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

Counties in Alabama by poverty rate

Sumter County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2021, at 35.1%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 7.7%. The median was 19% and the figure for Alabama was 16.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.1Sumter County
Lowest7.7Shelby County
Median1967 counties
Alabama16.3History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Sumter CountySumter County: 35.1 %35.1Perry CountyPerry County: 33.7 %33.7Greene CountyGreene County: 33.2 %33.2Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 32.4 %32.4Bullock CountyBullock County: 32.1 %32.1Dallas CountyDallas County: 29.5 %29.5Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 28.3 %28.3Macon CountyMacon County: 27.5 %27.5Marengo CountyMarengo County: 24.6 %24.6Pike CountyPike County: 23.9 %23.9Escambia CountyEscambia County: 23.8 %23.8Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 23.3 %23.3Barbour CountyBarbour County: 23 %23Butler CountyButler County: 22.7 %22.7Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 22.4 %22.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 22.3 %22.3Hale CountyHale County: 22.1 %22.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 21.7 %21.7Russell CountyRussell County: 21.7 %21.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 21.5 %21.5Geneva CountyGeneva County: 21.1 %21.1Pickens CountyPickens County: 21.1 %21.1Bibb CountyBibb County: 20.6 %20.6Washington CountyWashington County: 20.6 %20.6Walker CountyWalker County: 20.2 %20.2Covington CountyCovington County: 19.8 %19.8Chambers CountyChambers County: 19.7 %19.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 19.6 %19.6Clarke CountyClarke County: 19.4 %19.4DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 19.4 %19.4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 19.2 %19.2Houston CountyHouston County: 19.1 %19.1Talladega CountyTalladega County: 19.1 %19.1Winston CountyWinston County: 19 %19Franklin CountyFranklin County: 18.9 %18.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 18.9 %18.9Clay CountyClay County: 18.4 %18.4Marion CountyMarion County: 18.3 %18.3Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 18.3 %18.3Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 18.2 %18.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Sumter County35.1+5.9 pts
2Perry County33.7+3 pts
3Greene County33.2+5.3 pts
4Wilcox County32.4+10.2 pts
5Bullock County32.1+1.3 pts
6Dallas County29.5+2.8 pts
7Lowndes County28.3+6.4 pts
8Macon County27.5-0.4 pts
9Marengo County24.6+6.3 pts
10Pike County23.9+4.2 pts
11Escambia County23.8+3.4 pts
12Choctaw County23.3+2.9 pts
13Barbour County23-2.5 pts
14Butler County22.7+2.1 pts
15Conecuh County22.4-0.5 pts
16Monroe County22.3-0.2 pts
17Hale County22.1+0.2 pts
18Montgomery County21.7+1.3 pts
18Russell County21.7+1.4 pts
20Randolph County21.5+4 pts
21Geneva County21.1+0.1 pts
21Pickens County21.1-1.6 pts
23Bibb County20.6+2.8 pts
23Washington County20.6+3.1 pts
25Walker County20.2+3.8 pts
26Covington County19.8+2.7 pts
27Chambers County19.7+3.4 pts
28Fayette County19.6+3.1 pts
29Clarke County19.4-0.1 pts
29DeKalb County19.4+4.2 pts
31Calhoun County19.2+4.7 pts
32Houston County19.1+4.3 pts
32Talladega County19.1+2.2 pts
34Winston County19+1.6 pts
35Franklin County18.9+1.7 pts
35Jackson County18.9+3.6 pts
37Clay County18.4+4.2 pts
38Marion County18.3+1.5 pts
38Tallapoosa County18.3+3.1 pts
40Cherokee County18.2+3.5 pts
40Mobile County18.2+0.6 pts
42Lee County18+0.1 pts
43Crenshaw County17.5+0.7 pts
44Etowah County17.4+1.8 pts
45Coosa County17.1-0.3 pts
46Lamar County17-0.4 pts
47Jefferson County16.9+2.5 pts
48Colbert County16.5+2.1 pts
49Lauderdale County16.2+2.3 pts
50Coffee County15.9+2 pts
51Dale County15.7+0.2 pts
52Henry County15.6-0.6 pts
52Marshall County15.6+0.2 pts
54Chilton County15.5+1.6 pts
55Cleburne County15+0.8 pts
56Tuscaloosa County14.7+0.3 pts
57Lawrence County13.9-1.5 pts
58Cullman County13.5+1 pts
58Morgan County13.5-0.9 pts
60St. Clair County12.8+2.3 pts
61Blount County12-1.1 pts
61Elmore County12+0.5 pts
63Baldwin County10.8+1.9 pts
64Autauga County10.7-0.5 pts
65Madison County10.2-0.3 pts
66Limestone County9.9-0.5 pts
67Shelby County7.7+0.7 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.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?

Sumter County, with 35.1% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Shelby County, with 7.7% in 2021.

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