Data / Rankings / Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) / Counties in Missouri

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

Shannon County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 115 counties in 2015, at 42.6%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 7.8%. The median was 25.3% and the figure for Missouri was 20.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest42.6Shannon County
Lowest7.8St. Charles County
Median25.3115 counties
Missouri20.4History

Map of counties, 2015

Adair County: 23.3 %Andrew County: 12.9 %Atchison County: 17.3 %Audrain County: 26.9 %Barry County: 29.7 %Barton County: 26.9 %Bates County: 22.5 %Benton County: 31.8 %Bollinger County: 27 %Boone County: 14.6 %Buchanan County: 23.7 %Butler County: 36.7 %Caldwell County: 19.7 %Callaway County: 21.2 %Camden County: 26.1 %Cape Girardeau County: 19.4 %Carroll County: 22.7 %Carter County: 36.3 %Cass County: 12.3 %Cedar County: 33.7 %Chariton County: 18.8 %Christian County: 14.3 %Clark County: 22.5 %Clay County: 9.7 %Clinton County: 15.1 %Cole County: 16.2 %Cooper County: 19.9 %Crawford County: 28.6 %Dade County: 27.6 %Dallas County: 29.4 %Daviess County: 27.6 %DeKalb County: 18.5 %Dent County: 31 %Douglas County: 35.5 %Dunklin County: 39 %Franklin County: 16.3 %Gasconade County: 19.2 %Gentry County: 21.4 %Greene County: 21.4 %Grundy County: 27.8 %Harrison County: 26.9 %Henry County: 26.7 %Hickory County: 39.3 %Holt County: 20.3 %Howard County: 20.9 %Howell County: 30 %Iron County: 34.4 %Jackson County: 25 %Jasper County: 22.6 %Jefferson County: 13.6 %Johnson County: 17.2 %Knox County: 30.4 %Laclede County: 25.9 %Lafayette County: 18 %Lawrence County: 27.3 %Lewis County: 24.7 %Lincoln County: 15.4 %Linn County: 26.6 %Livingston County: 26.2 %McDonald County: 31 %Macon County: 23.2 %Madison County: 29.6 %Maries County: 24.4 %Marion County: 23.4 %Mercer County: 21.9 %Miller County: 27.3 %Mississippi County: 38 %Moniteau County: 20.4 %Monroe County: 22.8 %Montgomery County: 26.2 %Morgan County: 33.1 %New Madrid County: 36.9 %Newton County: 20.7 %Nodaway County: 16.8 %Oregon County: 39.8 %Osage County: 11.4 %Ozark County: 41.3 %Pemiscot County: 41.3 %Perry County: 15.7 %Pettis County: 22.5 %Phelps County: 25.1 %Pike County: 25.6 %Platte County: 9.5 %Polk County: 26 %Pulaski County: 17.5 %Putnam County: 27.8 %Ralls County: 16.1 %Randolph County: 26.5 %Ray County: 16.1 %Reynolds County: 34.3 %Ripley County: 39.3 %St. Charles County: 7.8 %St. Clair County: 36.2 %Ste. Genevieve County: 16.6 %St. Francois County: 25.4 %St. Louis County: 14 %Saline County: 22.4 %Schuyler County: 31.6 %Scotland County: 25 %Scott County: 25.8 %Shannon County: 42.6 %Shelby County: 24.4 %Stoddard County: 26.4 %Stone County: 25.8 %Sullivan County: 23.2 %Taney County: 25 %Texas County: 33.4 %Vernon County: 28.1 %Warren County: 18.8 %Washington County: 32.6 %Wayne County: 37.7 %Webster County: 30.1 %Worth County: 25.3 %Wright County: 37.5 %St. Louis city: 39.3 %
  • Under 17
  • 17 to 22
  • 22 to 25
  • 25 to 27
  • 27 to 33
  • 33 and over
%, 2015. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2015

Shannon County: 42.6 %Shannon County42.6Ozark County: 41.3 %Ozark County41.3Pemiscot County: 41.3 %Pemiscot County41.3Oregon County: 39.8 %Oregon County39.8Hickory County: 39.3 %Hickory County39.3Ripley County: 39.3 %Ripley County39.3St. Louis city: 39.3 %St. Louis city39.3Dunklin County: 39 %Dunklin County39Mississippi County: 38 %Mississippi County38Wayne County: 37.7 %Wayne County37.7Wright County: 37.5 %Wright County37.5New Madrid County: 36.9 %New Madrid County36.9Butler County: 36.7 %Butler County36.7Carter County: 36.3 %Carter County36.3St. Clair County: 36.2 %St. Clair County36.2Douglas County: 35.5 %Douglas County35.5Iron County: 34.4 %Iron County34.4Reynolds County: 34.3 %Reynolds County34.3Cedar County: 33.7 %Cedar County33.7Texas County: 33.4 %Texas County33.4Morgan County: 33.1 %Morgan County33.1Washington County: 32.6 %Washington County32.6Benton County: 31.8 %Benton County31.8Schuyler County: 31.6 %Schuyler County31.6Dent County: 31 %Dent County31McDonald County: 31 %McDonald County31Knox County: 30.4 %Knox County30.4Webster County: 30.1 %Webster County30.1Howell County: 30 %Howell County30Barry County: 29.7 %Barry County29.7Madison County: 29.6 %Madison County29.6Dallas County: 29.4 %Dallas County29.4Crawford County: 28.6 %Crawford County28.6Vernon County: 28.1 %Vernon County28.1Grundy County: 27.8 %Grundy County27.8Putnam County: 27.8 %Putnam County27.8Dade County: 27.6 %Dade County27.6Daviess County: 27.6 %Daviess County27.6Lawrence County: 27.3 %Lawrence County27.3Miller County: 27.3 %Miller County27.3Shannon County: 42.6 %Shannon County42.6Ozark County: 41.3 %Ozark County41.3Pemiscot County: 41.3 %Pemiscot County41.3Oregon County: 39.8 %Oregon County39.8Hickory County: 39.3 %Hickory County39.3Ripley County: 39.3 %Ripley County39.3St. Louis city: 39.3 %St. Louis city39.3Dunklin County: 39 %Dunklin County39Mississippi County: 38 %Mississippi County38Wayne County: 37.7 %Wayne County37.7Wright County: 37.5 %Wright County37.5New Madrid County: 36.9 %New Madrid County36.9Butler County: 36.7 %Butler County36.7Carter County: 36.3 %Carter County36.3St. Clair County: 36.2 %St. Clair County36.2Douglas County: 35.5 %Douglas County35.5Iron County: 34.4 %Iron County34.4Reynolds County: 34.3 %Reynolds County34.3Cedar County: 33.7 %Cedar County33.7Texas County: 33.4 %Texas County33.4Morgan County: 33.1 %Morgan County33.1Washington County: 32.6 %Washington County32.6Benton County: 31.8 %Benton County31.8Schuyler County: 31.6 %Schuyler County31.6Dent County: 31 %Dent County31McDonald County: 31 %McDonald County31Knox County: 30.4 %Knox County30.4Webster County: 30.1 %Webster County30.1Howell County: 30 %Howell County30Barry County: 29.7 %Barry County29.7Madison County: 29.6 %Madison County29.6Dallas County: 29.4 %Dallas County29.4Crawford County: 28.6 %Crawford County28.6Vernon County: 28.1 %Vernon County28.1Grundy County: 27.8 %Grundy County27.8Putnam County: 27.8 %Putnam County27.8Dade County: 27.6 %Dade County27.6Daviess County: 27.6 %Daviess County27.6Lawrence County: 27.3 %Lawrence County27.3Miller County: 27.3 %Miller County27.3
%. 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

RankCounties2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Shannon County42.6-5.2 pts
2Ozark County41.3+6.3 pts
2Pemiscot County41.3+1.1 pts
4Oregon County39.8+1.6 pts
5Hickory County39.3-0.2 pts
5Ripley County39.3+2.4 pts
5St. Louis city39.3-3.6 pts
8Dunklin County39-2.5 pts
9Mississippi County38-2.1 pts
10Wayne County37.7-3.1 pts
11Wright County37.5+3.8 pts
12New Madrid County36.9+4 pts
13Butler County36.7+4.5 pts
14Carter County36.3+0.9 pts
15St. Clair County36.2+2.4 pts
16Douglas County35.5+0.5 pts
17Iron County34.4+1.5 pts
18Reynolds County34.3+0.7 pts
19Cedar County33.7+0.7 pts
20Texas County33.4+0.6 pts
21Morgan County33.1+1.6 pts
22Washington County32.6-6.7 pts
23Benton County31.8+1 pts
24Schuyler County31.6+2.1 pts
25Dent County31-0.8 pts
25McDonald County31-1.3 pts
27Knox County30.4-3.2 pts
28Webster County30.1+2 pts
29Howell County30-0.6 pts
30Barry County29.7-3 pts
31Madison County29.6-0.6 pts
32Dallas County29.4-3.4 pts
33Crawford County28.6-1.8 pts
34Vernon County28.1+1.3 pts
35Grundy County27.8+0.4 pts
35Putnam County27.8+0.1 pts
37Dade County27.6+0.5 pts
37Daviess County27.6-0.3 pts
39Lawrence County27.3+0.1 pts
39Miller County27.3+0.7 pts
41Bollinger County27-1.5 pts
42Audrain County26.9-0.6 pts
42Barton County26.9-1.2 pts
42Harrison County26.9+0.3 pts
45Henry County26.7+0.6 pts
46Linn County26.6-3.2 pts
47Randolph County26.5+0.2 pts
48Stoddard County26.40 pts
49Livingston County26.2+2.4 pts
49Montgomery County26.2+1.7 pts
51Camden County26.1-1 pts
52Polk County26-1.6 pts
53Laclede County25.9-0.2 pts
54Scott County25.8-5.2 pts
54Stone County25.8-2.1 pts
56Pike County25.6-1.1 pts
57St. Francois County25.4-0.9 pts
58Worth County25.3+4.5 pts
59Phelps County25.1-1 pts
60Jackson County25+1.5 pts
60Scotland County25+0.1 pts
60Taney County25-3.7 pts
63Lewis County24.7+1.7 pts
64Maries County24.4+0.4 pts
64Shelby County24.4+0.3 pts
66Buchanan County23.7-3.1 pts
67Marion County23.4-2.4 pts
68Adair County23.3-0.1 pts
69Macon County23.2-2.4 pts
69Sullivan County23.2-1.8 pts
71Monroe County22.8-2.1 pts
72Carroll County22.7-1.7 pts
73Jasper County22.6-2.6 pts
74Bates County22.5-3.4 pts
74Clark County22.5-1 pts
74Pettis County22.5-3.9 pts
77Saline County22.4-0.6 pts
78Mercer County21.9-0.2 pts
79Gentry County21.4-0.6 pts
79Greene County21.4-2.5 pts
81Callaway County21.2+0.8 pts
82Howard County20.9-1.9 pts
83Newton County20.7+0.3 pts
84Moniteau County20.4+0.2 pts
85Holt County20.3-1.3 pts
86Cooper County19.9-0.1 pts
87Caldwell County19.7-2.3 pts
88Cape Girardeau County19.4-1.1 pts
89Gasconade County19.2-0.6 pts
90Chariton County18.8-1.5 pts
90Warren County18.8-0.6 pts
92DeKalb County18.5-1.4 pts
93Lafayette County18-2.1 pts
94Pulaski County17.5-1.1 pts
95Atchison County17.3+0.1 pts
96Johnson County17.2+0.3 pts
97Nodaway County16.8-0.6 pts
98Ste. Genevieve County16.6-1.9 pts
99Franklin County16.3+0.1 pts
100Cole County16.2-1.8 pts
101Ralls County16.1-0.6 pts
101Ray County16.1-3.8 pts
103Perry County15.7-0.6 pts
104Lincoln County15.4-5.4 pts
105Clinton County15.1-1.9 pts
106Boone County14.6-3.1 pts
107Christian County14.3-2.9 pts
108St. Louis County14+0.3 pts
109Jefferson County13.6-1.3 pts
110Andrew County12.9-0.4 pts
111Cass County12.3-1.8 pts
112Osage County11.4-1.6 pts
113Clay County9.7-2.4 pts
114Platte County9.5+0.1 pts
115St. Charles County7.8-1.1 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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.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 Missouri by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Missouri by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2015. 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 Missouri by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2015.

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 Missouri by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_missouri_by_2015,
  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 Missouri by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2015. 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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.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 Missouri by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2015
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2015.
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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Shannon County, with 42.6% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

St. Charles County, with 7.8% in 2015.

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 Missouri: more rankings