Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Alabama

Counties in Alabama by poverty rate

Dallas County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2016, at 35.4%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 7.9%. The median was 19.4% and the figure for Alabama was 17.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.4Dallas County
Lowest7.9Shelby County
Median19.467 counties
Alabama17.2History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Dallas CountyDallas County: 35.4 %35.4Perry CountyPerry County: 35 %35Greene CountyGreene County: 34 %34Bullock CountyBullock County: 32.6 %32.6Sumter CountySumter County: 32.4 %32.4Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 31.9 %31.9Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 31.7 %31.7Macon CountyMacon County: 30 %30Barbour CountyBarbour County: 29.9 %29.9Clarke CountyClarke County: 29 %29Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 28.1 %28.1Marengo CountyMarengo County: 25.8 %25.8Pickens CountyPickens County: 25.8 %25.8Monroe CountyMonroe County: 25.7 %25.7Pike CountyPike County: 25.1 %25.1Butler CountyButler County: 24.8 %24.8Hale CountyHale County: 23.7 %23.7Escambia CountyEscambia County: 23.3 %23.3Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 22.7 %22.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 21.8 %21.8Marshall CountyMarshall County: 21 %21Geneva CountyGeneva County: 20.9 %20.9Dale CountyDale County: 20.6 %20.6Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County: 20.5 %20.5DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 20.5 %20.5Walker CountyWalker County: 20.5 %20.5Fayette CountyFayette County: 20.3 %20.3Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 20.2 %20.2Bibb CountyBibb County: 20.1 %20.1Franklin CountyFranklin County: 20.1 %20.1Chambers CountyChambers County: 19.9 %19.9Covington CountyCovington County: 19.6 %19.6Mobile CountyMobile County: 19.5 %19.5Houston CountyHouston County: 19.4 %19.4Russell CountyRussell County: 19.3 %19.3Clay CountyClay County: 18.9 %18.9Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 18.8 %18.8Henry CountyHenry County: 18.7 %18.7Lamar CountyLamar County: 18.6 %18.6Marion CountyMarion County: 18.5 %18.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Dallas County35.4+0.8 pts
2Perry County35-5 pts
3Greene County34-3.7 pts
4Bullock County32.6-7 pts
5Sumter County32.4-0.8 pts
6Wilcox County31.9-1.3 pts
7Lowndes County31.7-3.5 pts
8Macon County30-2.2 pts
9Barbour County29.9-2.1 pts
10Clarke County29+6.8 pts
11Conecuh County28.1-0.2 pts
12Marengo County25.8+2.5 pts
12Pickens County25.8+1.5 pts
14Monroe County25.7-2.9 pts
15Pike County25.1-0.8 pts
16Butler County24.8-1 pts
17Hale County23.7-4.8 pts
18Escambia County23.3-1.1 pts
19Choctaw County22.7-1.7 pts
20Randolph County21.8+3.1 pts
21Marshall County21+0.9 pts
22Geneva County20.9-1.5 pts
23Dale County20.6+2.1 pts
24Crenshaw County20.5+0.6 pts
24DeKalb County20.5-0.1 pts
24Walker County20.5-0.1 pts
27Fayette County20.3-0.1 pts
28Tallapoosa County20.2-1.5 pts
29Bibb County20.1-2.1 pts
29Franklin County20.1-1 pts
31Chambers County19.9-2.5 pts
32Covington County19.6-2.7 pts
33Mobile County19.5+1.1 pts
34Houston County19.4+1.1 pts
35Russell County19.3-3.7 pts
36Clay County18.9+0.5 pts
37Montgomery County18.8-4 pts
38Henry County18.7+1.7 pts
39Lamar County18.6-6.1 pts
40Marion County18.5-1.3 pts
41Chilton County18.3-1.9 pts
41Lee County18.3-2.7 pts
43Washington County18.2-4.2 pts
44Talladega County18-4.4 pts
45Tuscaloosa County17.6-2.4 pts
46Coosa County17.5-2.8 pts
46Etowah County17.5-1.5 pts
46Jackson County17.5-0.9 pts
49Winston County17.3-1.6 pts
50Cleburne County17.2-1.7 pts
51Calhoun County17.1-2.9 pts
52Cherokee County16.8-2.6 pts
52Lawrence County16.8-1.9 pts
54Colbert County16.7-1.4 pts
55Morgan County15.8-0.6 pts
56Jefferson County15.3-2.7 pts
57Lauderdale County15.2-2.1 pts
58Cullman County14.9-4.5 pts
59Coffee County14.4-1.8 pts
60Blount County14.1-0.6 pts
61Autauga County13.5+0.8 pts
61Elmore County13.5-0.5 pts
61Madison County13.5+0.2 pts
64Limestone County12.8-1.5 pts
65St. Clair County12-0.4 pts
66Baldwin County11.7-1.2 pts
67Shelby County7.9-0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Alabama by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Dallas County, with 35.4% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Shelby County, with 7.9% in 2016.

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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings