Data / Rankings / Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) / US states

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

Mississippi had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 51 states in 2019, at 27.6%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 8.1%. The median was 15.6% and the figure for the United States was 16.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest27.6Mississippi
Lowest8.1New Hampshire
Median15.651 states
United States16.8History

Map of states, 2019

Alabama: 21.9 %Alaska: 13.2 %Arizona: 19.2 %Arkansas: 21.7 %California: 15.6 %Colorado: 11.2 %Connecticut: 13.5 %Delaware: 16.3 %District of Columbia: 20.8 %Florida: 18.2 %Georgia: 19.5 %Hawaii: 11.2 %Idaho: 12.7 %Illinois: 15.6 %Indiana: 15.1 %Iowa: 12.8 %Kansas: 14.3 %Kentucky: 20.9 %Louisiana: 26.4 %Maine: 13.8 %Maryland: 12.3 %Massachusetts: 12 %Michigan: 17.5 %Minnesota: 11 %Mississippi: 27.6 %Missouri: 17 %Montana: 15.4 %Nebraska: 11.5 %Nevada: 17.6 %New Hampshire: 8.1 %New Jersey: 12.2 %New Mexico: 23.5 %New York: 18.2 %North Carolina: 19.3 %North Dakota: 10.9 %Ohio: 18.1 %Oklahoma: 19.7 %Oregon: 13.6 %Pennsylvania: 16.5 %Rhode Island: 16.5 %South Carolina: 19.9 %South Dakota: 14.9 %Tennessee: 19.4 %Texas: 19.2 %Utah: 9.6 %Vermont: 10.8 %Virginia: 13.3 %Washington: 12 %West Virginia: 20.8 %Wisconsin: 13.5 %Wyoming: 11.7 %
  • Under 12
  • 12 to 13
  • 13 to 16
  • 16 to 18
  • 18 to 20
  • 20 and over
%, 2019. 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.

All states, 2019

Mississippi: 27.6 %Mississippi27.6Louisiana: 26.4 %Louisiana26.4New Mexico: 23.5 %New Mexico23.5Alabama: 21.9 %Alabama21.9Arkansas: 21.7 %Arkansas21.7Kentucky: 20.9 %Kentucky20.9District of Columbia: 20.8 %District of Columbia20.8West Virginia: 20.8 %West Virginia20.8South Carolina: 19.9 %South Carolina19.9Oklahoma: 19.7 %Oklahoma19.7Georgia: 19.5 %Georgia19.5Tennessee: 19.4 %Tennessee19.4North Carolina: 19.3 %North Carolina19.3Arizona: 19.2 %Arizona19.2Texas: 19.2 %Texas19.2Florida: 18.2 %Florida18.2New York: 18.2 %New York18.2Ohio: 18.1 %Ohio18.1Nevada: 17.6 %Nevada17.6Michigan: 17.5 %Michigan17.5Missouri: 17 %Missouri17Pennsylvania: 16.5 %Pennsylvania16.5Rhode Island: 16.5 %Rhode Island16.5Delaware: 16.3 %Delaware16.3California: 15.6 %California15.6Illinois: 15.6 %Illinois15.6Montana: 15.4 %Montana15.4Indiana: 15.1 %Indiana15.1South Dakota: 14.9 %South Dakota14.9Kansas: 14.3 %Kansas14.3Maine: 13.8 %Maine13.8Oregon: 13.6 %Oregon13.6Connecticut: 13.5 %Connecticut13.5Wisconsin: 13.5 %Wisconsin13.5Virginia: 13.3 %Virginia13.3Alaska: 13.2 %Alaska13.2Iowa: 12.8 %Iowa12.8Idaho: 12.7 %Idaho12.7Maryland: 12.3 %Maryland12.3New Jersey: 12.2 %New Jersey12.2Massachusetts: 12 %Massachusetts12Washington: 12 %Washington12Wyoming: 11.7 %Wyoming11.7Nebraska: 11.5 %Nebraska11.5Colorado: 11.2 %Colorado11.2Hawaii: 11.2 %Hawaii11.2Minnesota: 11 %Minnesota11North Dakota: 10.9 %North Dakota10.9Vermont: 10.8 %Vermont10.8Utah: 9.6 %Utah9.6New Hampshire: 8.1 %New Hampshire8.1Mississippi: 27.6 %Mississippi27.6Louisiana: 26.4 %Louisiana26.4New Mexico: 23.5 %New Mexico23.5Alabama: 21.9 %Alabama21.9Arkansas: 21.7 %Arkansas21.7Kentucky: 20.9 %Kentucky20.9District of Columbia: 20.8 %District of Columbia20.8West Virginia: 20.8 %West Virginia20.8South Carolina: 19.9 %South Carolina19.9Oklahoma: 19.7 %Oklahoma19.7Georgia: 19.5 %Georgia19.5Tennessee: 19.4 %Tennessee19.4North Carolina: 19.3 %North Carolina19.3Arizona: 19.2 %Arizona19.2Texas: 19.2 %Texas19.2Florida: 18.2 %Florida18.2New York: 18.2 %New York18.2Ohio: 18.1 %Ohio18.1Nevada: 17.6 %Nevada17.6Michigan: 17.5 %Michigan17.5Missouri: 17 %Missouri17Pennsylvania: 16.5 %Pennsylvania16.5Rhode Island: 16.5 %Rhode Island16.5Delaware: 16.3 %Delaware16.3California: 15.6 %California15.6Illinois: 15.6 %Illinois15.6Montana: 15.4 %Montana15.4Indiana: 15.1 %Indiana15.1South Dakota: 14.9 %South Dakota14.9Kansas: 14.3 %Kansas14.3Maine: 13.8 %Maine13.8Oregon: 13.6 %Oregon13.6Connecticut: 13.5 %Connecticut13.5Wisconsin: 13.5 %Wisconsin13.5Virginia: 13.3 %Virginia13.3Alaska: 13.2 %Alaska13.2Iowa: 12.8 %Iowa12.8Idaho: 12.7 %Idaho12.7Maryland: 12.3 %Maryland12.3New Jersey: 12.2 %New Jersey12.2Massachusetts: 12 %Massachusetts12Washington: 12 %Washington12Wyoming: 11.7 %Wyoming11.7Nebraska: 11.5 %Nebraska11.5Colorado: 11.2 %Colorado11.2Hawaii: 11.2 %Hawaii11.2Minnesota: 11 %Minnesota11North Dakota: 10.9 %North Dakota10.9Vermont: 10.8 %Vermont10.8Utah: 9.6 %Utah9.6New Hampshire: 8.1 %New Hampshire8.1
%. 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

RankStates2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Mississippi27.6-0.6 pts
2Louisiana26.4-0.1 pts
3New Mexico23.5-1.8 pts
4Alabama21.9-2 pts
5Arkansas21.7-2.1 pts
6Kentucky20.9-1.4 pts
7District of Columbia20.8-3.7 pts
7West Virginia20.8-2.4 pts
9South Carolina19.9-2.2 pts
10Oklahoma19.7-1.7 pts
11Georgia19.5-1.5 pts
12Tennessee19.4-2.4 pts
13North Carolina19.3-0.9 pts
14Arizona19.2-1.2 pts
14Texas19.2-1.9 pts
16Florida18.2-1.8 pts
16New York18.2-0.6 pts
18Ohio18.1-1.1 pts
19Nevada17.6-0.8 pts
20Michigan17.5-1.8 pts
21Missouri17-1.3 pts
22Pennsylvania16.5-0.2 pts
22Rhode Island16.5-1.5 pts
24Delaware16.3-1.3 pts
25California15.6-1.8 pts
25Illinois15.6-0.6 pts
27Montana15.4-1 pts
28Indiana15.1-2.4 pts
29South Dakota14.9-1.2 pts
30Kansas14.3-0.5 pts
31Maine13.8-1 pts
32Oregon13.6-2.1 pts
33Connecticut13.5-0.3 pts
33Wisconsin13.5-0.6 pts
35Virginia13.3-0.5 pts
36Alaska13.2-1.3 pts
37Iowa12.8-0.7 pts
38Idaho12.7-1.5 pts
39Maryland12.3+0.2 pts
40New Jersey12.2-1.3 pts
41Massachusetts12-0.4 pts
41Washington12-0.6 pts
43Wyoming11.7-1.4 pts
44Nebraska11.5-1.4 pts
45Colorado11.2-0.9 pts
45Hawaii11.2-0.6 pts
47Minnesota11-0.5 pts
48North Dakota10.9-0.1 pts
49Vermont10.8-1.4 pts
50Utah9.6-0.1 pts
51New Hampshire8.1-2 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 states 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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 states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2019. 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 states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2019.

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 states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_child_2019,
  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 states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2019. 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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 states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2019
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2019.
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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank US states by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Mississippi, with 27.6% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

New Hampshire, with 8.1% in 2019.

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

US states: more rankings