US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Ziebach County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 3132 counties in 2017, at 74.7%. Douglas County had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 20.5% and the figure for the United States was 18.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest74.7Ziebach County

Lowest2.7Douglas County

Median20.53132 counties

United States18.4History

Map of counties, 2017

%, 2017. Hatched areas have no value for this period. 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, 2017

%. 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

Rank	Counties	2017 (%)	Change on 2016
1	Ziebach County	74.7	+27.8 pts
2	East Carroll Parish	62.3	+3.5 pts
3	Leflore County	60.2	+13.5 pts
4	Phillips County	59.4	+8.7 pts
5	Quitman County	57.5	+7 pts
6	Humphreys County	56.2	-0.6 pts
7	Todd County	55.8	+2.4 pts
8	Clay County	55.7	+3.3 pts
9	Corson County	55.3	+6.5 pts
10	Tensas Parish	55.1	+4.7 pts
11	Claiborne County	53.5	+1.1 pts
12	Shannon County	53.1	+12.8 pts
13	Brooks County	52.5	+3.8 pts
13	Holmes County	52.5	+1.2 pts
15	Madison Parish	52.2	-4.2 pts
16	Bennett County	51.6	+8.7 pts
17	Clay County	51.3	-4.7 pts
17	Perry County	51.3	-0.3 pts
19	Sharkey County	51	-1.9 pts
20	Alexander County	50.5	+1.9 pts
21	Coahoma County	50.4	-15.9 pts
22	Barbour County	50.3	+10.7 pts
23	Issaquena County	50	-4 pts
24	Greene County	49.4	+0.1 pts
24	Terrell County	49.4	+1 pts
26	Harlan County	49.2	+5.1 pts
26	Owsley County	49.2	-6.7 pts
28	Randolph County	49.1	+3.2 pts
29	Mellette County	49	+7.3 pts
30	Allendale County	48.6	-3.1 pts
30	Buffalo County	48.6	+0.5 pts
32	Bullock County	48.3	+2.6 pts
32	Jackson County	48.3	+9.1 pts
34	Lee County	48	-4.6 pts
35	Sunflower County	47.8	+1 pts
36	Claiborne Parish	47.6	+4.2 pts
37	Madison County	47.3	+7.3 pts
38	Wilcox County	47	-1.8 pts
39	Lake County	46.3	-2.8 pts
39	McDowell County	46.3	+2.2 pts
41	Sumter County	46.1	+2 pts
42	Martin County	45.9	+1.9 pts
42	McKinley County	45.9	-0.6 pts
44	Noxubee County	45.8	-1.9 pts
44	Oglala Lakota County	45.8	+1.9 pts
46	Jefferson County	45.6	+0.8 pts
46	McCreary County	45.6	-1.8 pts
46	Zapata County	45.6	+3.9 pts
49	Bell County	45.5	-1.9 pts
50	Catron County	45.4	-0.3 pts
50	Hancock County	45.4	-2.4 pts
52	Kusilvak Census Area	45.3	-0.1 pts
52	Washington County	45.3	-4.1 pts
54	Lee County	44.9	-2.8 pts
55	Seminole County	44.8	+5.4 pts
56	Macon County	44.7	-0.5 pts
57	Tunica County	44.6	-2.5 pts
58	Breathitt County	44.5	+0.3 pts
59	Adams County	44.4	-1.7 pts
59	Menominee County	44.4	+3.3 pts
59	Richland Parish	44.4	+6.2 pts
59	Robeson County	44.4	+6.1 pts
59	Willacy County	44.4	-3 pts
64	Jenkins County	44.3	-0.5 pts
65	Taliaferro County	44.1	-5.9 pts
66	Crisp County	43.7	-2.7 pts
66	Greene County	43.7	+11.2 pts
68	Pemiscot County	43.4	+2.1 pts
69	Apache County	43.3	+2.2 pts
69	Wolfe County	43.3	-0.1 pts
69	Zavala County	43.3	-3.9 pts
72	Dallas County	43.2	-15.1 pts
73	Warren County	43.1	-2.7 pts
74	Putnam County	43	+6.9 pts
74	Quitman County	43	-1.8 pts
74	Summers County	43	+10 pts
77	Conecuh County	42.9	-1 pts
78	Costilla County	42.8	-0.6 pts
78	Fulton County	42.8	-3.9 pts
78	Sierra County	42.8	-1.7 pts
78	Telfair County	42.8	+4.3 pts
82	Bacon County	42.7	+8.2 pts
82	Sioux County	42.7	+2.4 pts
84	Dimmit County	42.6	+4.5 pts
85	Chicot County	42.2	-1.8 pts
86	Dillon County	42.1	+3.9 pts
87	Knott County	42	-5 pts
87	St. Francis County	42	-2.2 pts
87	Turner County	42	-4.7 pts
90	Dewey County	41.9	+9.2 pts
90	Webster County	41.9	-1.2 pts
92	Tallahatchie County	41.7	-6.2 pts
92	Yazoo County	41.7	0 pts
94	Hancock County	41.6	-1 pts
95	Bolivar County	41.5	-0.7 pts
95	Dougherty County	41.5	-2 pts
95	Monroe County	41.5	0 pts
98	Hall County	41.4	-0.7 pts
98	Jackson Parish	41.4	+11 pts
100	Evans County	41.3	+4.9 pts
100	Hidalgo County	41.3	-1.9 pts
102	Coleman County	41.2	+7.9 pts
103	Williamsburg County	40.8	-8 pts
104	Franklin Parish	40.7	-3.7 pts
104	Saguache County	40.7	+2 pts
104	Washington County	40.7	-2.5 pts
107	Early County	40.6	-6.1 pts
107	Kemper County	40.6	+1.3 pts
109	Desha County	40.5	+0.2 pts
109	Wilkinson County	40.5	-3.3 pts
111	Buchanan County	40.3	+9.6 pts
111	Morehouse Parish	40.3	-4.2 pts
113	Calhoun County	40.2	+0.4 pts
113	Halifax County	40.2	+2.2 pts
113	Jim Hogg County	40.2	-2.8 pts
113	Socorro County	40.2	+1.2 pts
113	Starr County	40.2	-14.6 pts
113	Wheeler County	40.2	+0.3 pts
119	Duval County	40.1	+1.7 pts
119	Jefferson Davis County	40.1	-2.9 pts
119	Luna County	40.1	-0.7 pts
119	Northampton County	40.1	+2.9 pts
123	Baker County	40	-2.8 pts
123	Lowndes County	40	-17.5 pts
125	Wheeler County	39.9	+1.1 pts
126	Barnwell County	39.8	+3.9 pts
127	Benson County	39.5	-1.2 pts
128	Cottle County	39.4	+2.9 pts
128	Emanuel County	39.4	-0.9 pts
128	Marion County	39.4	-1.9 pts
128	Marlboro County	39.4	-1.4 pts
132	Bronx County	39.3	-0.5 pts
132	Magoffin County	39.3	-3.3 pts
132	Scotland County	39.3	+0.6 pts
132	Woodruff County	39.3	+2.1 pts
136	Bertie County	39.2	+4.3 pts
136	Hamilton County	39.2	+1.3 pts
138	Caddo Parish	39.1	0 pts
138	Menifee County	39.1	-3.3 pts
140	Catahoula Parish	39	+0.5 pts
140	Floyd County	39	+0.6 pts
140	Gila County	39	+5.5 pts
143	Jackson County	38.9	-1.6 pts
143	Lawrence County	38.9	+5.2 pts
143	Orleans Parish	38.9	+2.9 pts
146	Ben Hill County	38.8	-0.4 pts
146	Lake County	38.8	-1.4 pts
148	Macon County	38.7	-7.3 pts
148	Marion County	38.7	+1.2 pts
150	Concordia Parish	38.6	-1.6 pts
150	Stewart County	38.6	-6.4 pts
152	Danville city	38.5	+0.9 pts
152	Edgecombe County	38.5	+2.3 pts
152	Mingo County	38.5	+1.7 pts
155	Cameron County	38.4	-2 pts
156	Cochran County	38.3	-0.3 pts
156	Letcher County	38.3	-6.4 pts
156	Sumter County	38.3	-5.5 pts
159	Edwards County	38.2	-1.1 pts
159	New Madrid County	38.2	+1.8 pts
161	Vance County	38	+2.1 pts
162	Mitchell County	37.9	-3.2 pts
162	Treutlen County	37.9	-1.9 pts
164	Clare County	37.8	+3.7 pts
164	Crosby County	37.8	-0.5 pts
164	Huerfano County	37.8	+0.6 pts
164	Mississippi County	37.8	+3.1 pts
164	Pike County	37.8	-5.1 pts
164	Roscommon County	37.8	+4.9 pts
170	Clay County	37.7	0 pts
170	Lenoir County	37.7	+5.4 pts
170	Logan County	37.7	+5.5 pts
170	Pike County	37.7	+1 pts
174	Brooks County	37.6	-1 pts
174	Crowley County	37.6	-2.1 pts
174	Gadsden County	37.6	+3.8 pts
174	Ouachita Parish	37.6	+0.1 pts
178	Adair County	37.5	-0.6 pts
178	Doña Ana County	37.5	+0.6 pts
178	Quay County	37.5	-0.8 pts
181	Clay County	37.4	+0.9 pts
181	Knox County	37.4	-9.1 pts
183	Cibola County	37.3	+3.4 pts
183	Cocke County	37.3	-1.4 pts
183	Leslie County	37.3	-1.6 pts
183	San Miguel County	37.3	+2 pts
187	DeSoto County	37.2	-4.8 pts
187	Hempstead County	37.2	+6 pts
187	Marion County	37.2	+1.5 pts
187	Talbot County	37.2	-1.1 pts
187	Walthall County	37.2	-1.1 pts
192	Choctaw County	37.1	+0.4 pts
192	Colleton County	37.1	-1.6 pts
192	Oregon County	37.1	-0.4 pts
192	Richmond County	37.1	-1.1 pts
196	Lee County	37	-3.6 pts
196	Sharp County	37	+4.5 pts
198	Navajo County	36.9	-0.8 pts
199	Bienville Parish	36.8	+2.8 pts
199	Hickory County	36.8	+1.4 pts
199	Kimble County	36.8	-1.4 pts
202	Bibb County	36.7	-0.4 pts
202	Emporia city	36.7	-1.9 pts
202	Hertford County	36.7	+2.5 pts
205	Real County	36.6	+0.6 pts
205	St. Helena Parish	36.6	-5.3 pts
207	Atkinson County	36.5	-5.1 pts
207	Natchitoches Parish	36.5	-0.9 pts
209	Dooly County	36.4	-3 pts
209	Torrance County	36.4	+2 pts
211	De Soto Parish	36.3	+7 pts
211	Hidalgo County	36.3	-1.7 pts
211	Jim Wells County	36.3	+1.8 pts
211	Menard County	36.3	-2.6 pts
215	Bamberg County	36.2	-6.5 pts
215	Hardin County	36.2	+0.7 pts
215	Miller County	36.2	+1.6 pts
215	Webb County	36.2	-7.1 pts
215	Whitley County	36.2	-1.9 pts
220	La Salle County	36.1	+1.2 pts
220	Pulaski County	36.1	+2.6 pts
222	Jefferson County	36	-1.7 pts
222	Wright County	36	-0.4 pts
224	Lafayette County	35.9	-4.3 pts
225	Candler County	35.8	-2.9 pts
225	Iron County	35.8	+3.5 pts
225	Muskogee County	35.8	+5.9 pts
225	Pike County	35.8	-5.8 pts
229	St. Landry Parish	35.7	-2.5 pts
229	Tattnall County	35.7	-6.1 pts
231	Culberson County	35.6	-2.4 pts
231	Dunklin County	35.6	-2.3 pts
231	Montgomery County	35.6	-1.7 pts
234	Bethel Census Area	35.5	+1.7 pts
234	Echols County	35.5	+3.5 pts
234	Hale County	35.5	+0.7 pts
234	Johnson County	35.5	-1.7 pts
234	Wilcox County	35.5	-5.9 pts
239	Clinton County	35.4	-1.3 pts
239	Galax city	35.4	+1.1 pts
239	Kiowa County	35.4	+3.1 pts
239	Ozark County	35.4	-3.4 pts
239	Richmond County	35.4	-3.5 pts
239	Wayne County	35.4	-2.3 pts
245	Alpine County	35.3	+1.4 pts
245	Lewis County	35.3	-2.2 pts
245	Wayne County	35.3	-1.8 pts
248	Charles Mix County	35.2	+4.4 pts
248	Orangeburg County	35.2	-0.8 pts
248	Richmond city	35.2	-3.7 pts

Showing the top 250 of 3132. The Excel download has every row.

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. 11 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2017 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.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 (US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-counties?period=2017. 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. US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-counties?period=2017.

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, US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_us_counties_by_child_2017,
  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: US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-counties?period=2017. 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.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: US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-counties?period=2017.
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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Embed code

<iframe src="https://invokely.ai/embed/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-counties?period=2017" width="760" height="500" title="US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017, chart from Invokely" loading="lazy" style="border:0;width:100%;max-width:760px" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"></iframe>

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank US counties by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) using official data, and cite the source.

rank_places {"indicator":"child_poverty_rate","level":"province","within":"United States","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=child_poverty_rate&level=province&within=United%20States&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

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

Ziebach County, with 74.7% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Douglas County, with 2.7% in 2017.

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. 11 counties have no value for 2017 and are not ranked.