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

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

Louisiana had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 51 states in 2023, at 25.2%. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 8.2%. The median was 14.7% and the figure for the United States was 16%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest25.2Louisiana
Lowest8.2New Hampshire
Median14.751 states
United States16History

Map of states, 2023

Alabama: 21.3 %Alaska: 12.5 %Arizona: 15.8 %Arkansas: 20.2 %California: 15 %Colorado: 10.9 %Connecticut: 13 %Delaware: 15.4 %District of Columbia: 20.7 %Florida: 16 %Georgia: 18.8 %Hawaii: 11.8 %Idaho: 11.3 %Illinois: 14.7 %Indiana: 15.1 %Iowa: 13 %Kansas: 13.1 %Kentucky: 20.2 %Louisiana: 25.2 %Maine: 12.6 %Maryland: 11.3 %Massachusetts: 12.7 %Michigan: 17.5 %Minnesota: 10.2 %Mississippi: 24.3 %Missouri: 14.7 %Montana: 12.8 %Nebraska: 11.1 %Nevada: 16.4 %New Hampshire: 8.2 %New Jersey: 12.8 %New Mexico: 22.6 %New York: 18.6 %North Carolina: 17.5 %North Dakota: 10.1 %Ohio: 17.5 %Oklahoma: 20.5 %Oregon: 13.6 %Pennsylvania: 15.5 %Rhode Island: 15.1 %South Carolina: 18.8 %South Dakota: 13.5 %Tennessee: 18.9 %Texas: 18.4 %Utah: 9.2 %Vermont: 10.2 %Virginia: 12.7 %Washington: 12.1 %West Virginia: 19.6 %Wisconsin: 12.8 %Wyoming: 12 %
  • Under 11
  • 11 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 to 17
  • 17 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2023. 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, 2023

Louisiana: 25.2 %Louisiana25.2Mississippi: 24.3 %Mississippi24.3New Mexico: 22.6 %New Mexico22.6Alabama: 21.3 %Alabama21.3District of Columbia: 20.7 %District of Columbia20.7Oklahoma: 20.5 %Oklahoma20.5Arkansas: 20.2 %Arkansas20.2Kentucky: 20.2 %Kentucky20.2West Virginia: 19.6 %West Virginia19.6Tennessee: 18.9 %Tennessee18.9Georgia: 18.8 %Georgia18.8South Carolina: 18.8 %South Carolina18.8New York: 18.6 %New York18.6Texas: 18.4 %Texas18.4Michigan: 17.5 %Michigan17.5North Carolina: 17.5 %North Carolina17.5Ohio: 17.5 %Ohio17.5Nevada: 16.4 %Nevada16.4Florida: 16 %Florida16Arizona: 15.8 %Arizona15.8Pennsylvania: 15.5 %Pennsylvania15.5Delaware: 15.4 %Delaware15.4Indiana: 15.1 %Indiana15.1Rhode Island: 15.1 %Rhode Island15.1California: 15 %California15Illinois: 14.7 %Illinois14.7Missouri: 14.7 %Missouri14.7Oregon: 13.6 %Oregon13.6South Dakota: 13.5 %South Dakota13.5Kansas: 13.1 %Kansas13.1Connecticut: 13 %Connecticut13Iowa: 13 %Iowa13Montana: 12.8 %Montana12.8New Jersey: 12.8 %New Jersey12.8Wisconsin: 12.8 %Wisconsin12.8Massachusetts: 12.7 %Massachusetts12.7Virginia: 12.7 %Virginia12.7Maine: 12.6 %Maine12.6Alaska: 12.5 %Alaska12.5Washington: 12.1 %Washington12.1Wyoming: 12 %Wyoming12Hawaii: 11.8 %Hawaii11.8Idaho: 11.3 %Idaho11.3Maryland: 11.3 %Maryland11.3Nebraska: 11.1 %Nebraska11.1Colorado: 10.9 %Colorado10.9Minnesota: 10.2 %Minnesota10.2Vermont: 10.2 %Vermont10.2North Dakota: 10.1 %North Dakota10.1Utah: 9.2 %Utah9.2New Hampshire: 8.2 %New Hampshire8.2Louisiana: 25.2 %Louisiana25.2Mississippi: 24.3 %Mississippi24.3New Mexico: 22.6 %New Mexico22.6Alabama: 21.3 %Alabama21.3District of Columbia: 20.7 %District of Columbia20.7Oklahoma: 20.5 %Oklahoma20.5Arkansas: 20.2 %Arkansas20.2Kentucky: 20.2 %Kentucky20.2West Virginia: 19.6 %West Virginia19.6Tennessee: 18.9 %Tennessee18.9Georgia: 18.8 %Georgia18.8South Carolina: 18.8 %South Carolina18.8New York: 18.6 %New York18.6Texas: 18.4 %Texas18.4Michigan: 17.5 %Michigan17.5North Carolina: 17.5 %North Carolina17.5Ohio: 17.5 %Ohio17.5Nevada: 16.4 %Nevada16.4Florida: 16 %Florida16Arizona: 15.8 %Arizona15.8Pennsylvania: 15.5 %Pennsylvania15.5Delaware: 15.4 %Delaware15.4Indiana: 15.1 %Indiana15.1Rhode Island: 15.1 %Rhode Island15.1California: 15 %California15Illinois: 14.7 %Illinois14.7Missouri: 14.7 %Missouri14.7Oregon: 13.6 %Oregon13.6South Dakota: 13.5 %South Dakota13.5Kansas: 13.1 %Kansas13.1Connecticut: 13 %Connecticut13Iowa: 13 %Iowa13Montana: 12.8 %Montana12.8New Jersey: 12.8 %New Jersey12.8Wisconsin: 12.8 %Wisconsin12.8Massachusetts: 12.7 %Massachusetts12.7Virginia: 12.7 %Virginia12.7Maine: 12.6 %Maine12.6Alaska: 12.5 %Alaska12.5Washington: 12.1 %Washington12.1Wyoming: 12 %Wyoming12Hawaii: 11.8 %Hawaii11.8Idaho: 11.3 %Idaho11.3Maryland: 11.3 %Maryland11.3Nebraska: 11.1 %Nebraska11.1Colorado: 10.9 %Colorado10.9Minnesota: 10.2 %Minnesota10.2Vermont: 10.2 %Vermont10.2North Dakota: 10.1 %North Dakota10.1Utah: 9.2 %Utah9.2New Hampshire: 8.2 %New Hampshire8.2
%. 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

RankStates2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Louisiana25.2+0.3 pts
2Mississippi24.3-2.1 pts
3New Mexico22.6-0.3 pts
4Alabama21.3-0.5 pts
5District of Columbia20.7+0.7 pts
6Oklahoma20.5+0.8 pts
7Arkansas20.2-1 pts
7Kentucky20.2-0.4 pts
9West Virginia19.6-3.1 pts
10Tennessee18.9+1.1 pts
11Georgia18.8+1.6 pts
11South Carolina18.8-0.4 pts
13New York18.60 pts
14Texas18.4-0.8 pts
15Michigan17.5-0.3 pts
15North Carolina17.5+0.2 pts
15Ohio17.5-0.2 pts
18Nevada16.4-0.1 pts
19Florida16-1.3 pts
20Arizona15.8-0.2 pts
21Pennsylvania15.5+0.3 pts
22Delaware15.4+1.1 pts
23Indiana15.1-0.3 pts
23Rhode Island15.1+1.1 pts
25California15-0.3 pts
26Illinois14.7-1 pts
26Missouri14.7-2.1 pts
28Oregon13.60 pts
29South Dakota13.5-1.6 pts
30Kansas13.1-0.6 pts
31Connecticut13+0.6 pts
31Iowa13+0.7 pts
33Montana12.8-1 pts
33New Jersey12.8+0.1 pts
33Wisconsin12.8-0.2 pts
36Massachusetts12.7+1.1 pts
36Virginia12.7-0.1 pts
38Maine12.6+0.2 pts
39Alaska12.5-0.9 pts
40Washington12.1+0.6 pts
41Wyoming12-1.2 pts
42Hawaii11.8-0.3 pts
43Idaho11.3-1 pts
43Maryland11.3-0.8 pts
45Nebraska11.1-2.4 pts
46Colorado10.9-0.2 pts
47Minnesota10.2-0.7 pts
47Vermont10.2-0.9 pts
49North Dakota10.1-2.2 pts
50Utah9.2+0.7 pts
51New Hampshire8.2+0.5 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_child_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2023. 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/us-states?period=2023.
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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Louisiana, with 25.2% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

New Hampshire, with 8.2% in 2023.

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