0.7 pts
31Van Buren County18.5+0.2 pts
33Baraga County18.4-0.7 pts
34Hillsdale County18.3-0.6 pts
35Chippewa County18.2+0.7 pts
36Berrien County18.1+1.1 pts
37Wexford County17.9-0.8 pts
38Branch County17.8-2.6 pts
39St. Joseph County17.7+3.5 pts
40Huron County17.5-0.6 pts
41Gratiot County17.3-2.1 pts
41Menominee County17.3-2.9 pts
43Arenac County17.1-5.7 pts
44Cass County16.9+0.2 pts
45Kalkaska County16.7-3.7 pts
46Bay County15.9-0.2 pts
47Antrim County15.70 pts
47Isabella County15.7-0.6 pts
47Mason County15.7-5.8 pts
50Newaygo County15.4-2.5 pts
51Delta County15.3-1.5 pts
51Missaukee County15.3-1.3 pts
53Tuscola County15.2-4.5 pts
54Jackson County15-3.9 pts
54Shiawassee County15-1.6 pts
56Macomb County14.7+0.4 pts
57St. Clair County14.1-0.2 pts
58Alger County14-2 pts
59Keweenaw County13.5-3.2 pts
60Benzie County13.2-0.9 pts
61Otsego County12.9-2.4 pts
62Charlevoix County12.7-0.3 pts
63Dickinson County12.4-2 pts
64Houghton County12.1-1.9 pts
65Lapeer County11.9-0.4 pts
66Ionia County11.6-3.2 pts
66Monroe County11.6-1.3 pts
68Washtenaw County11.3-2.6 pts
69Kent County11.2-1.8 pts
70Barry County11+0.4 pts
71Lenawee County10.9-2.3 pts
72Eaton County10.5-1.5 pts
72Kalamazoo County10.5-4 pts
72Midland County10.5-3.6 pts
75Marquette County10.3-3.1 pts
76Emmet County10.1-0.5 pts
77Allegan County9.5-2.7 pts
78Grand Traverse County9.3+0.2 pts
78Leelanau County9.3-1 pts
80Ottawa County8.5+1 pts
81Oakland County8-1.5 pts
82Clinton County7.30 pts
83Livingston County5.8+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in Michigan by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Michigan by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/michigan-counties. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in Michigan by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/michigan-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Michigan by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/michigan-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_michigan_by_2024,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Michigan by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/michigan-counties. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Michigan by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/michigan-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/michigan-counties.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Lake County, with 36.1% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Livingston County, with 5.8% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Michigan: more rankings