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 2022, at 26.4%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 7.7%. The median was 15.1% and the figure for the United States was 16.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest26.4Mississippi
Lowest7.7New Hampshire
Median15.151 states
United States16.3History

Map of states, 2022

Alabama: 21.8 %Alaska: 13.4 %Arizona: 16 %Arkansas: 21.2 %California: 15.3 %Colorado: 11.1 %Connecticut: 12.4 %Delaware: 14.3 %District of Columbia: 20 %Florida: 17.3 %Georgia: 17.2 %Hawaii: 12.1 %Idaho: 12.3 %Illinois: 15.7 %Indiana: 15.4 %Iowa: 12.3 %Kansas: 13.7 %Kentucky: 20.6 %Louisiana: 24.9 %Maine: 12.4 %Maryland: 12.1 %Massachusetts: 11.6 %Michigan: 17.8 %Minnesota: 10.9 %Mississippi: 26.4 %Missouri: 16.8 %Montana: 13.8 %Nebraska: 13.5 %Nevada: 16.5 %New Hampshire: 7.7 %New Jersey: 12.7 %New Mexico: 22.9 %New York: 18.6 %North Carolina: 17.3 %North Dakota: 12.3 %Ohio: 17.7 %Oklahoma: 19.7 %Oregon: 13.6 %Pennsylvania: 15.2 %Rhode Island: 14 %South Carolina: 19.2 %South Dakota: 15.1 %Tennessee: 17.8 %Texas: 19.2 %Utah: 8.5 %Vermont: 11.1 %Virginia: 12.8 %Washington: 11.5 %West Virginia: 22.7 %Wisconsin: 13 %Wyoming: 13.2 %
  • Under 12
  • 12 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 to 17
  • 17 to 20
  • 20 and over
%, 2022. 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, 2022

Mississippi: 26.4 %Mississippi26.4Louisiana: 24.9 %Louisiana24.9New Mexico: 22.9 %New Mexico22.9West Virginia: 22.7 %West Virginia22.7Alabama: 21.8 %Alabama21.8Arkansas: 21.2 %Arkansas21.2Kentucky: 20.6 %Kentucky20.6District of Columbia: 20 %District of Columbia20Oklahoma: 19.7 %Oklahoma19.7South Carolina: 19.2 %South Carolina19.2Texas: 19.2 %Texas19.2New York: 18.6 %New York18.6Michigan: 17.8 %Michigan17.8Tennessee: 17.8 %Tennessee17.8Ohio: 17.7 %Ohio17.7Florida: 17.3 %Florida17.3North Carolina: 17.3 %North Carolina17.3Georgia: 17.2 %Georgia17.2Missouri: 16.8 %Missouri16.8Nevada: 16.5 %Nevada16.5Arizona: 16 %Arizona16Illinois: 15.7 %Illinois15.7Indiana: 15.4 %Indiana15.4California: 15.3 %California15.3Pennsylvania: 15.2 %Pennsylvania15.2South Dakota: 15.1 %South Dakota15.1Delaware: 14.3 %Delaware14.3Rhode Island: 14 %Rhode Island14Montana: 13.8 %Montana13.8Kansas: 13.7 %Kansas13.7Oregon: 13.6 %Oregon13.6Nebraska: 13.5 %Nebraska13.5Alaska: 13.4 %Alaska13.4Wyoming: 13.2 %Wyoming13.2Wisconsin: 13 %Wisconsin13Virginia: 12.8 %Virginia12.8New Jersey: 12.7 %New Jersey12.7Connecticut: 12.4 %Connecticut12.4Maine: 12.4 %Maine12.4Idaho: 12.3 %Idaho12.3Iowa: 12.3 %Iowa12.3North Dakota: 12.3 %North Dakota12.3Hawaii: 12.1 %Hawaii12.1Maryland: 12.1 %Maryland12.1Massachusetts: 11.6 %Massachusetts11.6Washington: 11.5 %Washington11.5Colorado: 11.1 %Colorado11.1Vermont: 11.1 %Vermont11.1Minnesota: 10.9 %Minnesota10.9Utah: 8.5 %Utah8.5New Hampshire: 7.7 %New Hampshire7.7Mississippi: 26.4 %Mississippi26.4Louisiana: 24.9 %Louisiana24.9New Mexico: 22.9 %New Mexico22.9West Virginia: 22.7 %West Virginia22.7Alabama: 21.8 %Alabama21.8Arkansas: 21.2 %Arkansas21.2Kentucky: 20.6 %Kentucky20.6District of Columbia: 20 %District of Columbia20Oklahoma: 19.7 %Oklahoma19.7South Carolina: 19.2 %South Carolina19.2Texas: 19.2 %Texas19.2New York: 18.6 %New York18.6Michigan: 17.8 %Michigan17.8Tennessee: 17.8 %Tennessee17.8Ohio: 17.7 %Ohio17.7Florida: 17.3 %Florida17.3North Carolina: 17.3 %North Carolina17.3Georgia: 17.2 %Georgia17.2Missouri: 16.8 %Missouri16.8Nevada: 16.5 %Nevada16.5Arizona: 16 %Arizona16Illinois: 15.7 %Illinois15.7Indiana: 15.4 %Indiana15.4California: 15.3 %California15.3Pennsylvania: 15.2 %Pennsylvania15.2South Dakota: 15.1 %South Dakota15.1Delaware: 14.3 %Delaware14.3Rhode Island: 14 %Rhode Island14Montana: 13.8 %Montana13.8Kansas: 13.7 %Kansas13.7Oregon: 13.6 %Oregon13.6Nebraska: 13.5 %Nebraska13.5Alaska: 13.4 %Alaska13.4Wyoming: 13.2 %Wyoming13.2Wisconsin: 13 %Wisconsin13Virginia: 12.8 %Virginia12.8New Jersey: 12.7 %New Jersey12.7Connecticut: 12.4 %Connecticut12.4Maine: 12.4 %Maine12.4Idaho: 12.3 %Idaho12.3Iowa: 12.3 %Iowa12.3North Dakota: 12.3 %North Dakota12.3Hawaii: 12.1 %Hawaii12.1Maryland: 12.1 %Maryland12.1Massachusetts: 11.6 %Massachusetts11.6Washington: 11.5 %Washington11.5Colorado: 11.1 %Colorado11.1Vermont: 11.1 %Vermont11.1Minnesota: 10.9 %Minnesota10.9Utah: 8.5 %Utah8.5New Hampshire: 7.7 %New Hampshire7.7
%. 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

RankStates2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Mississippi26.4-0.7 pts
2Louisiana24.9-2 pts
3New Mexico22.9-0.2 pts
4West Virginia22.7+1.3 pts
5Alabama21.8-0.9 pts
6Arkansas21.2-0.6 pts
7Kentucky20.6-0.6 pts
8District of Columbia20-5.5 pts
9Oklahoma19.7-0.8 pts
10South Carolina19.2-0.5 pts
10Texas19.2-0.3 pts
12New York18.6-0.2 pts
13Michigan17.8+0.2 pts
13Tennessee17.8-0.6 pts
15Ohio17.7-0.5 pts
16Florida17.3-1.1 pts
16North Carolina17.3-0.9 pts
18Georgia17.2-3.3 pts
19Missouri16.8+0.3 pts
20Nevada16.5-2.3 pts
21Arizona16-1.8 pts
22Illinois15.7-0.2 pts
23Indiana15.4-0.3 pts
24California15.3-0.5 pts
25Pennsylvania15.2-1.1 pts
26South Dakota15.1+0.7 pts
27Delaware14.3-1.9 pts
28Rhode Island14-3 pts
29Montana13.8-1.1 pts
30Kansas13.7+0.2 pts
31Oregon13.6-0.2 pts
32Nebraska13.5+1.4 pts
33Alaska13.4-0.1 pts
34Wyoming13.2+1.1 pts
35Wisconsin13-0.6 pts
36Virginia12.8-0.5 pts
37New Jersey12.7-1.2 pts
38Connecticut12.4-0.5 pts
38Maine12.4-1.4 pts
40Idaho12.3-0.2 pts
40Iowa12.3-0.1 pts
40North Dakota12.3+0.8 pts
43Hawaii12.1-0.8 pts
43Maryland12.1-1.9 pts
45Massachusetts11.6-1.2 pts
46Washington11.5-0.5 pts
47Colorado11.1-0.7 pts
47Vermont11.1-0.1 pts
49Minnesota10.9+0.1 pts
50Utah8.50 pts
51New Hampshire7.7-1.6 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2022. 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), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2022.

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), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_child_2022,
  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), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2022. 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2022.
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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Mississippi, with 26.4% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

New Hampshire, with 7.7% in 2022.

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