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

Counties in Alabama by poverty rate

Bullock County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2018, at 42.5%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 8%. The median was 19.3% and the figure for Alabama was 16.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest42.5Bullock County
Lowest8Shelby County
Median19.367 counties
Alabama16.8History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Bullock CountyBullock County: 42.5 %42.5Perry CountyPerry County: 35.3 %35.3Sumter CountySumter County: 34.7 %34.7Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 33.4 %33.4Dallas CountyDallas County: 31.4 %31.4Barbour CountyBarbour County: 30.9 %30.9Macon CountyMacon County: 30.2 %30.2Greene CountyGreene County: 30.1 %30.1Hale CountyHale County: 25.6 %25.6Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 25.1 %25.1Butler CountyButler County: 24.5 %24.5Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 24.4 %24.4Marengo CountyMarengo County: 24 %24Escambia CountyEscambia County: 23.6 %23.6Pike CountyPike County: 23.6 %23.6Fayette CountyFayette County: 23.5 %23.5Pickens CountyPickens County: 23.1 %23.1Clarke CountyClarke County: 22.8 %22.8Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 22.1 %22.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 21.9 %21.9Bibb CountyBibb County: 21.8 %21.8Russell CountyRussell County: 21.7 %21.7DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 21.3 %21.3Geneva CountyGeneva County: 21.3 %21.3Mobile CountyMobile County: 20.8 %20.8Marion CountyMarion County: 20.2 %20.2Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 20.1 %20.1Covington CountyCovington County: 19.9 %19.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 19.7 %19.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 19.7 %19.7Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 19.7 %19.7Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 19.5 %19.5Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County: 19.5 %19.5Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 19.3 %19.3Talladega CountyTalladega County: 19.3 %19.3Franklin CountyFranklin County: 19.2 %19.2Lee CountyLee County: 19 %19Coosa CountyCoosa County: 18.9 %18.9Chambers CountyChambers County: 18.7 %18.7Winston CountyWinston County: 18.6 %18.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Bullock County42.5+8.1 pts
2Perry County35.3-1.9 pts
3Sumter County34.7-1.2 pts
4Wilcox County33.4+1.4 pts
5Dallas County31.4+3.5 pts
6Barbour County30.9-2.5 pts
7Macon County30.2-0.4 pts
8Greene County30.1-3.1 pts
9Hale County25.6+0.5 pts
10Lowndes County25.1-0.8 pts
11Butler County24.5+3.2 pts
12Conecuh County24.4+0.7 pts
13Marengo County24+1.2 pts
14Escambia County23.6+0.3 pts
14Pike County23.6-4.1 pts
16Fayette County23.5+4.1 pts
17Pickens County23.1+0.8 pts
18Clarke County22.8-0.5 pts
19Choctaw County22.1-1.6 pts
20Monroe County21.9-1.9 pts
21Bibb County21.8+1.6 pts
22Russell County21.7-1.5 pts
23DeKalb County21.3+1.8 pts
23Geneva County21.3-0.4 pts
25Mobile County20.8+1.1 pts
26Marion County20.2+0.9 pts
27Montgomery County20.1-1.2 pts
28Covington County19.9+2.2 pts
29Jackson County19.7+3.1 pts
29Randolph County19.7+2.7 pts
29Tallapoosa County19.7+1.4 pts
32Calhoun County19.5+1.8 pts
32Crenshaw County19.5-0.4 pts
34Lawrence County19.3+2.5 pts
34Talladega County19.3+1 pts
36Franklin County19.2-1.3 pts
37Lee County19+1.2 pts
38Coosa County18.9+1.5 pts
39Chambers County18.7+0.5 pts
40Winston County18.6-2.7 pts
41Marshall County18.3-1.8 pts
42Henry County17.9+0.9 pts
42Walker County17.9+0.5 pts
44Clay County17.6-0.5 pts
44Washington County17.6-2.6 pts
46Etowah County17.5-0.6 pts
47Lamar County17.4-1.3 pts
48Chilton County17.3+0.5 pts
49Tuscaloosa County16.8+0.9 pts
50Houston County16.5-0.1 pts
51Cherokee County16.3-0.9 pts
52Dale County16.2-1.5 pts
53Jefferson County16.1-0.6 pts
54Cleburne County16-0.1 pts
55Cullman County14.5+0.7 pts
56Lauderdale County14+0.3 pts
57Autauga County13.8+0.4 pts
57Coffee County13.8-1.7 pts
57Colbert County13.8-1.6 pts
60Blount County13.2+0.4 pts
60Morgan County13.2-1.6 pts
62St. Clair County12-1.5 pts
63Madison County11.9-0.9 pts
64Limestone County11.4-0.5 pts
65Elmore County11.2-0.8 pts
66Baldwin County9.8-0.3 pts
67Shelby County8+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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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?

Bullock County, with 42.5% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Shelby County, with 8% in 2018.

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