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

Counties in Alabama by poverty rate

Perry County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2017, at 37.2%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 7.4%. The median was 18.3% and the figure for Alabama was 16.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest37.2Perry County
Lowest7.4Shelby County
Median18.367 counties
Alabama16.9History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Perry CountyPerry County: 37.2 %37.2Sumter CountySumter County: 35.9 %35.9Bullock CountyBullock County: 34.4 %34.4Barbour CountyBarbour County: 33.4 %33.4Greene CountyGreene County: 33.2 %33.2Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 32 %32Macon CountyMacon County: 30.6 %30.6Dallas CountyDallas County: 27.9 %27.9Pike CountyPike County: 27.7 %27.7Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 25.9 %25.9Hale CountyHale County: 25.1 %25.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 23.8 %23.8Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 23.7 %23.7Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 23.7 %23.7Clarke CountyClarke County: 23.3 %23.3Escambia CountyEscambia County: 23.3 %23.3Russell CountyRussell County: 23.2 %23.2Marengo CountyMarengo County: 22.8 %22.8Pickens CountyPickens County: 22.3 %22.3Geneva CountyGeneva County: 21.7 %21.7Butler CountyButler County: 21.3 %21.3Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 21.3 %21.3Winston CountyWinston County: 21.3 %21.3Franklin CountyFranklin County: 20.5 %20.5Bibb CountyBibb County: 20.2 %20.2Washington CountyWashington County: 20.2 %20.2Marshall CountyMarshall County: 20.1 %20.1Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County: 19.9 %19.9Mobile CountyMobile County: 19.7 %19.7DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 19.5 %19.5Fayette CountyFayette County: 19.4 %19.4Marion CountyMarion County: 19.3 %19.3Lamar CountyLamar County: 18.7 %18.7Talladega CountyTalladega County: 18.3 %18.3Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 18.3 %18.3Chambers CountyChambers County: 18.2 %18.2Clay CountyClay County: 18.1 %18.1Etowah CountyEtowah County: 18.1 %18.1Lee CountyLee County: 17.8 %17.8Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 17.7 %17.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Perry County37.2+2.2 pts
2Sumter County35.9+3.5 pts
3Bullock County34.4+1.8 pts
4Barbour County33.4+3.5 pts
5Greene County33.2-0.8 pts
6Wilcox County32+0.1 pts
7Macon County30.6+0.6 pts
8Dallas County27.9-7.5 pts
9Pike County27.7+2.6 pts
10Lowndes County25.9-5.8 pts
11Hale County25.1+1.4 pts
12Monroe County23.8-1.9 pts
13Choctaw County23.7+1 pts
13Conecuh County23.7-4.4 pts
15Clarke County23.3-5.7 pts
15Escambia County23.30 pts
17Russell County23.2+3.9 pts
18Marengo County22.8-3 pts
19Pickens County22.3-3.5 pts
20Geneva County21.7+0.8 pts
21Butler County21.3-3.5 pts
21Montgomery County21.3+2.5 pts
21Winston County21.3+4 pts
24Franklin County20.5+0.4 pts
25Bibb County20.2+0.1 pts
25Washington County20.2+2 pts
27Marshall County20.1-0.9 pts
28Crenshaw County19.9-0.6 pts
29Mobile County19.7+0.2 pts
30DeKalb County19.5-1 pts
31Fayette County19.4-0.9 pts
32Marion County19.3+0.8 pts
33Lamar County18.7+0.1 pts
34Talladega County18.3+0.3 pts
34Tallapoosa County18.3-1.9 pts
36Chambers County18.2-1.7 pts
37Clay County18.1-0.8 pts
37Etowah County18.1+0.6 pts
39Lee County17.8-0.5 pts
40Calhoun County17.7+0.6 pts
40Covington County17.7-1.9 pts
40Dale County17.7-2.9 pts
43Coosa County17.4-0.1 pts
43Walker County17.4-3.1 pts
45Cherokee County17.2+0.4 pts
46Henry County17-1.7 pts
46Randolph County17-4.8 pts
48Chilton County16.8-1.5 pts
48Lawrence County16.80 pts
50Jefferson County16.7+1.4 pts
51Houston County16.6-2.8 pts
51Jackson County16.6-0.9 pts
53Cleburne County16.1-1.1 pts
54Tuscaloosa County15.9-1.7 pts
55Coffee County15.5+1.1 pts
56Colbert County15.4-1.3 pts
57Morgan County14.8-1 pts
58Cullman County13.8-1.1 pts
59Lauderdale County13.7-1.5 pts
60St. Clair County13.5+1.5 pts
61Autauga County13.4-0.1 pts
62Blount County12.8-1.3 pts
62Madison County12.8-0.7 pts
64Elmore County12-1.5 pts
65Limestone County11.9-0.9 pts
66Baldwin County10.1-1.6 pts
67Shelby County7.4-0.5 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.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?

Perry County, with 37.2% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Shelby County, with 7.4% 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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings