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 2022, at 35.9%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 6.8%. The median was 18.3% and the figure for Alabama was 16.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.9Perry County
Lowest6.8Shelby County
Median18.367 counties
Alabama16.2History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Perry CountyPerry County: 35.9 %35.9Dallas CountyDallas County: 32.9 %32.9Macon CountyMacon County: 32.4 %32.4Bullock CountyBullock County: 31.5 %31.5Sumter CountySumter County: 31.1 %31.1Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 30.1 %30.1Greene CountyGreene County: 30 %30Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 29.7 %29.7Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 29.4 %29.4Pike CountyPike County: 27.4 %27.4Barbour CountyBarbour County: 26.7 %26.7Pickens CountyPickens County: 23.9 %23.9Clarke CountyClarke County: 23.5 %23.5Butler CountyButler County: 23.4 %23.4Hale CountyHale County: 22.9 %22.9Russell CountyRussell County: 22.3 %22.3Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County: 21.5 %21.5Chambers CountyChambers County: 21 %21Escambia CountyEscambia County: 20.9 %20.9Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 20.7 %20.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 20.7 %20.7Dale CountyDale County: 20.5 %20.5Randolph CountyRandolph County: 20.3 %20.3Bibb CountyBibb County: 20 %20Fayette CountyFayette County: 19.5 %19.5Marengo CountyMarengo County: 19.5 %19.5Covington CountyCovington County: 19.2 %19.2Mobile CountyMobile County: 19.2 %19.2DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 18.7 %18.7Geneva CountyGeneva County: 18.6 %18.6Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 18.5 %18.5Franklin CountyFranklin County: 18.5 %18.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 18.4 %18.4Talladega CountyTalladega County: 18.3 %18.3Winston CountyWinston County: 18.3 %18.3Coosa CountyCoosa County: 18.1 %18.1Lamar CountyLamar County: 18.1 %18.1Etowah CountyEtowah County: 17.7 %17.7Marion CountyMarion County: 17.6 %17.6Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 17.6 %17.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Perry County35.9+2.2 pts
2Dallas County32.9+3.4 pts
3Macon County32.4+4.9 pts
4Bullock County31.5-0.6 pts
5Sumter County31.1-4 pts
6Conecuh County30.1+7.7 pts
7Greene County30-3.2 pts
8Wilcox County29.7-2.7 pts
9Lowndes County29.4+1.1 pts
10Pike County27.4+3.5 pts
11Barbour County26.7+3.7 pts
12Pickens County23.9+2.8 pts
13Clarke County23.5+4.1 pts
14Butler County23.4+0.7 pts
15Hale County22.9+0.8 pts
16Russell County22.3+0.6 pts
17Crenshaw County21.5+4 pts
18Chambers County21+1.3 pts
19Escambia County20.9-2.9 pts
20Choctaw County20.7-2.6 pts
20Monroe County20.7-1.6 pts
22Dale County20.5+4.8 pts
23Randolph County20.3-1.2 pts
24Bibb County20-0.6 pts
25Fayette County19.5-0.1 pts
25Marengo County19.5-5.1 pts
27Covington County19.2-0.6 pts
27Mobile County19.2+1 pts
29DeKalb County18.7-0.7 pts
30Geneva County18.6-2.5 pts
31Calhoun County18.5-0.7 pts
31Franklin County18.5-0.4 pts
33Montgomery County18.4-3.3 pts
34Talladega County18.3-0.8 pts
34Winston County18.3-0.7 pts
36Coosa County18.1+1 pts
36Lamar County18.1+1.1 pts
38Etowah County17.7+0.3 pts
39Marion County17.6-0.7 pts
39Tallapoosa County17.6-0.7 pts
41Colbert County17.3+0.8 pts
42Houston County17.2-1.9 pts
43Clay County17-1.4 pts
43Tuscaloosa County17+2.3 pts
45Walker County16.7-3.5 pts
45Washington County16.7-3.9 pts
47Marshall County16.5+0.9 pts
48Jefferson County16.4-0.5 pts
48Lawrence County16.4+2.5 pts
50Cullman County16.2+2.7 pts
51Jackson County16.1-2.8 pts
52Chilton County15.8+0.3 pts
52Henry County15.8+0.2 pts
54Cleburne County15.7+0.7 pts
54Coffee County15.7-0.2 pts
56Cherokee County15.5-2.7 pts
57Lee County15-3 pts
58Blount County13.6+1.6 pts
59Lauderdale County13.3-2.9 pts
60Morgan County13.1-0.4 pts
61St. Clair County12.6-0.2 pts
62Baldwin County12.4+1.6 pts
63Autauga County11.8+1.1 pts
64Elmore County11.7-0.3 pts
65Madison County11.3+1.1 pts
66Limestone County9.90 pts
67Shelby County6.8-0.9 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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 35.9% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Shelby County, with 6.8% in 2022.

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