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)

Pemiscot County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 115 counties in 2018, at 44.5%. St. Charles County had the lowest, at 7%. The median was 22.4% and the figure for Missouri was 18.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest44.5Pemiscot County
Lowest7St. Charles County
Median22.4115 counties
Missouri18.3History

Map of counties, 2018

Adair County: 19.9 %Andrew County: 11.4 %Atchison County: 16 %Audrain County: 25.6 %Barry County: 26.9 %Barton County: 23.9 %Bates County: 20.3 %Benton County: 33.7 %Bollinger County: 21.9 %Boone County: 13.2 %Buchanan County: 22.4 %Butler County: 30.2 %Caldwell County: 19.6 %Callaway County: 17.5 %Camden County: 22.9 %Cape Girardeau County: 17.2 %Carroll County: 20.8 %Carter County: 35.3 %Cass County: 10.8 %Cedar County: 30.2 %Chariton County: 19.3 %Christian County: 11.5 %Clark County: 23.2 %Clay County: 8.7 %Clinton County: 12.9 %Cole County: 12 %Cooper County: 20.7 %Crawford County: 24.1 %Dade County: 25.2 %Dallas County: 25.5 %Daviess County: 26 %DeKalb County: 13.7 %Dent County: 31.6 %Douglas County: 29.5 %Dunklin County: 38.1 %Franklin County: 13.2 %Gasconade County: 17.4 %Gentry County: 19.6 %Greene County: 16.5 %Grundy County: 25.8 %Harrison County: 22.5 %Henry County: 23.9 %Hickory County: 34.5 %Holt County: 19.7 %Howard County: 18.2 %Howell County: 30.6 %Iron County: 29.8 %Jackson County: 19 %Jasper County: 22.7 %Jefferson County: 10.4 %Johnson County: 13.9 %Knox County: 27.5 %Laclede County: 22.2 %Lafayette County: 14.6 %Lawrence County: 23.5 %Lewis County: 21.5 %Lincoln County: 15.3 %Linn County: 25.7 %Livingston County: 20.7 %McDonald County: 26.2 %Macon County: 21.8 %Madison County: 24.5 %Maries County: 19.7 %Marion County: 19 %Mercer County: 19.6 %Miller County: 24.8 %Mississippi County: 35.3 %Moniteau County: 15.3 %Monroe County: 22.5 %Montgomery County: 21.5 %Morgan County: 26 %New Madrid County: 26.6 %Newton County: 22.5 %Nodaway County: 13.8 %Oregon County: 37.7 %Osage County: 10.1 %Ozark County: 33.2 %Pemiscot County: 44.5 %Perry County: 14.9 %Pettis County: 23.3 %Phelps County: 21.8 %Pike County: 20.5 %Platte County: 7.4 %Polk County: 23.8 %Pulaski County: 16.6 %Putnam County: 22.5 %Ralls County: 13.3 %Randolph County: 26.1 %Ray County: 14.6 %Reynolds County: 33 %Ripley County: 34 %St. Charles County: 7 %St. Clair County: 29.6 %Ste. Genevieve County: 13.9 %St. Francois County: 24.6 %St. Louis County: 15.7 %Saline County: 20 %Schuyler County: 27.3 %Scotland County: 23.3 %Scott County: 26.7 %Shannon County: 37.4 %Shelby County: 20.7 %Stoddard County: 21.9 %Stone County: 21.5 %Sullivan County: 21.3 %Taney County: 23 %Texas County: 34.8 %Vernon County: 24 %Warren County: 16 %Washington County: 27.9 %Wayne County: 35.8 %Webster County: 24.7 %Worth County: 20 %Wright County: 39.9 %St. Louis city: 38.4 %
  • Under 15
  • 15 to 20
  • 20 to 22
  • 22 to 25
  • 25 to 30
  • 30 and over
%, 2018. 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, 2018

Pemiscot County: 44.5 %Pemiscot County44.5Wright County: 39.9 %Wright County39.9St. Louis city: 38.4 %St. Louis city38.4Dunklin County: 38.1 %Dunklin County38.1Oregon County: 37.7 %Oregon County37.7Shannon County: 37.4 %Shannon County37.4Wayne County: 35.8 %Wayne County35.8Carter County: 35.3 %Carter County35.3Mississippi County: 35.3 %Mississippi County35.3Texas County: 34.8 %Texas County34.8Hickory County: 34.5 %Hickory County34.5Ripley County: 34 %Ripley County34Benton County: 33.7 %Benton County33.7Ozark County: 33.2 %Ozark County33.2Reynolds County: 33 %Reynolds County33Dent County: 31.6 %Dent County31.6Howell County: 30.6 %Howell County30.6Butler County: 30.2 %Butler County30.2Cedar County: 30.2 %Cedar County30.2Iron County: 29.8 %Iron County29.8St. Clair County: 29.6 %St. Clair County29.6Douglas County: 29.5 %Douglas County29.5Washington County: 27.9 %Washington County27.9Knox County: 27.5 %Knox County27.5Schuyler County: 27.3 %Schuyler County27.3Barry County: 26.9 %Barry County26.9Scott County: 26.7 %Scott County26.7New Madrid County: 26.6 %New Madrid County26.6McDonald County: 26.2 %McDonald County26.2Randolph County: 26.1 %Randolph County26.1Daviess County: 26 %Daviess County26Morgan County: 26 %Morgan County26Grundy County: 25.8 %Grundy County25.8Linn County: 25.7 %Linn County25.7Audrain County: 25.6 %Audrain County25.6Dallas County: 25.5 %Dallas County25.5Dade County: 25.2 %Dade County25.2Miller County: 24.8 %Miller County24.8Webster County: 24.7 %Webster County24.7St. Francois County: 24.6 %St. Francois County24.6Pemiscot County: 44.5 %Pemiscot County44.5Wright County: 39.9 %Wright County39.9St. Louis city: 38.4 %St. Louis city38.4Dunklin County: 38.1 %Dunklin County38.1Oregon County: 37.7 %Oregon County37.7Shannon County: 37.4 %Shannon County37.4Wayne County: 35.8 %Wayne County35.8Carter County: 35.3 %Carter County35.3Mississippi County: 35.3 %Mississippi County35.3Texas County: 34.8 %Texas County34.8Hickory County: 34.5 %Hickory County34.5Ripley County: 34 %Ripley County34Benton County: 33.7 %Benton County33.7Ozark County: 33.2 %Ozark County33.2Reynolds County: 33 %Reynolds County33Dent County: 31.6 %Dent County31.6Howell County: 30.6 %Howell County30.6Butler County: 30.2 %Butler County30.2Cedar County: 30.2 %Cedar County30.2Iron County: 29.8 %Iron County29.8St. Clair County: 29.6 %St. Clair County29.6Douglas County: 29.5 %Douglas County29.5Washington County: 27.9 %Washington County27.9Knox County: 27.5 %Knox County27.5Schuyler County: 27.3 %Schuyler County27.3Barry County: 26.9 %Barry County26.9Scott County: 26.7 %Scott County26.7New Madrid County: 26.6 %New Madrid County26.6McDonald County: 26.2 %McDonald County26.2Randolph County: 26.1 %Randolph County26.1Daviess County: 26 %Daviess County26Morgan County: 26 %Morgan County26Grundy County: 25.8 %Grundy County25.8Linn County: 25.7 %Linn County25.7Audrain County: 25.6 %Audrain County25.6Dallas County: 25.5 %Dallas County25.5Dade County: 25.2 %Dade County25.2Miller County: 24.8 %Miller County24.8Webster County: 24.7 %Webster County24.7St. Francois County: 24.6 %St. Francois County24.6
%. 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

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Pemiscot County44.5+1.1 pts
2Wright County39.9+3.9 pts
3St. Louis city38.4+5.8 pts
4Dunklin County38.1+2.5 pts
5Oregon County37.7+0.6 pts
6Shannon County37.4-15.7 pts
7Wayne County35.8+0.5 pts
8Carter County35.3+0.3 pts
8Mississippi County35.3-2.5 pts
10Texas County34.8+3.6 pts
11Hickory County34.5-2.3 pts
12Ripley County34-1.2 pts
13Benton County33.7+5.2 pts
14Ozark County33.2-2.2 pts
15Reynolds County33-0.4 pts
16Dent County31.6+0.2 pts
17Howell County30.6+0.7 pts
18Butler County30.2-1.8 pts
18Cedar County30.2+0.7 pts
20Iron County29.8-6 pts
21St. Clair County29.6-1.5 pts
22Douglas County29.5-1.3 pts
23Washington County27.9-3 pts
24Knox County27.5-3.9 pts
25Schuyler County27.3-1.5 pts
26Barry County26.9+1.2 pts
27Scott County26.7-5.1 pts
28New Madrid County26.6-11.6 pts
29McDonald County26.2-4.3 pts
30Randolph County26.1+0.6 pts
31Daviess County26+3.6 pts
31Morgan County26-4.2 pts
33Grundy County25.8-1 pts
34Linn County25.7+3.8 pts
35Audrain County25.6-1.1 pts
36Dallas County25.5-2.3 pts
37Dade County25.2-1.3 pts
38Miller County24.8+1.4 pts
39Webster County24.7-1.7 pts
40St. Francois County24.6+1 pts
41Madison County24.5-2.2 pts
42Crawford County24.1-3.7 pts
43Vernon County24-0.7 pts
44Barton County23.9+2.5 pts
44Henry County23.9-0.2 pts
46Polk County23.8+1.8 pts
47Lawrence County23.5-1.7 pts
48Pettis County23.3+1.8 pts
48Scotland County23.3-1.5 pts
50Clark County23.2-0.4 pts
51Taney County23+0.8 pts
52Camden County22.9-0.9 pts
53Jasper County22.7-1.3 pts
54Harrison County22.5-3.3 pts
54Monroe County22.5-0.6 pts
54Newton County22.5+3.5 pts
54Putnam County22.5-4.6 pts
58Buchanan County22.4+0.8 pts
59Laclede County22.2-1.4 pts
60Bollinger County21.9-0.6 pts
60Stoddard County21.9-1.6 pts
62Macon County21.8+1.1 pts
62Phelps County21.8+0.4 pts
64Lewis County21.5-0.8 pts
64Montgomery County21.50 pts
64Stone County21.5-5.9 pts
67Sullivan County21.3-1.5 pts
68Carroll County20.8+1.1 pts
69Cooper County20.7+3 pts
69Livingston County20.7-0.2 pts
69Shelby County20.7-1.9 pts
72Pike County20.5-2.9 pts
73Bates County20.3-1 pts
74Saline County20-2.3 pts
74Worth County20-2 pts
76Adair County19.9-2.3 pts
77Holt County19.7+0.6 pts
77Maries County19.7-1.1 pts
79Caldwell County19.60 pts
79Gentry County19.6+0.2 pts
79Mercer County19.60 pts
82Chariton County19.3+1.7 pts
83Jackson County19-1.7 pts
83Marion County19-3.1 pts
85Howard County18.2-0.8 pts
86Callaway County17.5-0.6 pts
87Gasconade County17.4+1 pts
88Cape Girardeau County17.2-0.5 pts
89Pulaski County16.6+1.5 pts
90Greene County16.5-4.2 pts
91Atchison County16-1 pts
91Warren County16+1.6 pts
93St. Louis County15.7+2.6 pts
94Lincoln County15.3+1.6 pts
94Moniteau County15.3-1.3 pts
96Perry County14.9+0.2 pts
97Lafayette County14.6-3.8 pts
97Ray County14.6-0.5 pts
99Johnson County13.9-0.1 pts
99Ste. Genevieve County13.9-1.8 pts
101Nodaway County13.8-1.2 pts
102DeKalb County13.7-1.1 pts
103Ralls County13.3-0.8 pts
104Boone County13.2-0.4 pts
104Franklin County13.2-1.4 pts
106Clinton County12.9-1.2 pts
107Cole County12-3.7 pts
108Christian County11.5-0.9 pts
109Andrew County11.4+0.4 pts
110Cass County10.8-1.4 pts
111Jefferson County10.4-3.6 pts
112Osage County10.1-0.5 pts
113Clay County8.7-0.9 pts
114Platte County7.4+0.3 pts
115St. Charles County7+0.3 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2018. 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), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2018.

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), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_missouri_by_2018,
  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), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2018. 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/missouri-counties?period=2018.
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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Pemiscot County, with 44.5% in 2018, 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% in 2018.

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